You don’t have to visit a bricks-and-mortar restaurant to taste some of America’s greatest dishes. The USA's food truck scene is flourishing, and many carts have tasty menus to rival the country's best-loved restaurants. From barbecue trucks to roving waffle houses, here are our favourite 50.
Healthy food served in a bowl is the order of the day at Detroit’s aptly named Delectabowl. You’ll often find the eye-catching blue truck stationed in the city’s Campus Martius Park, serving steaming bowls of homegrown produce to office workers. People love the classic Comfort Bowl, which has a base of cornbread and slow-cooked pulled pork, topped with a cherry coleslaw, Cheddar and homemade barbecue sauce. Tasty veggie options are available too.
This dinky truck keeps things simple by serving just one signature dish, jianbing, which is a savoury style crêpe popular in Northern China. Traditional fillings vary between regions, but Bing Mi! fill its fan favourite Classic Jianbing with scrambled egg, chilli bean sauce, green onion and coriander, before wrapping it around a crunchy wonton cracker. Delicious.
The Supper Truck rolled onto Albuquerque’s food scene in 2012. It was dreamed up by Southern food lover and former Charleston-dweller Amy Black, and is now owned by locals Kristen Galegor and Claude Freeman. Swing by for an ever-changing menu filled with staples from the South, from BBQ Brisket Tacos, packed with braised brisket, sriracha, hoisin BBQ sauce, Asian coleslaw and pickled red onion, to banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) and short ribs.
Located dockside at the stunning Burlington Harbor Marina, this truck supports organic and sustainable farming and sources items locally to produce scrumptious dishes. The truck’s menu changes with the seasons but visitors can expect hearty meals, such as the much-loved Vermont Cheesesteak, which is a Boyden Farm steak loaded with sautéed bell pepper, onion and cheese in an eight-inch hoagie roll. Visitors also really love the Lake Perch Tacos.
Those hankering after a sweet treat should head to Sub Zero Desserts (previously known as Dakota Snow) in Sioux Falls. Bringing a taste of Hawaii, this truck serves psychedelic shaved-ice creations during the summer months. Ponder over flavours from piña colada and pink cotton candy to tropical punch, or plump for rolled ice cream laden with whipped cream and sprinkles. Find the truck on 501 East 41st Street.
This Neapolitan style wood-fired pizza truck is the only one of its kind in the Twin Cities. With locally sourced product, the team strive to replicate pizzas from Italy, with specially fermented flour and exacting oven specifications – cooking for 60-90 seconds at 800°C-1,000°C. The truck serves daily specials but visitors really love the classics, like the Marinara, Margherita and Bianca, as the simplicity of these dishes allow the ingredients to sing.
For award-winning wood-fired pizza in the Mile High City, look no further than Basic Kneads Pizza. Its truck pops up all over at breweries, food festivals and music events. The truck is serious about its ingredients too – the dough is made from Colorado-milled flour and the herbs and veg are sourced from organic producers. Highly rated options include the Thai Chilli Chicken pizza, sausage-packed Wise Guy and Very Veggie.
This hot dog truck has been around since 2012 and is now permanently parked up offering a worldly range of hot dogs. It takes inspiration from Italy with the Chicken Carbonara, made with chicken sausage, Swiss cheese, mushrooms, onions and its homemade carbonara sauce, as well as places like Mexico, Hawaii, New York and Asia. The local speciality, Reindeer Polish hot dog, is tipped by locals as a must-try.
Started by fisherman and Coast Guard captain Mike Harden, his idea of fresh lobster in hot buttery rolls took off and now there are multiple LobsterCraft food trucks and restaurants up the state’s East Coast. The fan favourite is the original roll that started it all, LobsterCraft’s Coastal, which is a take on the CT State Sandwich. Hot, buttered lobster is topped with "a dash of the captain’s pinch" in a perfectly toasted bun. The food trucks are often at events and festivals – check out its Instagram page for a full list of dates.
The Flying Stove truck has a menu that changes weekly to keep things fresh, but you can expect dishes likes shrimp tacos, burgers and grilled pork bolillo – which is pork, truffle cheese sauce with pesto, cherry tomatoes and sriracha in a pressed bolillo (traditional Mexican white bread roll) – to make an appearance. These tasty treats keep regulars coming back.
