We’ll never besmirch the benefits of eating in a sit-down restaurant, where a server brings your food to the table and tops up your wine. But sometimes, great meals are found in spaces without tables or even walls; we’re, of course, talking about food trucks. Across the city, enterprising chefs are making noteworthy dishes in mobile kitchens that pop up at breweries, city parks and the occasional parking lot of a big box home improvement store. So follow your favorites on social media, keep your head on a swivel and score your next memorable lunch at one of these Dallas-area food trucks.
Vaquero’s Texas Bar-B-Q
Vaquero’s isn’t just one of the best food trucks in town, it’s also one of the best barbecue joints in Texas. Situated at Hop & Sting Brewery in Grapevine, Vaquero’s and its James Beard semifinalist chef, Arnulfo (Trey) Sánchez, infuse Tex-Mex flair into traditional central Texas barbecue. Expect classics like brisket, ribs and sausage alongside smoked cochinita pibil, the addictive birria tacos with consommé and rotating specials like barbacoa de cabeza. Fill any remaining space on your table with apple gorgonzola slaw, hickory smoked elote and a cold Hop & Sting beer.
TJ’s Dawg House
Sometimes you have to venture into a Lowe’s parking lot in Richardson to score excellent Chicago-style hot dogs. We don’t make the rules, we just follow the wafting aromas to TJ’s Dawg House. T.J. splits his time between that Lowe’s and Four Bullets Brewery, where he makes classic Vienna Beef hot dogs “dragged through the garden” (topped with relish, onions, sport peppers, pickles and tomatoes), plus a menu of other hot dogs topped with chili, cheese, sauerkraut and more fine fixings. If you want to really go for it, order a hot dog with an Italian roast beef sandwich laced with giardiniera.
Greek Lover
This Klyde Warren Park regular tackles lunchtime hunger pangs by dishing out beef and chicken gyros topped with tzatziki sauce, shawarma, falafel, salads and top-notch fries. Take your haul into the park for an al fresco lunch.
Klyde Warren Park 2012 Woodall Rodgers Fwy
Egg Stand
Breakfast or not, egg sandwiches are the most important meal of the day. And egg sandwiches are what you’ll find at Egg Stand, with versions that are good enough to eat from morning to night. The menu features a couple standard options topped with the usual suspects like fried eggs, bacon and cheese, plus some extra-hearty mashups combining eggs with Angus beef, brisket or fried chicken. If you’re especially hungry or nursing a hangover, try the Da Boss. It sports a combo of beef, gouda mac and cheese, bacon, hash browns, a fried egg, crispy onions and chipotle ketchup on toasted brioche.
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Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs
Fletcher’s is best known as a State Fair of Texas staple, operating a food stand on fair grounds since 1942. But the company’s new food truck means you can indulge in deep-fried goodness any time of year. And because it’s usually parked at Klyde Warren Park, you don’t even have to chase it down. Start with an original corny dog slathered in mustard to see what all the fuss is about, then expand your horizons with the jalapeño and cheese dog and the Texan, an all-beef option with a hint of smoke.
Klyde Warren Park 2012 Woodall Rodgers Fwy
The Butcher’s Son
This Dallas food truck pioneer has been operating since 2011, and today it’s cooking up a variety of handheld favorites, including sandwiches, brats, sliders and quesadillas. The smart play is to bring a few friends and dabble in a bit of everything. Then you can try a Cajun Yankee sandwich (pastrami and Andouille sausage topped with caramelized onions, pepper jack and spicy mustard on brioche), a beer-simmered bratwurst, the Mamma Mia meatball slider with marinara, and a brisket quesadilla. And you’ll still have room for an order of voodoo wedges, which are tots topped with chipotle brisket, sautéed onions and currywurst sauce.
Klyde Warren Park 2012 Woodall Rodgers Fwy
Halal Mother Truckers
More than just a fun pun, Halal Mother Truckers is the only truck in town that’s serving Pakistani/Indian/Mexican fusion cuisine. That translates to dishes like the chicken tikka tacos, with crispy chicken tenders, tikka sauce, basmati rice and green chili chutney on flour tortillas. Don’t forget the butter chicken tacos, chicken tikka quesadillas, masala fries and other dishes available either wrapped in tortillas or served in a bowl with rice.
Klyde Warren Park 2012 Woodall Rodgers Fwy
Easy Slider
Easy Slider parlayed its food truck success into a storefront in Deep Ellum and a space at Exchange Hall, but you can still find its fleet of trucks roaming around town. Go wild on mini burgers like the classic cheeseburger, the Sweet & Lowdown with Angus beef, bacon, goat cheese and strawberry jam, or the Nutty Pig with Angus beef, bacon, peanut butter, lettuce, tomato and red onion. Better yet, order them all to make your own slider flight.
MyPies Pizzeria
Hand-tossed, wood-fired pizzas are always a good decision. And that’s what you’ll get from MyPies Pizzeria, a truck that pops up in various locations but is a regular at Truck Yard on Lower Greenville. The menu is focused on 10-inch personal pizzas with all manner of available toppings, from pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms to jalapeños and hot honey. If you’re at the truck during brunch hours (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), try the Bongiorno pie with scrambled eggs and bacon.
Eloisa’s Kitchen
Led by a mother-daughter chef duo, Eloisa’s is a go-to for sandwiches and tacos. It’s parked at Klyde Warren most days during lunch, so head that way for crispy chicken sandwiches, brisket sandwiches and shrimp po’boys. Tacos are available with slow-braised brisket or fried chicken, and brisket also makes an appearance served atop your choice of crinkle-cut fries or nachos with queso, Italian cheese, scallions, tomatoes and fresh jalapeños. If you saved room for dessert, there’s a red velvet cheesecake drizzled in caramel sauce that will pleasantly put you over the edge.
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