(Some of) The Best Food Trucks in Texas
There’s something mouthwatering about the simple image of the food truck. Lines of hungry young foodies lead to a window of what looks like a converted ice cream truck where, inside, a couple of innovative chefs churn out a diversity of adventurous, innovative, delicious creations on the cheap. It’s like food, but on wheels.
If you dig back into the history of the phenomenon, you’ll find true Texas roots. You could argue that the original food truck was the chuck wagon that followed Charles Goodnight’s cowboys as they blazed the cattle trail — and today, Texans are still chasing the chuck wagon.
Austin has played a leading role in the food-truck revolution. According to a 2017 report, our capital city has the fastest-growing food-truck industry and the second-most food trucks per capita in the nation. But food trucks have moved beyond Austin’s cultural funk and into the wider Texas culture, taking up an important part of Texas’ culinary scenes. If you are looking for a foody adventure on four wheels, here are some of the best food trucks in Texas.
AUSTIN
Gourdough’s Big. Fat. Donuts.
Gourdough’s draws hungry and curious customers from all over the country who seek out its legendary take on a breakfast staple. From the Airstream trailer, they serve up everything from a donut sandwich with fried chicken and honey butter to the “Fat Elvis,” a donut served with grilled bananas, bacon, honey, and peanut butter icing.
Soursop
The sizzling and spicy offerings that come out through the window at this Pan-Asian favorite would fit comfortably on the white tablecloth of any brick-and-mortar restaurant: duck leg confit with green curry, eggplant, bok choy, Thai basil, and jasmine rice; Singapore noodles with madras curry sauce, veggies, and tofu; pork riblets with sweet chili, honey, lime, toasted rice powder, and cilantro. Yum.
The Mighty Cone
Jeff Blank’s famous food truck was founded in 2002 after a simple challenge: Come up with an idea for a new kind of food that could capture the spirit of the capital city and feed the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Blank’s idea was to combine crunch with savory sizzle. His “cones” are like next-generation tacos, and they come filled with almond-crusted chicken, avocado with chili flakes, shrimp with mango-jalapeño slaw, or a monster combination of it all.
HOUSTON
Coreanos
Houston’s culinary scene has been turning a lot of heads in recent years. The incredible diversity that drives the city’s food innovations comes together in Coreanos, a Mexican-Korean food truck that offers mashups like kimchi cheese fries and short rib Korean barbecue tacos that seem to exemplify the cultural collisions that make Houston tick.
The Waffle Bus
Who needs bread when there’s waffles? The Waffle Bus allows the battery breakfast staple to take centerstage with dishes such as buttermilk fried chicken and waffle, a waffle burger, a Nutella-and-banana waffle, and, of course, waffle fries.
SAN ANTONIO
The Box Street Social
Chef Edward Garcia III’s rotating menu of food-truck creations range from the indulgent chicken and donuts to spicy crab-stuffed avocados to can’t-miss fish tacos.
Go Vegan San Antonio
This delicious food truck takes vegan cuisine far beyond the vegan burger (though they do make a great one), proving that street food can be delicious and animal-free with homemade seitan wings, tofu tacos, and creamy, dairy-free mac and cheese.
DALLAS
Halal Mother Truckers
There are a ton of great taco trucks in Dallas, a city with a quietly exceptional taco scene, but no one takes the tried and true Mexican street-food staple in quite the same direction as Halal Mother Truckers. Adding an Indian twist, this truck offers treats such as the Tikka Taco, which crams crispy chicken tenders, tikka sauce, basmati rice, and green chili chutney into a classic flour tortilla.
Not Just Q
Some of the best barbecue in North Texas can be found by chasing down chef Eric Hansen’s barbecue rig on wheels. Not Just Q! offers all the classic barbecue staples — so much meat by the pound, slow-cooked right on the truck — but Hansen’s team will also serve their smoked deliciousness over nachos or wrapped in tortillas as tacos.
EL PASO
Panini Bus
Cynthia Bertoldo’s short yellow school bus is usually parked at the farmers market, but if you’re lucky you’ll catch her traveling about town to community events and festivals. Bertoldo’s take on the classic Italian sandwich blends a wallop of regional influence, making for some of the best sandwiches in Texas. Case in point: the chicken breast panino, which is topped with spicy mango spread, hatch green chile, and Muenster cheese.
For more Texas cuisine, check out our guide to our barbecue regions and seafood scene.
© 2019 Texas Farm Bureau Insurance
