Mid-West, West Coast Tacos are a hit.

As Indianapolis gets ready for its biggest weekend in decades, visitors from all over the country are indulging in the Circle City’s newest cultural influence—street food.  The food truck scene in Indy hasn’t been around long, but the number of trucks have jumped up quickly thanks to the influence of their most popular truck, West Coast Tacos. Started just over a year ago, the fusion taco truck has become so popular, they are already planning expansion to several neighboring cities.  We were able to pull them away from Monument Circle for a minute to see what’s inside a mid west coast taco:

RH: What is the funniest thing that has happened to you inside a food truck?

WCT: Alot of times, people will pull up to us while we are driving and ask us to throw them a taco or burrito…That’s fine if they can throw some money at us first haha

RH: What is your favorite “food trade” with another truck?

WCT: My favorite thing to trade for is snacks, like pretzels and cupcakes or brownies.

RH: What part of food trucking did you think would be popular that ended up not being so (locations, trends, menu items)?

WCT: Locations are hard to develop.  You have to go to multiple locations to build up a following.

RH: What is the street food culture heading?

WCT: How about turning every single restaurant in to an apartment or home and having everyone do mobile food trucks.  More places to live, more places to eat.  At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised.

RH: What on your menu MUST I try?

WCT: Everything is must try but if you HAD to choose, I’d go with the steak fried rice burrito or spicy pork taco.

See where the truck is headed next at West Coast Tacos

Indianapolis’ food truck movement conveniently coincides with Super Bowl.

From ziplining 100 feet in the air down several city blocks to cruising down the heated streets, Indianapolis has ensured comfort and entertainment for its visitors from all over the county. Super Bowl XLVI is the Circle City’s largest event ever, with many of the 200,000+ visitors dining from gourmet food trucks.

Rather than blowing $300+  for a single table (many local restaurants’ minimum during Super Bowl week) visitors have ventured out to the curb. Fun, delicious, and far less expensive, food trucks began hanging out at Monument Circle last week. Starting up again on Thursday, the Circle will feature the following meals on wheels:

Edwards Dashboard Diner

Marbles Cafe

Duos Mobile Kitchen

Scouts Treats 

Safari Kitchen

Circle City Coffee Company

Mac Genie

Ivey Spice

Gypsy Cafe

Taco Lassi

Little Eataly

Scratch

Der Pretzel Wagon

Tacos Without Borders

The NY Slice

West Coast Tacos

Circle City Spuds

Rollin Wit Da Roux

Sweet Jeanius

SpiceBox

Chef Dan’s Southern Comfort

Floribbean Flair

Neighborhood Pizza

See what the trucks are selling: Hungry Football Fans

Keep up with the trucks at: Indy

Friday, February 3rd, 3 PM – 6 PM

 Fern Drive Elementary’s First Annual Food Truck Event will feature 10 awesome OC food trucks!

 For more info go to: Fern Drive 1st Annual Food Truck Fest

Tomorrow over 70!!  food trucks head out to the desert.  For more info, check out Palm Springs Food Truck Festival.

 Constantly on the prowl, our featured truck of the week comes to you from New York.

In a city where most residents don’t own one vehicle, Korila BBQ needs three to meet the demand of hungry New Yorkers. Korean / Mexican fused dishes have become a staple in the new wave of street food. Prepared with Korean ingredients like Bulgogi and served in traditional Mexican packages like tacos and burritos, this cultural hybrid is a favorite by any foodie’s standard.  To help such foodies get a closer look, we caught up with the members of Team Korilla:

RH: What is the funniest thing that has happened to you inside a food truck?

Korilla: At Team Korilla, the funniest moments are actually the most dangerous moments we just laugh off. Starting off we had many a funny moment with propane. I remember lighting our grill with the propane on full blast and having a ball of fire burn my left arm right up to t-shirt sleeve.

Steve, our other partner and TGFTR celebrity, also had a propane-ful experience. We couldn’t tell if he was mad because his eyebrows were completely burned off and his nose redder than a drunk Rudolph. Eventually, we understood the meaning of trial by fire.

Paul, also a reality tv starlet and partner, was the last one to be initiated by way of arm on fire.  In the early days we tried to keep it real, and by real it was a complete farce. We signed up for this and as responsible owners obviously had Korilla health care – Neosporin, band-aid and a healthy dose of Nelson brand  HA-HA.

RH: What is your favorite “food trade” with another truck?

Korilla: Ah yes, the perks of being a food trucker. You can never go hungry and there’s never a lack of tasty variety. We routinely swap food with Bian Dang, Taim, Souvlaki GR, Dessert Truck, Eddie’s Pizza Truck, Frites-n-Meats,  Mexicue, Big D’s Grub, Bongo Bros, Red Hook Lobster, and during the summer especially with Ralph’s Ices, Kelvin Slush and Van Leeuwen’s. The best is when we’re at events and it becomes a food orgy.

