National Food Truck Day is June 28 this year, and there’s perhaps no better place to celebrate than Texas, where food trucks abound. With about 2,000 of them, Austin is the epicenter: Check out well-known hubs along Rainey Street and food truck parks like The Picnic.
A large awning provides diners with shade at The Picnic food truck park. Photo by Nicole Mlakar
Food trucks in other cities and towns throughout the state also serve up big flavors—and a variety of fusion cuisine.
These 11 good bets illustrate the state’s growing diversity, as well as highlight rising chefs and their innovative techniques and ingredients.
1. Abe Fromage, Fort Worth
Chef Scotty Scott breaks a smile in the kitchen of his Abe Fromage food truck. Photo by Nancy Farrar
Chef Scotty Scott, author of the Fix Me a Plate cookbook, got his start making cooking videos on Instagram and at pop-ups around Fort Worth. He would often make elevated grilled cheese sandwiches using ingredients like smoked gouda, truffle butter, and salted honeycomb.
At the Abe Fromage food truck, diners line up for elevated grilled cheese sandwiches. Photo by Nancy Farrar
Those sandwiches are still the stars at his food truck. A must-try: the Bammy Bird, featuring provolone, pecan-smoked chicken, whipped avocado, and an Alabama white barbecue sauce.
You can branch out with a 2-patty Wagyu smash burger or the Sunday Supper series. Offered once a month, the series features a themed 4-course meal; a recent supper showcased South American dishes. The meal is entirely prepared in Scott’s 17-by-8-foot trailer and includes pairings from The Holly wine bar next door.
Track the truck: Parked at 300 Galveston Ave. Open Thursday–Sunday; hours vary.
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2. Bahler Street Pizza, Georgetown
Bahler Street Pizza travels around the Austin area serving up its hand-tossed sourdough pizzas. Photo courtesy Bahler Street Pizza
Army veteran Frank Riggle fell in love with wood-fired pizzas while stationed in Italy. Today, he and his crew churn out hand-tossed sourdough pizzas in this truck
equipped with a custom pizza oven. You’ll find it at private parties, pop-ups, and events around the Austin area.
Hand-tossed sourdough pizzas are the specialty at Bahler Street Pizza, which has won awards for its pies. Photo by Jimmy Daboul Photography
Riggle won Best Pepperoni Pizza at the Texas Pizza Festival in March. And at the Texas Food Truck Showdown in 2022, he took home the prize for his James and the Giant Peach pizza. It’s made with a fig-based sauce, fresh mozzarella, locally sourced applewood smoked bacon, and Texas peaches. It’s only served in the summer months, but a dozen other creative offerings are available year-round.
Track the truck: See the events calendar.
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3. Carnitas Don Raúl, San Antonio
At Carnitas Don Raúl, try the quesadilla moreliana, a mix of carnitas, cheese, guacamole, and refried beans sandwiched between 2 tostadas. Photo courtesy Carnitas Don Raúl
Michelle Muñoz and her husband, Martin, opened their food truck, Carnitas Don Raúl, as a nod to her family’s restaurant of the same name in the Mexican state of Michoacán (you may have seen it on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles). Their signature carnitas, a regional specialty in Michoacán, are made of seasoned pork cooked for hours and served in doubled-up corn tortillas.
For extra flavor, try the carnitas in the quesadilla moreliana, made with cheese, guacamole, and refried beans inside 2 crunchy tostadas.
Track the truck: They now have 2 trucks, one parked at 2202 Broadway St. (open Tuesday–Sunday), the other at 16900 Blanco Road (open Friday–Sunday). Hours vary at both.
4. Diego’s Food Truck, McAllen
Diego Ramos, a self-trained chef, started his eponymous food truck in 2019. It was a way to showcase local ingredients, many of which come from his family’s nearby farm and ranch. He also wanted to bring fine-dining dishes to the Rio Grande Valley.
An item always on the menu: the Provenza Burger, named for his family’s ranch. It’s a quarter pound of grass-fed beef (from the family’s cattle herd) topped with grilled tomatoes and onions on a brioche bun (baked daily in house).
The menu also features specials like tamarind-braised oxtail and coconut curry–poached cod. As a bonus, Ramos hosts cooking classes and theme nights to introduce patrons to delicacies like paella and Turkish cuisine.
Track the truck: Typically located at McAllen Food Park, but follow on Facebook or Instagram for the exact location. Open Wednesday–Sunday, 5–10:30 p.m.
5. El Botanero Mariscos, El Paso
Avocado and salsa Negra top the fish and shrimp ceviche at El Botanero Mariscos. Photo courtesy El Botanero Mariscos
Yes, Sun City is more than 600 miles from the ocean. Nonetheless, this food truck serves mouthwatering shrimp flautas and award-winning ceviche. The latter is marinated in lime juice, garnished with avocado and salsa Negra, and served in small or large sizes.
You can also try something akin to a Frito pie with a seafood medley served in a bag over your choice of flavored chips (think flamin’ hot, salsa verde, or limón).
