By: Ed Kim
Food trucks are popping up all over the country, changing our food culture landscape and giving new meaning to foodie travel.
Indeed, some of the best places to dine these days are on wheels, and if you haven’t yet been served lunch or dinner (or crème brulee, as the case may be) out the side of a truck, you haven’t lived up to your full foodie potential.
The good news is that you likely won’t have to go far to find a grubmobile near you, but if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you’re thirsting for a road trip, or you happen to be traveling to a large metropolitan area in the near future, you should check out this list I’ve compiled for you of the top cities to visit for mobile cuisine.
Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash
Seattle
This city boasts over 150 different food trucks that offer nearly every cuisine you could crave—from Vietnamese to waffles, and a famous farmer’s market (Pike’s Place, for those of you who don’t know). While you’re there, be sure to hit up Where Ya At, Matt, a food truck serving up the best creole west of the Mississippi. Seriously—the beignets are to die for.
Los Angeles
Celebrities aren’t the only things worth seeing in the city—food trucks abound here by the hundreds, making it the city with the highest number of trucks, with the most variety by far. But what could you expect from the city of stardom?
San Diego
Food trucks, like farmer’s markets, are a growing source of business for locals in San Diego. And while this may not be the city with the most trucks, it may be the city with the most endorsement. Recently, San Diego showed its support for their gourmet cuisine on wheels by throwing their second annual food truck bash, and now that I think about it, there may not be a better match for SD’s microbrew industry than the food truck.
Portland
This city takes serious pride in their food truck industry, and unlike other places, trucks are a major tourist attraction. Portland trucks adopted the farm-to-table mantra along with the rest of the eco-conscious city, and as such, offer a delicious variety of cuisines that optimize for local produce. There’s no better way to support a city, really.
Austin
A bar-friendly city needs grub support for the late-nighters, and in Austin, food trucks give whiskey drinkers all the greasy sustenance they require. Of course, in the Lone Star State, they’re food trailers.
San Francisco
Getting a table in this food-famous city can be hard, but getting dinner need not be. Food trucks have proved a hot option for city folk who want a great meal at a price and convenience they can afford, and with 138 options, they’ve got it made. It’s even easier with so many cheap options to get around the city.
Washington, D.C.
Our nation’s capital boasts the food truck with the most character, literally. The Fojol brothers have become famous for what they call their “traveling culinary carnival.” What does this mean, you ask? It is only here that you will be served food from the mythical lands of Merlindia, Benethiopia, and Vloathai, and all by costumed and mustachioed men. Don’t let this frighten you: the cuisine itself is less fanciful and more Indian-inspired.
About the Author
Ed Kim is a freelance writer for VacationPass.com. He lives in Boston with his wife and two young daughters. He can’t wait to show them the world.
Featured image via Unsplash.
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