Where to Find the Food Truck Scene in Waco

Street eats are the urban way of life for many cities and Waco is now one of them. Waco’s food truck scene spans from University Parks Drive, along the river to the silo’s and beyond.  The food trucks only add to the downtown experience and the trend is sprouting like weeds, truck by truck, menu by menu.

Specialized menus and creative tastes are served up in trucks of all shapes and sizes in Wacotown for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

One big and delicious example of a food truck in Waco is an Asian-influenced concoction that includes bowls, sandwiches and tacos called Club Sandwich. Youngdae Moon serves up not only great cuisine but his smiles and laughs. He is known for his out-going personality. Visiting his truck not only brightens your taste buds but also your day.

Another delight-on-wheels is Milo Biscuit Company.  Described on the Milo website as “collaboration between southern comfort food and local farmers”. Milo knows how to serve up comfort. You can find Milo at the silo’s, behind Heritage Creamery on South 8th Street, and at the Waco Downtown Farmer’s Market, on Saturdays.  Milo serves up creations on melt-in-your-mouth biscuits, that include eggs, sausage, chicken and hamburgers.  All on a homemade biscuit, made from a recipe by way of his grandmother referred to as “Jack-Jack“. They do serve up other favorites, not on biscuits, but why?

There is also a wood-fired Neapolitan style pizza truck where the pizza is made fresh and served hot from 900 Degrees Wood Fired Pizza.

Waco has food trucks that serve to-die-for grilled cheese sandwiches from Cheddar Box, Co-Town Crepes serves up scrumptious crepes for lunch and crepes for dessert, Greek fare from Xristo’s Café, Mexican food including burritos and quesadillas from Sergio’s and cold-pressed juice from Luna Juice Bar, just to name a few.

And for the not-so-healthy but equally delicious food trucks, there is a food truck on-the-go that serves homemade cookies and ice-cream. This mobile confectioner is called Pokey O’s. People track this red and white striped van all over Waco to buy their treats.

And, don’t forget your cuppa joe.  The Cowboy Coffee and other black gold is served up, on the grounds of the silos, at Common Grounds coffee truck.

The trucks are growing and so are the appetites for all they dish up. 

Food trucks are so popular across Texas.

Waco holds an annual Texas Food Truck Showdown in the spring.  The first-year Waco organized the showdown it was an overwhelming success.  Foodies delighted in the vast range of cuisine offered and the because of the success and the popularity of food trucks, the city now plans on continuing the showdown, year after year, which draws crowds of well over 5,000 each year.

Food trucks, rather than a typical brick-and-mortar, can be far less to operate and can be a great starter restaurant for many wanting to get into the food business. The food truck can be a more cost-effective in many ways.

Of course, there is the obvious-the rent, insurance and saving money on less employees needed but there are other ways of saving money, as well.

Due to the Texas Administrative Code, regarding mobile food vendors, vendors must have a central preparation facility, commonly called a commissary, which is a licensed kitchen where the food truck vendor can go clean kitchen and serving items and service the food truck or trailer. Many use a restaurant for this purpose. But many food trucks need this facility if they do not have a restaurant’s kitchen that they can use.

In 2014, Jesus Said Love, a local ministry that helps women, in Waco, along with Bartimaeus Ministries, Inc., purchased a 4500-square foot property, located at 1500 Columbus Avenue, in Waco, to serve as a counseling center, office space and training facility, but more importantly to food truck vendors, it serves as a commissary kitchen for the food trucks.

The local food truck vendors and caterers may rent the commissary kitchen to prepare their foods. Not only does this serve the needs of small food businesses in Waco, which continues to grow, but it creates a revenue stream for the ministry. In addition, the kitchen will serve as a training space for the women leaving the commercial sex industry. 

The commissary kitchen helps bring in sustainable revenue for the ministry, from food truck vendors in Waco who pay to use the kitchen as their central preparation facility.

Social media, such as Instagram and Facebook, allows the food-truckers the ability to reach their target audience, for free, letting their customers know about specials, closings due to rain or sell-outs or to simply arouse their taste buds and hunger pains.

And where to find that red and white striped ice cream-cookie truck.

Waco even has a New York-style hotdog vendor with a cart at the corner of Austin Avenue and Seventh Street called G&K’s Hot Dogs, Inc.  

Traveling down University Parks, visiting the Silo’s or visiting the Downtown Waco Farmer’s Market, all have one delicious thing in common these days and that is food trucks. 

Visit your four-wheeled eatery and discover what Waco has to offer.