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Famed for its Blackened Fish Mexy Tacos and side of Collards Green Quesadilla, which consists of collards cooked in a smoked turkey broth paired with a side of its homemade Mexsoul sauce, this truck has been a favourite in Atlanta for more than a decade. Cooking a range of Mexican soul food, owner Will Turner’s menu includes shrimp and drunken pork tacos, mac 'n’ cheese with jalapenos and nachos. Keep up to date on the truck's ever-changing location via its website diary.
Based in Minnesota's Keg and Case Market, Dough Dough is the mobile answer to your sugar cravings. The truck serves cookie dough ice cream by the scoop, with flavours ranging from S’more and Salted Caramel to Chocolate Chip. If you can’t decide what to have, then order a Flight of Dough, which is five mini scoops for $6 (£5) or seven for $8 (£6). If you're looking for something savoury, Dough Dough’s sister truck O’Cheeze is worth a bite too.
If you love strong coffee and freshly made egg breakfasts which you can pick up on-the-go, then this popular downtown stop is the place to be. Locals love the quick breakasts on offer, from omelettes such at The Du Jour, packed with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh parsley and Parmesan, to eggs with spinach and tomatoes on Cuban bread and a side of grits (tasty porridge made from dried corn that has been stone-ground).
This truck has been running since 2009 and is often said to sling Baltimore’s best burger. Located at Historic Fells Point on Thames Street, there's a small list of signature burgers to choose from, but most punters like to build their own. You choose from a patty made of either beef, turkey, vegetables or bison, and then you add your favourite cheese. Then, pick your sauce and finish with toppings from crispy onion straws to Applewood smoked bacon. Pair with a heap of truffle fries.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and still happily serving New Yorkers through rain, hail, sun and snow, King of Falafel knows what it's doing. Fan favourites are the falafels, of course, but the shawarmas have become iconic too. Try the Beef Shawarma Platter, which is marinated in a secret spice blend and served over rice and house salad. Based in Queens, this truck is a must-try.
La Cocinita, which means “the little kitchen”, was founded by couple Rachel and Benoit. Chef Benoit grew up in Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, and was inspired by the food cart culture. The traditional dish arepas, a cornmeal bap that can be crammed with a variety of fillings, caught his eye, and now in his own truck, they’re filled with braised chicken or pork, with black beans and your choice of sauce.
Kentucky is known for its hot brown sandwiches and fried chicken, but this seafood-focused truck brings something a little different to the Bluegrass State. The red cart trundles all over the city, dishing out the East Coast classic dish – lobster rolls. Expect a generous amount of steamed lobster and crunchy salad served on a toasted, buttery bun, while the clam chowder and lobster bisque are a must-try too.
Jozarelli’s pretty food truck, with its chic brick effect and painted vines, is the first thing that draws the customers in, but they stay for the food. Serving up simple Italian eats since 2012, the menu has a tempting selection of pizzas, from Fennel Sausage, with black olives, caramelised onions and Parmesan, to the Il Bianco, with white sauce, basil pesto and mozzarella. Pasta lovers can opt for a steaming carbonara with smoked mozzarella instead.
Serving authentic Filipino food, this food truck’s name is a play on words, combining the slang term for eat – "chibog" – with the owners (sisters Trixia and Paula Paraiso) parents’ sweet nicknames, "Chez" and "Bogie". They serve hearty dishes like chicken adobo – chicken simmered with soy sauce, garlic and vinegar; ube cake – a traditional Filipino sponge cake made with ube halaya; and longganisa (pork sausage) from recipes that have been passed down through the family.
You can’t be in Austin and not indulge in some barbecue delights. Kerlin BBQ has a permanent space at East Cesar Chavez Street, which means there's outdoor seating and you can pre-order your food so it's ready on arrival. They also sell kolaches on Sundays, which are a sweet pastry of Eastern European origin that are now staples in Texas, filled with either brisket or Cheddar. Other menu favourites include the pork ribs, prime angus brisket and pork shoulder.
