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by AMANDA CONLEY
San Antonio has an up and coming food truck scene that is vibrant, delicious and exciting. Despite early criticism for being a little late to the game, behind Dallas and Austin, San Antonio has more than made up for it. San Antonio has some of the easiest food vendor laws to navigate, helping vendors set up shop quicker and more efficiently. San Antonio has also put in a great deal of effort into partnering with parks and food trucks to keep the city’s foodies fed. Here’s your ultimate guide to Food Trucking in San Antonio.
How to Spot a Food Truck:
New to the food truck scene? Not sure how to keep up with a treasured favorite truck? Social media is the key to success in food truck navigation. Trucks often are very socially active; posting their schedules, menus, specials and locations on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For trucks that aren’t as socially active, there is also The San Antonio Food Truck Association (SAFTA). SAFTA is dedicated to keeping food truck fans in the know by posting the locations and times of their partnering food trucks. Most food trucks however, handle their own social media, and those accounts act as a way to communicate and share what’s going on behind the griddle. Most food truck vendors are very social indeed. Did you like a dish? Take a picture and thank the truck’s crew, you’ll likely get a thanks from the chef.
Where to Dine:
Now that you’ve settled on a new food truck or tracked down a favorite, the question is: where to eat? San Antonio food trucks have plenty of places to nosh on food truck fare, but there are a few exceptional places to dine.
Travis Park: Travis Park has been newly renovated and has refreshed its green space, adding new shaded chairs and tables. The city has also partnered with local food trucks to promise that there will be trucks every day of the week for a far superior work lunch.
North Main and Main Plaza: To satisfy the hunger of downtown denizens, Main Street also often hosts food trucks during the week for lunch. The historic courtyard or the Frost Building provide a great backdrop for your food truck lunch.
Alamo Eat Street Bar: For late night foodies, the Alamo Eat Street Bar is a delicious haven for trucks and a drink. Trucks line up usually later on in the evening and on weekends to satisfy the tastes of the late night crowd.
The Block: Going to UTSA has one additional perk; there are often food trucks on campus and ready to serve up tasty food to busy college students. The downtown UTSA campus often plays host to food trucks to keep students well-fed and provide a much needed break from studying.
Boardwalk on Bulverde: The city’s first park just for food trucks. This open air food truck park hosts trucks starting from 6:00pm to 10:00pm Friday night and 12:00pm to 10:00pm Saturday. Alcohol is bring your own, except for special events, and about ten trucks per night set up shop at this park in North San Antonio.
Types of Trucks:
There are nearly endless types of food trucks in San Antonio. Seafood, tacos, Mediterranean, BBQ, burritos, burgers, coffee and did I mention that there’s a cupcake truck? There’s a truck for everyone when it comes to the San Antonio food truck scene. San Antonio is by nature a city of vendors and people on the move, so food trucks were a natural addition to the dining scene. Many food trucks are mobile versions of established anchor stores like Teka Molino and Cheesy Jane’s. Some are newcomers to the food scene and are hoping for the pride of an anchor store like Duke’s Seafood and Vietnamese Cuisine. Many are backed by famous chefs like the Duk Truck, which is the brainchild of Chef Jason Dady. Some food trucks hook up with other local establishments like the partnership between SoHo Wine Bar and Say.She.Ate, a delicious new American food truck that brings delicious food to bar patrons.
The San Antonio food truck scene is ever-changing and growing. Trucks come and go and change out their menus and swap chefs. The truck scene however can only go up and the results so far have been incredibly tasty, full of duck fat fries and cupcakes on the go. With the number of trucks increasing steadily, the city can only look forward to a more delicious mobile food future ahead.