RH: What part of food trucking did you think would be popular that ended up not being so (locations, trends, menu items)

Korilla: Bribery with food.

RH: What is the street food culture heading?

Korilla: Having traveled across the country, I realize each city is in a different phase and each city has legislators with a different outlook on street food culture.

The mature cities like LA and NYC, where the food truck scene is over-saturated,  are seeing backlashes due to competition and a grey area in the law. In NYC, there will be a significant game changer in legislation soon and could end up choking the industry.

This isn’t always the case for mature cities; Portland’s food truck scene is a lot more sustainable with their pods. Nascent cities like those in Tennessee and Kansas just started writing up legislation as of last summer and, I believe, will thrive.

Some cities just aren’t having it, making it economically and/or physically impossible to maintain a vibrant street food culture. At the end of the day, by nature street food culture is dynamic and I believe innovation will overcome the status quo. Case in point, we’re on our way to brick and mortar stores following the lead of many a predecessor.

RH: What on your menu MUST I try?

Korilla: Everything is probably would most people do.

Keep up with Korilla BBQ

While food trucks fight for air in the city of Boston, a local suburb may provide some breathing room.

 Beginning in April, the streets of Brookline, MA will experiment with trucks for a 6-month period.

Check out the full story at Mobile Cuisine

Los Angeles has inspired an Australian street food movement.

Frequently recognized as the capital of the Pacific Rim, Los Angeles is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. It is this variety to which the success of the street food movement can be credited. LA’s food truck scene has grown so large, it is tough for neighboring Pacific cities not to notice—even those across 7500 miles of ocean.

When city officials asked local Sydneysiders what would spice up night life in the New South Wales Capital, they responded with two words: Food Trucks. 30 foodie entrepreneurs entered a taste test to join Syndey’s street food movement, and ultimately, ten were chosen to partake in the experiment. Looking to inspire late night activity from the curb, the trucks’ will roam through Syndey for a year, before the city approves their permanent residency.  Participants include:

• Agape
• Al Carbon
• Bite Sized Delights
• Burger Theory
• Cantina Mobil
• Eat Art Truck
• Let’s Do Yum Cha
• Taco Truck
• Tsuru
• Veggie Patch

Our coolest food truck of the week hits home in 4 American cities.

The Empire State Building, Monicello, The Lincoln Memorial, Golden Gate Bridge: Some of America’s most beloved and recognizable pieces of architecture.  Our nation’s newest structural masterpiece does not house business or honor past presidents, but satisfies a sweet tooth.  Everyday, hundreds of foodies draw up cookie and ice cream blueprints for Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwiches. With trucks in LA, New York, Austin and Miami, we spoke with the architects directly to get inside the mind of Coolhaus:

RH: What is the funniest thing that has happened to you inside a food truck?

Haus: I had a guy try to trade me a chicken nugget for a sammie because I “look like I blaze.” He just set it down on the counter in front of me in front of a 10min line.

RH: What is your favorite “food trade” with another truck?:

Haus: Border Grill – Avocado Tacos or Potato Rajas Tacos w/ Rice + Black Beans

RH: What part of food trucking did you think would be popular that ended up not being so?

Haus: Sometimes you roll up to a festival stocked for the apocalypse and about 5 people end up being there. Pacific Festival anyone?

RH: What is the street food culture heading?

Haus: I think the street food culture is amazing, and will continue to rise for a long time. I’d like to be able to walk out of my house and see a lunch truck down the street every day! Or a bunch of them!

RH: What on your menu MUST I try?

Haus: Balsamic Fig mascarpone ice cream with double chocolate cookies, Chocolate Chip cookies with Brown Butter + Candied Bacon Ice Cream or Nutella Toasted Almond Hot Cocoa.

Follow the Coolhaus trucks at Los Angles, New York, Austin, Miami

 The Wild West adds yet another cornerstone to its foundation of street food.

As the Mecca of food trucks, Los Angeles has led the American Street Food Movement from the start, influencing its neighboring southwest cities along the way. The newest satellite city, Tuscon, has begun breeding regular truck roundups, the most recent of which was on Monday. Check out the Food Truck Roundup for more info.

Among the newest food trucks in Tuscon are:

Bubba-Que, Cyclopsicle, Dragoon Café, Fork and Knife, Jamie’s Bitchen Kitchen, MaFooCo, Ni Hao Amigos, Pin Up Pastries, Planet of the Crepes, Seis Curbside, Trucking Good Cupcakes, Street Delights, and Vero Amore Pizza.

Keep up with the food truck scene in Southern Arizona at Tucson Food Trucks 

Love food trucks? So do horses.  Come see both at Santa Anita on January 28.

Click here for details: Santa Anita Food Truck Fest