“Put some sriracha in your sombrero” is the mantra at this Asian and Latin fusion truck. Tacos and steamed buns are the pillar of its menu, which is cooked from ingredients farmed in South Carolina. Depending on the dishes of the day, feast on a steamed bun filled with pickled veg, Asian barbecue sauce and your pick of meat or veggies, or Thai wings glazed with homemade sweet sake reduction. The truck recently won Charleston City Paper's Best Food Truck 2022 Award.
This devil-themed truck claims to serve “food so good, it’s bad”. Focusing on American comfort food, Devilicious rose to fame after its appearance on Food Network’s TV show The Great Food Truck Race. Look out for its signature pot-bellied devil artwork that brightens the side of the truck, then choose between a host of warming classics. Top picks include the belly-busting Buffalo Chicken Melt sandwich with tasty blue cheese, caramelised onions and buffalo sauce, or the Butter Poached Lobster Grilled Cheese on sourdough.
Jeff Romstedt, owner of the Steaming Goat Food Truck, says he grew up eating from his dad’s hot dog cart. In 2014, Romstedt’s own food truck was born, and it has been satisfying hungry Nashvillians with its hearty steamed sandwiches ever since. Although the menu changes quite often, the staples include The Big Horse, with roasted chicken and Cheddar jack cheese steamed in chicken stock, or the Cuba South, with pulled pork and Swiss cheese steamed in a pork jus.
Rafel and Roman Rios helped their dad, Don "Yeyo", grow things in his garden, which thrived. The garden grew so large that the pair started a food truck so they could cook the excess veg, and now the venture has grown into a bricks-and-mortar restaurant. However, the original Blue Truck is still in use, now in a permanent position at West Central Avenue. Customer favourites are the tacos, filled with a choice of meat or veg, coriander and Yeyo's signature spicy salsa.
Opening as early as 6am, this truck is known for its breakfast burritos, which come with a choice of chorizo, chicken, pork, ham, sausage or steak, earning it many dedicated customers. The daily lunch menu is written up on a whiteboard and you need to get there quick because the truck closes as soon as it sells out. Options range from BBQ chicken and Cheddar burritos and tasty enchiladas, to za’atar (a Middle Eastern herb spice mixture) chicken.
Eugene’s first bricks-and-mortar location opened in 2017, but its food truck is still doing the rounds. Satisfying carnivores all over town, the menu is filled with finger-lickin’ options, from chicken wings served with your choice of heat and sauce and a Grilled Tender Sandwich, to Belgian waffles topped with either wings, tenders or a quarter chicken. Order yours with Kickin’ Collard Greens and a pile of chips.
Bringing together the best cooking traditions and flavours of Nigeria, this food truck has become a staple in the Detroit area. Fork in Nigeria serves fufu – a traditional Ghanaian dough made from boiled and pounded starchy ground provisions like plantains – with a choice of egusi (protein-rich seeds), okra (a flowering plant in the mallow family), spinach and kale. As well as serving goat shank and oxtails on rice, it has a great vegan menu with the likes of Edikaikong Vegetable Soup.
Spearheaded by husband-and-wife team Sam Barron and Sarah Weitz, this well-loved truck takes the very humble sandwich and elevates it to new levels, including an exalted BLT with crispy bacon, avocado and truffle aioli on thick cut challah (a yeast bread enriched with eggs). You can also order a side of fries – truffle, spicy sesame or house – which are tossed in rosemary salt. You’ll find the truck at various locations in the Windy City, but it also has a spot in Revival Food Hall and a permanent location at Lincoln Park.
While Del Popolo now has a permanent pizzeria on San Francisco’s Bush Street, its celebrated food truck – a cool, converted transatlantic shipping container – is still on the move. The truck contains an Italian-made wood oven, which is used to cook its recipes to perfection. Tuck into the Salami Piccante, a tomato-based pizza decorated with punchy salami, peppers and onions, or the tasty and classic Margherita, with tomato, mozzarella and basil.
Launched in 2011 by food enthusiast Joel Gamoran, this Filipino-inspired truck was an early fixture in St Louis’ rising food scene. Guerrilla may have five fixed locations now, but its truck shows no signs of putting on the brakes. Customers recommend tucking into the Flying Pig, a slow-roasted pork asado with kicking sauces such as hoisin and sriracha, or the Pork Abodo, crispy braised pork belly served over Jasmine rice.
