The United States is in a bit of a food truck renaissance – a resurgence of those colorful carts and trucks that feed us when we’re at a festival or concert are now somewhat permanent fixtures in our favorite cities. Many metropolitan areas have food truck parks where you can rely on your lunchtime favorites, or a rotating daily offering. Food trucks capitalize on the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of those who just love to cook and want to share their food with the masses. From a healthy acai bowl or poke bowl to spicy Thai food to indulgent lobster grilled cheese, food carts and food trucks in Portland, Atlantic, Austin and all over the country keep us coming back for more. This is your inside guide to some of the best food truck parks in the United States. First, let’s look at the cities with the biggest number of food trucks.
Portland, Oregon
Bring an appetite to Portland. In this city that loves its “weirdness,” you’ll find more than 600 food trucks settling a wide array of cuisine. In fact, there are so many carts in the city, that there are even Portland food truck park neighborhoods: Cartlandia, Cartopia and Prost! Marketplace, to name a few. Local favorites: Guma, MF Tasty Food Truck, Potato Champion, Gracie’s Apizza, Pastrami Zombie, Viking Soul Food
Austin, Texas
The food trucks are just about everywhere you look in Austin – the top food truck parks in the city, with several options to choose from, are at The Picnic and Rainey Street Food Trucks. Local favorites: Micklethwait Craft Meats, Verazcruz All Natural (best breakfast tacos in town), Jewboy Burgers, Baton Creole, Dee Dee Bombay Dhaba
Nashville, Tennessee
If you see a line at a food cart in Nashville, join ‘em. In between music shows, satiate your appetite with comfort food galore at the Music City Food Truck Park. Local favorites: Smokin’ Buttz BBQ, Steaming Goat Food Truck, Cousins Maine Lobster, The Grilled Cheeserie, The Kamasouptruck
Los Angeles, California
Trendy as all get out, the LA food truck scene starts the foodies talking when a new favorite comes on the scene. You’ll find varying food truck offerings at different neighborhoods throughout the week. Korean tacos, anyone? This is where they started. Local favorites: Kogi’s Korean BBQ Tacos, The Lobos Truck, Leo’s Tacos Truck, India Jones Chow Truck, Guerilla Taco
Washington, DC
Thought DC was too buttoned up for a quirky food truck scene? Not the case. Join the senators and pages as they grab a bite between sessions. Local favorites: PhoWheels, Rito Loco, BBQ Bus Smokehouse and Catering, Puddin’, Abunai
Cleveland, Ohio
Barbeque, yes, but so much more. Cleveland hits it out of the park for unexpected food truck fare – thing huge burgers with foie gras, peanut butter or mango. The new Lakewood Truck Park offers a rotating street food schedule, two bars and a huge seating area. Really! Local favorites: Betty’s Bomb-Ass Burgers, Off the GRIDdle, Wild Spork, Boca Loca Burrito Factory
Chicago, Illinois
During the frigid winter in the Windy City, warm up with loaded hot dogs or sweet treats from the many food trucks sprinkled throughout the city. Local favorites: Yum Dum Truck, 5411 Empanadas, A.Sweet Girl, Beavers Donuts, Chicago Pizza Boss
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Atlanta, Georgia
Refusing to be hemmed in by one particular theme, the Atlanta food truck scene gives you everything from vegan food to Mexican soul food to Cuban pastries. Local favorites: The Blaxican, King of Pops, Local Green, Deep South Biscuit Co.