6. Llano Cubano, Lubbock
A Cuban American who lives in Texas developed the recipes for dishes served up at Llano Cubano. Photo by Ashley Zubia
A cubano is essentially a panini-style ham-and-cheese sandwich with historic ties to Cuba. Llano Cubano takes it a step further with recipes developed by a Cuban American living in the Texas Panhandle.
At Llano Cubano, the Tejano Cubano sandwich gets the Texas treatment with jalapeños. Photo by Tyler Stansell
The Llano Cubano sandwich—one of the most popular items—comes with mojo pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, pickles, and ham. A variation is the Tejano Cubano, made with jalapeños instead of pickles. The Bar-B-Cuban is made with mojo pork, pickles, and a house-made guava barbecue sauce.
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7. Fish & Fizz, Dallas
Sink your teeth into sustainably caught cod fried in chef Nick Barclay’s signature batter. Photo by Steven Visneau
British chef Nick Barclay closed his Fish & Fizz restaurant, a popular Dallas-area fast-casual diner, a year ago due to leasing issues. But this April, he reinvented the eatery as a food truck.
Dig into sustainably caught cod, fried in Barclay’s signature batter (gluten-free is also an option). Pair it with mushy peas or chips (like a French fry, but chunkier and softer inside) dipped in curry mayo. Wash everything down with a soda imported from the U.K., like Tango or Irn-Bru.
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8. Houston Sauce Pit, Houston
At Houston Sauce Pit, the BBQ Baker baked potato is topped with a protein (here, smoked chopped beef) and a variety of traditional fixings made vegan. Photo by @wunderfuls
It’s brave to do barbecue without meat. But the risk has paid off for Houston’s first all-vegan barbecue food truck. It’s helmed by Jarrett Milton, owner of Houston Sauce Company.
Both vegans and omnivores will find something to like. One good bet is the Beyond Meat smoked sausage links. Another is the BBQ Baker baked potato. Top the potato with your choice of protein and vegan versions of the usual fixings: butter, cheese, bacon bits, and sour cream.
Track the truck: Parked at 4906 Almeda Road. Open every day except Monday, when the truck sometimes pops up elsewhere. Follow on Instagram.
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9. KGBBQ, Austin
At KGBBQ, Kareem El-Ghayesh gives his barbecue an Egyptian twist, using spices such as cardamon and tahini. Photo by Nicole Mlakar
In 2016, Kareem El-Ghayesh planned to spend time in Austin to learn the ways of local pitmasters. He would then return to Egypt to start his own barbecue venture. Or so he thought.
Instead, the corporate finance guru-turned-chef fell in love with Texas hospitality. He stayed and opened this food truck that blends traditional barbecue with flavors of his ancestral home.
One of the best examples of this mashup of cultures? The brisket bowl with Mediterranean rice, smoked brisket, a garden salad, tahini, candied nuts, and pomegranate seeds.
Another can’t-miss item is the cardamom and pistachio rice pudding. And the hibiscus mint iced tea is a nod to a traditional drink found on the streets of Cairo.
Track the truck: Parked at 3108 Manor Road. Open Thursday–Sunday; hours vary.
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10. Kiin Di, Austin
Creamy curry crab is an especially popular dish at Kiin Din. Photo courtesy Kiin Din
Kiin Di boasts serious street cred. It routinely wins both local and national awards. One bite of the truck’s Thai dishes and it’s easy to see why.
The Thai Me Down appetizer includes Thai-style fried chicken wrapped in flaky roti and topped with homemade pickled cucumbers and a spicy aioli.
For something spicy at Kiin Din, order the Killer Noodles, which are topped with a fried egg and fried pork belly. Photo by @Jenalyseats
For the main course, try the Killer Noodles, a spicy noodle stir fry topped with crispy fried pork belly and runny fried egg. The Creamy Curry Crab was a special that became so popular that it’s now a menu fixture.
Regulars appreciate the rotating array of specialties highlighting cuisine from Thailand’s different regions.
Track the truck: Parked at 1901 S. Lamar Blvd. Open Wednesday–Sunday, 4–9 p.m.
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11. No Name Food Truck, Gilmer
Hungry diners come to the No Name Food Truck for Southern comfort foods. Photo courtesy 80 Acre Market
The team at 80 Acre Market, a home-decor haven just outside of Longview, needed to feed hungry shoppers on weekends. The problem? They didn’t have the space for a restaurant inside the store.
The solution? They opened this food truck. But they couldn’t figure out what to call it. So they jokingly referred to it as the “No Name Food Truck.” Eventually, that became the name.
A secret menu item at the No Name Food Truck is the loaded fries with brisket, queso, pico, and jalapeños. Photo courtesy 80 Acre Market
Words are also likely to evade you when you sample the truck’s Southern comfort foods. The brisket parfait is made with layers of mashed potatoes, roasted corn, house-made brisket, and pickled jalapeños. Also try the bourbon bacon sliders with grilled beef patties, pepper jack cheese, bourbon bacon jam, fried onion, and sriracha aioli on slider buns.
Track the truck: Parked at 10481 U.S. Highway 259 North. Open Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Follow on Facebook or Instagram for weekend locations; hours vary.
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