This truck, based in Brooklyn, is serious about its burgers and has a cult following because of it. The menu is pretty simple. You order a single, double or triple beef patty and then add three toppings – cheese, tomato, lettuce, jalapeño or diced onions. There are other things locals recommend too, such as the turkey burger, hot dogs and sandwiches, and tasty sides like mac 'n' cheese bites. Wash it all down with a root beer float infused with vanilla.
Taceaux Loceaux took to the city's roads in 2010 when the street food scene was still in its infancy. More than a decade later and the truck, owned by husband-and-wife team Alex and Maribeth del Castillo, is still serving imaginative tacos to NOLA’s hungry residents. The tacos are given playful names, from Messin' with Texas, which is a delectable slow-roasted brisket option, to All Hat, No Cattle, the veggie black bean choice with cabbage, onions and salsa.
The Chairman’s truck has no trouble getting noticed with its vivid artwork design by Taiwanese American artist James Jean. It’s not a case of style over substance though. Tokyo-born chef Hiroo Nagahara has more than a decade of experience in Asian street food, and his pan-Asian food packs a punch. Choose from steamed or baked baos (buns filled with meat or vegetables) packed with Coca-Cola braised pork or miso-cured tofu.
When in Maine, sinking your teeth into a lobster roll is a must. Husband-and-wife team Karl and Sarah Sutton have really breathed new life into the classic dish with Bite Into Maine. They bypass traditional butter and use mayo infused with chipotle and wasabi instead, which they found doesn't overwhelm the delicate flavour of the lobster. Menu items include lobster grilled cheese and a lobster BLT. As well as the original food truck, it also has a takeout location and an airstream vehicle.
The owners of this food truck, Fernando and Caroll Melgarejo, have given traditional Peruvian dishes a modern twist. As well as ceviche (a seafood dish where diced cubes of raw fish marinate in a lemon or lime juice mixture) and Peruvian-style burgers topped with a fried egg and potato sticks, the top order on the menu is Tacos de Jalea, filled with fried yuca (commonly called cassava), fish and calamari, and served with salsa criolla, which is made up of onions, tomatoes and lime juice.
Permanently parked outside craft brewery Metazoa Brewing in Indianapolis, this food truck specialises in Texas-style barbecue food. The smoked meats – brisket, pulled pork, pork spare ribs and turkey – are served with gherkins, jalapeños, bread and barbecue sauce. If you want to turn up the heat, try the Hooiser Heat spicy BBQ hot sauce. A customer favourite is the Texas Trinity, which is a mix of brisket, ribs and sausage.
This food truck makes New Zealand-inspired small pies with an American twist using locally sourced ingredients. The menu changes quite often, but you can expect items like chicken pot pie, cheeseburger pie and beef burrito pie to make an appearance as they are a hit with the locals, as well as sweet treats like blueberry pies. All the pies are packed with a range of flavours to suit any mood. The truck does temporarily close for the summer months and this year it's due to reopen in August.
California has plenty of amazing taco spots, but this LA truck is standout. Kogi BBQ has been on the circuit since 2008 and has gained a cult following thanks to its delicious Korean tacos that customers can't get enough of. Sample its Korean short-rib taco or burrito, which you can upgrade with extra meat (spicy pork or chicken), tofu or kimchi, or you could opt for a fresh Kogi kimchi quesadilla.
Beer-battered Cheddar cheese curds are the foundation of this Philly truck. The folks at The Cow and The Curd are on a mission to make cheese curds, which are a Wisconsin culinary staple, “a household name on the East Coast”. Try the classic Wisconsin Cheese Curds with housemade dipping sauce – options include spicy sriracha mayo, a chipotle ranch and the smoked ketchup – or plump for the poutine, which are hand-cut chips soaked in beef gravy and topped with cheese curds.
Dee Dee, which means “good good”, is a Northern Thai street food truck that lives up to its name. It’s a family affair, owned by husband-and-wife Justin and Lakana. Chef Lakana was born and raised in rural Thailand and she has remained true to her roots, preparing recipes in the same way she was taught to growing up. Get the flavour of Thailand from her Som Tom, which is a kind of papaya salad with cherry tomatoes, chilli, peanuts and green beans, or with the sweet Mango & Sticky Rice.