New York, New York
In a city known for its amazing dining, you’ll find that some of the most popular food trucks actually harnessed their success into brick-and-mortar eateries. Check them out while they’re on the rise. Local favorites: Tony Dragon’s Grill, Luke’s Lobster, Kimchi Taco, Wafels & Dinges, Korilla BBQ, Cinnamon Snail, Halal Guys
Let’s Dive Deeper: Where to Eat at the Best Food Truck Parks in the United States
Austin
In Austin, food truck chefs use their mobile joints as a test for new restaurant concepts or new flavors and cuisines. Many of the most successful actually end up opening permanent restaurants in town. While we strongly urge you to get a reservation at those hot spots, there’s a real charm that comes with eating “at the truck.” Give these favorites food truck parks a try – we won’t steer you wrong:
The Picnic: Right along the Barton Springs restaurant row, The Picnic food truck park has parking, shaded seating with ceiling fans and a number of culinary options. Try the Hot ‘n Crunchy Chicken cone from The Mighty Cone – image a huge drinking cup full of crunchy fried chicken and smothered in mango-jalapeno salsa, all wrapped in a tortilla. Divine. Check out, too, Coat & Thai for its pineapple fried rice. And we love Four Brothers Venezuelan Food for its loaded yucca fries, traditional arepas sandwiches and crispy empanadas.
South Congress Food Truck Park: Small lots and side streets are home to a variety of food trucks in this area of Austin. Look for Hey Cupcake! for a sweet dessert – we love the sweetberry flavor. Or, try liquid nitrogen ice cream at The Science Cream trailer. Pitalicious and Simply WOW (for its gourmet grilled-cheese crepes) are other faves.
Mueller Trailer Eats: Comfort food, all the way, Mueller Trailer Eats in Lake Park offers the aptly named “mmmpanadas,” which come in several varieties, including soy chorizo and black bean, as well as chicken chile verde with chipotle mayo.
5000 Burnet: Fill up on blackened tilapia fish tacos with papaya salsa at The Big Kahuna, order spicy Asian at Watzab Thai Food or indulge in at Taco Sweets, where you ice cream comes in a taco-shaped waffle cone. Bring the kids – the 10 or so food trailers here are complemented by a play area and plenty of parking. You’ll all love the Gourdough food truck, known for its “big fat donuts.”
University Co-op Food Court: Eating on the cheap? Head to the UT Austin favorite, University Co-op Food Court behind the bookstore. Jefe’s Street Tacos, Bonbon Bahn Mi and Ice Scrapers are all student favorites.
Thicket Food Park: With a little of everything, this food truck park in south Austin serves up its fare with a yoga area, a community garden, a music stage and a playground. Spend a couple hours hanging out with the locals and trying blue corn corndogs from the Blue Corn Shack, homemade wonton soup at Dragon Delights or a no-meat Philly cheesesteak from the Revolution Vegan Kitchen.
Portland
Portland is known for being quirky, and a fantastic foodie destination, thanks in no small part to its plethora of food carts and trucks. Scattered throughout the city and grouped together in food truck “neighborhoods,” these tasty little meals on wheels are some of the best in the country. Here are some of our favorites:
Prost! Marketplace: There are typically around 10 highly ranked Portland food carts on Mississippi Avenue, a favorite destination on food tours. Try the Whole Shabamwich at Matt’s BBQ, a hefty, mouthwatering sandwich of pulled pork, sausage, brisket and a rib, with coleslaw and pickles. Within a year of the food truck’s relocation to Prost! Marketplace in 2018, Matt Vicedomini and his offerings earned “Cart of the Year” by the Oregonian. Also at Prost!, Little Conejo offers a variety of creative tacos – plus the pressed citrus juice cocktails and margaritas you’ll want alongside them. The suadero (carmelized beef) and choriqueso (chorizo and cheese) are the food truck’s most popular tacos. Here’s a different kind of food truck – Bloodbuzz focuses on cocktails and craft beer. As early at 8 AM, you can line up for coffee, cold-brew cocktails and Bloody Marys, then move on to boozy slushies or a Paloma with Stiegl Grapefruit Radler. Hankering for Indian food? Head to Desi PDX for Portland’s best Indian fusion. Order cardamom chai chicken, steamed in tea, then deep-fried in sunflower oil, then tossed with coconut sugar – of the pakora waffle, an Indian fritter with a twist.
