Montaco
The bright pink and yellow color scheme of the Montaco truck might seem a bit silly, but trust us, the food coming out of it is no joke. Typically spotted in and around town but available for events as far away as NYC, this fun food truck specializes in tacos (obviously), with standard options including fish, shrimp, steak, chicken, and mushroom/black bean, with home-made chips, guac, pico, corn on the cob, and mango or jicama slices available for sides. Not feeling a taco today? They also offer salads and quesadillas, as well as fresh juices and Mexican sodas to wash it all down.
Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese
"Taking it to the next level" has become a rather trite cliché over the last few years, but when it comes to Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese, it really does apply. This Beantown-area food truck serves up inventive takes on the classic comfort food, adding ingredients like guacamole, braised short ribs, roasted summer vegetables, grilled and caramelized onions, and, of course, bacon. They also serve handcut truffle fries and roasted tomato soup, the latter only in cold weather, as well as lemonade and water. That's not a lot of options, but after the first few bites you'll realize anything else would be unnecessary.
Only Burger
When is a food truck not a food truck? When it's moved on to a brick-and-mortar location. Luckily for residents of the The Triangle, Only Burger still operates the truck, too. Founded in 2008, this aptly-named joint serves up a simple menu of beef, turkey, or veggie burgers, beef, turkey, veggie, or lamb sliders, and sides like fries, onion rings, chili, and pickle chips. And if you happen to stop by the restaurant, you can even wash it all down with a cold beer — something that's not really an option from the truck.
The Flying Stove
Founded by a couple of brothers, The Flying Stove is more than just a family business. It's also one of the best food trucks in the area. The truck's menu changes on a weekly basis, and covers everything from jerk chicken and fish tacos to coconut curry and Korean short rib burritos. As an added bonus, you can pick up small bags of Zapp's Kettle Chips — a favorite of Emeril — to go with your meal, which is almost as big a motivation as the food itself.
Riffs Fine Street Food
The name certainly fits the city, but it doesn't give you much clue as to the cuisine you'll get from the Riffs Fine Street Food truck. Which is sorta appropriate, given that their constantly-changing menu covers everything from Bahn Mi and Korean chicken and waffles to fish tacos and burgers — which also makes sense, since one owner is from Detroit, and the other from Barbados. The truck's Twitter feed seems to be the best way of tracking them down, but don't be surprised to find a line once you get there.
Happy Grillmore
Clever, actually decent Adam Sandler movie-referencing name aside, Happy Grillmore didn't earn its stellar reputation with funny names. Instead, its following comes for the delicious, more-than-a-mouthful burgers served on toasted ciabatta bread. They mostly have movie-inspired monikers, like the Chubbs, a 1/3 beef patty with tillamook, spinach, arugula, roasted red pepper aioli, and spicy mustard, the "You can do it" — basically the Chubbs, but add BBQ sauce and onion rings — and, of course, the Happy, which boasts gorgonzola crumbles and bacon, and are joined on the menu by salt & pepper, sweet potato, and garlic fries, a pulled pork sandwich, a salmon dish, and pork fries, an evil (in a good way) combination of salt & pepper fries, pulled pork, honey chipotle aioli, and queso fresco. Sure beats the Sizzler.
Miho Gastrotruck
As food trucks go, the plain white and black livery of the Miho Gastrotruck isn't particularly eye-catching — but then again, you don't need to draw in crowds with garish colors when you have food this good. The creative menu consists of great burgers, carnitas tortas, shrimp skewers, and a constantly rotating list of special items, all made with locally-sourced ingredients that keep costs down and quality high. Oh, and don't forget about the fries — twice-fried Belgian affairs served with house-made catsup that are worth the stop all by themselves. [Scouted by Ryan]
Streetza
We've heard of crowdsourcing slogans, t-shirt designs, and writing. But pizza? That's exactly the case with Streetza. This award-winning food truck serves up both slices and whole pizzas that have been hand-stretched and baked in its 650-degree oven. And while the usual suspects like cheese, pepperoni, and sausage are available, the truck also serves up its special slices of the day, the ideas for which come from its Twitter followers. This unique idea has spawned pies topped with everything from spam to crab legs, which are sold alongside slices topped with the best stuff from the city's neighborhoods.
Empanada Intifada
If you're looking for tasty, filling-stuffed pastries in the Big Easy, your search will likely end with a trip to Empanada Intifada. This silver food truck specializes in the Spanish treat, stuffing them with everything from pulled pork and meat pie filling to spinach and goat cheese or peanut stir fry. Also on offer are red beans and rice, a quinoa salad, and the food truck requisite kicked-up mac and cheese, this time with cotija, oaxaca, and poblano bechamel sauce. We're pretty sure there's a "you'll flip" joke in here somewhere, but in any case, we're pretty sure that they taste the same whether you're right side up or upside down.
The People's Pig
Given the name, you might think that The People's Pig focuses solely on hog-related foodstuffs. While it does offer up a solid share of pork — the porchetta and arugula sandwhich is a local legend — this stately truck offers far more than just pork, with a ever-changing menu that includes brisket, steak, and even chicken sandwiches. No matter what meat you choose, you can rest assured that it's both hormone- and antibiotic-free, and if you're lucky, you might be able to enjoy one of the Pig's other treats, like chili, blood orange marmalade, or fresh strawberry shortcake.
Basic Kneads Pizza
Some chefs get their training at a formal cooking school, or by coming up through the ranks of the service industry. The three brothers behind Basic Kneads Pizza? They learned their craft in the family kitchen. Consisting of a food truck, a trailer, and a custom hybrid, they offer their wood-fired pizzas all over the area. They use locally-milled organic flour to craft their crusts, which are cooked — along with the toppings, of course — at 700-800 degrees before being served up fresh to the waiting masses. Margherita, Meatza (pepperoni, sausage, chicken), and Sweet Thai Chili Chicken are just a few of the options available, and for those of you watching your wheat intake, they also offer Udi's gluten-free crust for a nominal fee.
Pepe
We've seen several well-known chefs get their starts on food trucks, but rarely does it happen the other way around. Pepe is the sparkling silver food truck of José Andrés — Pepe is his nickname — serving up delicious Spanish sandwiches to the hungry masses inside the Beltway. Standouts include the Pepito de Ibérico, featuring Ibérico pork, Serrano ham, roasted green peppers, caramelized onions, and aioli, the Pollo Frito with fried chicken, the Escalivada with roasted vegetables, and the Gazpacho. Finding the truck via its Twitter feed is easy. Choosing what to order? Not so much.