A favourite across the greater San Francisco Bay Area, there is now a permanent Mi Rinconcito Oaxaqueño truck in Sunnyvale. Javier Cruz and his wife Eliva Guzman make dishes of mixteco heritage found at the small stalls in Oaxaca, Mexico. This includes molotes (a corn-based pastry snack), potato and Oaxacan chorizo, and bigger plates such as enfrijoladas (corn tortillas stuffed with cheese and black bean sauce) and enmoladas (fried tortillas dipped in warm mole poblano).
Taco trucks are ubiquitous in Los Angeles, but this no-frills cart is one of the city’s most lauded. It serves a wide selection of Mexican dishes, although it’s the al pastor tacos that have people raving. As is tradition, the meat is cooked on a spit, then portioned into soft-shell tacos and garnished with crunchy salad. Tostadas, quesadillas and burritos are all on the menu too. The company has eight trucks which run from the East to the West of LA.
It may be thousands of miles from the Lone Star State, but this Portland truck dishes up some mean Texas-style barbecue. Established in June 2015 by pitmaster Matt Vicedomini, the truck has a fixed location at 4233 North Mississippi Avenue and has made an appearance on Food Network’s TV show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Customers love the Whole Shebang – a mix of succulent beef brisket, pulled pork, rib and sausage, served with coleslaw and potato salad.
This Nashville truck has a simple but delicious mission to serve “grilled cheese beyond compare”. Although it has a fixed shop on Belcourt Avenue, the truck still does the rounds in the city to the delight of cheese-loving locals. You can make your own melting sandwich to order. Just pick your cheese from provolone, pepper jack, vegan, white Cheddar and Swiss; choose your bread with options such as rosemary garlic and multigrain; and then take it up a notch with extras like bacon.
True to its name, this halal truck (which has three restaurants and a whole fleet of trucks) was founded on the love of two basic but nourishing ingredients – chicken and rice. Hitting the roads of Boston since 2012, The Chicken and Rice Guys offer a small but wholesome menu. You start by choosing a rice or salad base, then load it with your chosen protein – chicken, gyro or tofu – seasoned veggies and a sauce, with options from creamy garlic and extra hot, to mint, coriander and jalapeño.
Giovanni’s dates to 1993, when the truck’s founders took their tasty shrimp recipes to the roads of Oahu’s North Shore. Word spread about the dishes and now there's two trucks in operation – one parked up permanently in Kahuku neighbourhood and the other in Haleiwa. Its most popular dish is Shrimp Scampi, which is shrimp marinated in olive oil, chopped garlic and lemon, served with two scoops of rice drizzled in a garlic lemon butter. You’ll recognise the trucks thanks to its graffiti-clad exterior.
Fukuburger (named after its owner Colin Fukunaga) can be found parked up at all manner of Sin City events and is often cited as making Vegas’ best burger. The truck offers award-winning American burgers with a Japanese twist. Try the signature Fukuburger, an all-beef patty layered with American cheese, salad, wasabi mayo and its own fuku sauce. Customers also love the Chicken Katsu burger, which is panko-encrusted chicken and shredded cabbage, finished with "crack sauce".
Portland is known for its great food truck scene, so it’s unsurprising that some of the best carts are here. Erica’s Soul Food is a fairly new addition, having opened in 2020. It offers an array of soul food dishes including Shrimp & Grits, with gouda, roasted tomato, lemon and onions; Smothered Tofu in mushroom gravy; and wings that come with one of nine sauces, including teriyaki and jerk. A side of seasoned crinkle chips are a must.
Memphis’s food truck scene is thriving, but this relative newcomer (launched in 2017) has taken the city by storm. It’s owned by Mai Mitrakul and Tim Vimonnimit, two Thai natives on a quest to bring their home country’s cuisine to Tennessee. Look out for the cheerful orange bus, from which the pair serve flavour-packed rice and noodle bowls. The winning dish is the Khao Soi Noodles – egg noodles in a yellow curry soup base with chicken, onions and pickled mustard greens.
Spreading across many states and now with several permanent locations, this feel-good, family-run truck promises “love at first bite”. Founded in Utah in 2012 by local couple Adam and Melissa Terry, the truck champions the Belgian waffle. Topping the menu is the Founder’s Favorite, a sweet Belgian waffle with Biscoff spread and whipped cream.