A Local’s Guide to the 14 Best Food Trucks in Austin

Austin’s food scene is flourishing—you’ll find internationally renowned chefs, restaurants with award-winning recipes, and a rainbow of stunning restaurant designs. But there’s one very important piece of the nonstop gastronomic festival that is Austin: the humble—or perhaps not-so-humble—food truck.

The mighty food trucks of Austin mean business, and there are an estimated 1,200 of them hanging out all over town that can be counted on all year round to serve up a global smorgasbord of flavors.

Looking to give your taste buds something to rave about during your time in Austin? Check out some of the best food trucks in Austin below, including:

1. Churro Co.
2. El Primo
3. Artipasta
4. Bananarchy
5. Burro Cheese Kitchen
6. Dee Dee
7. Gourdough Big Fat Donuts
8. Sammataro
9. Arlo’s
10. Pepe’s
11. Bombay Street Food
12. Tommy Want Wingy
13. Veracruz Natural
14. Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ

Let’s get started!

1. Churro Co.

This sweet little Austin food truck is where those in the know flock for a satisfying dose of sugar and crunch. Forget about plain old cinnamon churros and go straight for the fun add-ons like Fruity Pebbles, Nutella pudding, cajeta sauce, or lavender blueberries. Oh yeah, and the dough at Churro Co. is totally made from scratch.

2. El Primo

If you’re searching for an authentic taco experience in Austin, you’ve come to the right spot. El Primo is a taco truck in South Austin that makes it onto every “best of” foodie list, especially for its breakfast tacos. Try the migas or anything with beans in it! Trust us—you’ll be in taco heaven!

3. Artipasta

Who knew you could find seriously sophisticated pasta at a food truck? But that’s exactly what Artipasta has achieved. The Italian owner of this popular little truck, located in South Austin’s Thicket Park on South First Street, makes all the pasta and sauces from scratch based on northern Italian family recipes. Be sure to try the super comforting dish of tagliatelle with mushroom and truffle oil sauce.

4. Bananarchy

After all the food truck indulgence, Bananarchy’s healthy frozen dessert might make you feel a little less guilty. Here, you get a frozen banana (fair trade and organic!), dipped in chocolate or peanut butter, loaded up with whatever fun toppings you can handle, and last but not least, drizzled over with more chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, or Nutella.

5. Burro Cheese Kitchen

Burro Cheese Kitchen, which serves up its expertly layered, saucy, grilled cheese sourdough sandwiches—with or without smoked brisket—has two locations in Austin, both conveniently situated on Rainey Street and in East Austin. After a fun night out, swing by this truck to soak up all the margaritas with some gooey, greasy Gouda and beautiful apricot fig sauce.

6. Dee Dee

If you are a fan of Thai cuisine, then get yourself over to Dee Dee right now. Hailing from northeastern Thailand, the humble chef-owner of this ridiculously popular and award-winning food truck in South Austin has built up a small but mighty menu of northern Thai classics, with most ingredients and herbs grown in her sizable, organic home garden.

7. Gourdough’s Big Fat Donuts

Too tempting to pass up, Gourdough’s trailer is a donut lover’s paradise—even if you’re looking for something less sweet. That’s because this Austin favorite knows what the people want. How about peanut butter icing with grape jelly filling, or perhaps take the road less traveled and top off your donut with grilled bacon, cream cheese, and jalapeno jelly? And at Gourdough’s Big Fat Donuts, you can pair your doughy treat with a craft beer or a cocktail—because it’s Austin. While this spot tends to attract more of a touristy crowd, it’s definitely worth checking off your bucket list during your time in Austin.

8. Sammataro

Pizza isn’t the most obvious choice for a tiny food truck kitchen, but Sammataro has managed to become the city’s beloved wood-fired, New York City-style pizza provider in a trailer. Located in East Austin, Sammataro features a range of classic toppings (like pepperoni, mushroom, and anchovies) on a well-baked, thin crust with locally milled flour, all with gorgeous, flavorful garnishes. There’s often live music for an upbeat dining experience, too!

9. Arlo’s

At first glance, the options at Arlo’s seem rather traditional—tots, tacos, macaroni and cheese, and burgers—until you realize that every item is 100 percent plant-based and vegan. Yes, indeed, this is some fine vegan fast food that’s been developed with care, and it’s the perfect menu to satisfy those fried food cravings after a night out on the town.

Looking for more vegetarian or vegan options in Austin? Check out our blog here!

10. Pepe’s

Forget about salsa or guac with your tacos—the crispy birria tacos at Pepe’s take things to the next level by letting you dip them in a hot, flavorful beef consomme. The menu at this little trailer is small, but there’s no need to mess around with lots of options when you have something as good as the beefy, juicy, and unique birria taco highlighting your menu.

11. Bombay Street Food

The Austin food scene is a melting pot of cultures, which is always a good thing for any city’s food scene. High-quality Indian cuisine can be found all over town, but you’ll have the unique opportunity to take a tasty and authentic tour of some of India’s most beloved street food snacks at the Bombay Street Food food truck.

This truck hides out in a gas station parking lot in North Austin, and yes, it’s worth the drive. Some of this food truck’s greatest hits include the sev puri, pani puri, chapati chaat, and pav bhaji. Don’t forget to grab a mango lassi to soften the heat!

12. Tommy Want Wingy

With a name like this, it’s hard to resist. Find out for yourself what these “chicken lollipops” really taste like—although know that they have been named some of the best chicken wings on the Austin food scene, served up with some stand-out sauces like the must-try Spicy Pineapple and Holy Schnikes (dangerously hot!). No wonder Tommy Want Wingy has three locations already.

13. Veracruz Natural

Although these two sisters from Mexico have expanded their authentic cooking to a brick-and-mortar location in Round Rock and a window inside The Line Hotel, they still keep a few food trucks open. And you can’t really say you’ve had the Austin food truck experience unless you’ve tried the migas breakfast taco from Veracruz Natural.

14. Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ

For the heartiest breakfast you’ve ever had in your life, get up early and get in line at the Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ food truck. This is a family-run business that fuses their BBQ and Tex-Mex cooking talents—and they aren’t afraid to get creative with the menu. A recent breakfast sandwich option includes mesquite-smoked honey-glazed beef rib, a slab of brown-sugar bacon, a fried egg, and a dollop of queso. Yee-haw!

Thinking about moving to Austin?

No matter how much of a foodie you think you are, it’ll still take you a while to chomp your way through the hundreds of excellent food trucks that Austin has to offer.

So, while you’re on your culinary quest, in the name of research, you’ll need a place to crash, and Landing’s furnished and flexible-lease apartments can help you out with that. Landing has a wide range of fully furnished apartments with flexible lease terms that allow you to stay in town until you’ve explored every food truck in Austin.

Accept your challenge to test out the best tacos, sandwiches, burgers, and BBQ in Austin, and learn more about what a Landing membership can do for you!