A food truck is a mobile venue that transports and sells food. Some, including ice cream trucks, sell frozen or prepackaged food; others resemble restaurants on wheels. Some may cater to specific meals, such as the breakfast truck, lunch truck or lunch wagon, snack truck, kebab trailer, break truck, or taco truck. This list includes notable food trucks companies, and is not a comprehensive list of all food trucks companies.
A food truck is a large motorized vehicle or trailer equipped to store, transport, cook, prepare, serve, and/or sell food.
Mobile catering is the business of selling prepared food from some sort of vehicle. It is a feature of urban culture in many countries. Mobile catering can be performed using food trucks, trailers, carts and food stands with many types of foods that can be prepared. Mobile catering is also used to provide food to people during times of emergency.
Pacific Northwest cuisine is a North American cuisine that is found in the Pacific Northwest, i.e. the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska, as well as the province of British Columbia and the southern portion of the territory of Yukon, reflecting the ethnic makeup of the region, with noticeable influence from Asian and Native American traditions. With significant migration from other regions of the US, influences from Southern cuisine brought by African Americans as well as Mexican-American cuisine as Latinos migrate north from California, can be seen as well.
Kogi Korean BBQ is a fleet of five fusion food trucks in Los Angeles famous both for their combination of Korean with Mexican food and also for their reliance on Internet technology, especially Twitter and YouTube, to spread information about their offerings and locations. Highlights of typical fare include Spicy Pork Tacos, Kimchi Quesadillas and Short Rib Sliders. Its owner/founder, Mark Manguera, a Filipino-American, married into a Korean family and was inspired to combine Mexican and Korean food as a result. The food truck has won much recognition, including a Bon Appétit Award in 2009 and "Best New Chef" for Roy Choi by Food & Wine in 2010, the first for a food truck.
Korean tacos are a Korean-Mexican fusion dish popular in a number of urban areas in the United States and Canada. Korean tacos originated in Los Angeles, often as street food, consisting of Korean-style fillings, such as bulgogi and kimchi, placed on top of small traditional Mexican corn tortillas. Korean burritos are a similarly themed dish, using larger flour tortillas as a wrap.
Regional street food is street food that has commonalities within a region or culture.
Redonkadonk is a grilled burger with ham, bacon, cheese, egg and Spam inside two grilled cheese sandwiches made with extra-thick Texas toast style bread. It was served by Portland, Oregon's Brunch Box food cart and restaurants. Brunch Box operated in Portland for 12 years, first as a food cart in downtown Portland and then two additional brick and mortar locations in the city; the business permanently closed in September 2021.
Cartopia is a food cart pod located on the corner of SE 12th Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard in Southeast Portland, Oregon.
Coolhaus is an American ice cream company based in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2009 by Natasha Case and Freya Estreller.
The Grilled Cheese Grill is a restaurant focusing on gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches in Portland, Oregon, United States. Established in 2009, the restaurant became known for its highly successful food carts. The owners announced they would not reopen in March 2021 after being closed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of the previous year. In July 2022, the restaurant re-opened in a brick and mortar location.
The city of Portland, Oregon, United States, has experienced a boom in the number of food carts due to relatively low regulation compared to other North American cities.
Holy Trinity Barbecue was a barbecue restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Kyle Rensmeyer established the business as a food cart in southeast Portland's neighborhood Creston-Kenilworth in 2019. Holy Trinity and its barbecue garnered a positive reception; The Oregonian deemed Holy Trinity one of the city's best new food carts and Portland Business Journal said its barbecue was "hailed as among the best" in the United States. The restaurant closed in October 2022 and Rensmeyer has since held pop-ups.
Prost Marketplace is a food cart pod in Portland, Oregon.
Hinterland Bar and Food Carts, or simply Hinterland, is a bar and food cart pod in southeast Portland, Oregon. The pod opened in January 2022 and includes several food carts, including Burger Stevens, Hunker Down, La Taquiza Vegana, Matt's BBQ Tacos, Poppyseed, and Third Culture Kitchen.
Batterfish was a fish and chip shop in Portland, Oregon. Previously, the business operated in Encino, Los Angeles, as a food truck in Santa Monica, California, and as a food cart in Happy Valley, Oregon. Batterfish specialized in fish and chips and was featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The restaurant closed by 2023.
Colloquially referred to as Loncheras, Taco trucks have become an iconic symbol of Mexican culture in the United States. Popularized in Los Angeles, Loncheras are often characterized by rough exteriors, bright colors, and bold murals. Operators have been able to build loyal clientele using familiar parking spots, social media, and after-dark hours. Though taco trucks are a staple food for Angelenos of every race, Loncheras in Los Angeles are chiefly owned and operated by Hispanic and Latino families in low to moderate-income areas. Since Raul Martinez's first mobile truck success, taco trucks have continued to serve as windows of opportunity for migrant families and prospective chefs to earn a living. Taco trucks, like all Mexican street food, have allowed Mexican Americans to stay connected to their heritage while adjusting to a new country, community, and way of life. Success among authentic Mexican taco trucks later inspired "fusion taco trucks". Roy Choi's Kogi BBQ food truck, a Korean-Mexican short rib taco truck, is considered to be the first "fusion" taco truck in Los Angeles. The opening of Choi's truck marked a gastronomic explosion on the Los Angeles taco truck horizon. Both regular and fusion taco trucks help meet the high demand for fast, affordable, and convenient street food in the Golden city.