Pioneer Courthouse Square: If you’re in downtown Portland, make your way to the Pioneer Courthouse Square food truck pod for lunch. Indulge in local Tillamook cheese at the Melty & Meaty Sandwich Eatery – we love the fried egg and ham sandwich with sriracha.
Fifth Avenue Pod: Right on the MAX public transportation system, this eclectic pod satisfies all tastes, with Asian-fusion rice bowls, Korean tacos and delicacies from India, Thailand and Egypt.
Third Avenue Pod: Grab treats from Mexico, Egypt, Thailand or Vietnam – or vegan and veggie burgers and sandwiches at DC Vegetarian and head to Waterfront Park for a picnic.
Cartopia: A favorite destination for late-night snacks, Cartopia is one of the top food truck parks in Portland. Order the poutine you know you’re craving at Potato Champion, choose individual pizzas at Pyro Pizza or wood-fired Latin chicken with Peruvian special sauce at Chickens and Guns.
Carts on Foster: Raining? It’s Portland, so the answer much of the year is “yes.” Head for Carts on Foster, an all-weather food cart pod. We love the craft cider and nonalcoholic drinks from Pod Bar, Italian favorites at Bari Food Cart and the Turkish delicacies at Istanbul delight.
Cartlandia: At this family-friendly food truck pod, you’ll find more than 30 international food cart options seven days a week. There’s a beer garden, a full-service bar, on-site parking – and it’s pet-friendly.
Atlanta
Food trucks have had a decade-long following in Atlanta for their wildly creative and comfort food options. There’s everything from soft-serve ice cream to salmon fries, Creole pretzels to vegan surprises.
Food Truck Park & Event Center: This three-acre space with parking, lawns, bocce ball, local art and fresh produce for sale and more is a destination unto itself. At Gezzo’s West Coast Burritos, tuck into spicy jerk chicken burritos and chipotle chicken egg rolls. This Mexican food truck gets its inspiration from the owners’ Californian and Hawaiian roots. At The Fry Guy, you can order a cone of fries in countless varieties with your choice of sauce – there are blue cheese fries, salmon fries, parmesan truffles fries, Bangkok fries and more with garlic aioli, honey sriracha mayo, malt aioli, red curry ketchup or honey mustard. The Blaxican melds soul food and Mexican cuisine for heavenly results. Their Mexican tacos, BBQ sweet fries and baked mac-n-cheese are sublime.
Roving Food Trucks: You’ll find plenty of food trucks roaming the neighborhoods of Atlanta, as well. Keep your eyes peeled for these favorites: GAS Food Truck, a vegan-food-lover-favorite for its not-cho cheese sauce and hot boxed un-lobstah roll. Keep a close watch for Low-Co Motion truck for Low Country cuisine. Hit up the first Nigerian food truck in Atlanta – Fufu – for their okra soup, yam porridge and turkey gizzards with fried plantains.
Truck and Tap: Hungry? Don’t want too many options? Head to Truck and Tap in Alpharetta and be surprised by their rotating food truck option of the day – everything from Big Dave’s cheesesteaks to Cartas Azucar’s Cuban Cuisine. Plus, there’s plenty of beer.
Triton Yards: On Sylvan Road in the Capitol View neighborhood, Triton Yards offers two to three food trucks a day. Offerings include such goodies as Che Butter Jonez, Meatballerz and Island Chef Café. There are two movie screens, games and more – catch an Atlanta United match while indulging in food cart favorites.
Orlando
Just south of Orlando in the suburb of Kissimmee, you’ll find the first permanent food truck park in Central Florida. It may not be the first destination you think of when thinking “food trucks,” but you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
World Food Trucks: Step away from the theme park offerings and delight your families’ taste buds at World Food Trucks with BBQ, international specialties, shaved ice and more. There’s lots of parking, music all day long and more at this clean, family-friendly location. Try the Venezuelan burgers, family-recipe five-spice Jamaican jerk chicken, Dominican papas loco, the patented mofongopleta dish (you’ll simply have to try it for yourself!), natural fruit juice shakes and so, so much more.