If there was a food truck capital of the world, Austin would have a strong claim to the throne. The city is ripe with unbelievable restaurant concepts that just so happen to be on wheels, and there’s not a cultural landscape more hungry (literally) for ambitious, distinct flavor profiles. So look, there are a lot of trucks that deserve recognition—this too-short, unofficial list is merely a random assortment of trucks that put big, fat smiles on our faces.
Patrizi’s (2307 Manor Rd)
Located right outside of the Vortex Theater, this unassuming spot is the closest you’ll get to Sunday dinner at your Italian grandmother’s house without being asked “so when are you getting married?” Speaking of getting married, we’d walk straight down the aisle with the Carbonara Alexandra—house cured and smoked pancetta, coddled egg yolk and grana padano would certainly make us happy for the rest of our lives.
Spicy Boys (1701 E 6th St)
Grab a couple cold ones at Zilker Brewing before popping out for some chicken-on-wheels. Of course the wings are good, but what’s interesting about the Spicy Boys is their proclivity for putting the most deliciously rich sauces on their sandwiches—sweet chili-honey on The OG, Thai chili ranch on the V Spicy Gai, and Massaman mayo on the Hot Gai. No matter what you order, you’ll be sweating in the best way.
Way South Philly (East 6th and Waller)
Speaking of juicy sandwiches, the name sort of gives this one away. The only difference is eating The Balboa will feel like your taste buds are taking a punch from Rocky himself (sorry, we had to). A generous heap of seasoned grilled Philly steak with all the fixings will have you begging for a Hall of Fame nap.
Mami’s Tacos (Manchaca and Matthews)
You didn’t think we’d get through this list without including tacos, did you? This truck might be the sneakiest on the list, as it is inconspicuously located in a gas station parking lot. But that doesn’t stop it from being a well-oiled breakfast taco machine. From chorizo to bacon to eggs to beans to potatoes to avocado—whatever you want, they’ll wrap it in a taco and get you on with your (now much better) day.
Cluck N Burger (10700 Manchaca Rd)
Look, of course their chicken is good. Order it in whatever form you want, it’ll get the job done. But what you might not know is that the burgers here really bring the noise—and by noise, I mean the audible cries for help I made when I couldn’t control my happiness after bite #1. If you want to be a hero, you’ll order some guacamole for the table.
Little Lucy’s Mini Donuts (75 1/2 Rainey St)
When you’re done parading your out-of-town visitors around Rainey Street on a Saturday or Sunday, we’ve got the perfect snack for the ride home—a bag of mini-donuts. We know that all donuts are good, but these donuts are especially good. You can order a wide array of flavors (from vanilla to cinnamon), but the “not so plain sugar” is a staple that’ll warm your soul.
