Charming trucks full of delicious food? Count us in!
San Diegans have great weather, access to beaches and mountains and deserts — and fabulous food trucks. We really are living the dream! Stroll down the streets of many busy, thriving San Diego neighborhoods and you might find a charming food truck pulled over on the side of the road, often with a long line of hungry folks waiting to chow down.
The list here reflects not only the quality of the food available but also the variety of food offered. From New Orleans gumbo to Korean fusion to California burgers and fries, there’s a cuisine for everyone. Many food trucks also offer options to tempt kids, so the whole family — or a babysitter or nanny — can make an afternoon picnic out of the experience. Take a look at the area’s 10 best food trucks!
Joes on the Nose
Address: 519 W. Cedar St., San Diego, CA 92010
Hours: Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Available to rent for private events
Phone: 858-373-8001
First introduced to the streets of San Diego in 2007, Joes on the Nose is still going strong. And unlike most food trucks, you can find it in the same spot every week (along with other events), at Little Italy Mercato on Saturday mornings.
Joes on the Nose offers delicious and unusual coffee drinks, like the frozen aloha latte with coconut whipped cream. Their horchata latte is popular — rich and creamy with a strong cinnamon flavor. A newer item is shaken, iced espresso “cocktails.” The orange truck also offers some yummy food items: Try the fruit smoothie bowls. And for those who are simply looking for a good cup of coffee, that’s on the menu as well.
God Save the Cuisine
Address & Hours: Find the truck’s location & times on Facebook.
Phone: 619-889-6119
Owned by two brothers, the charmingly named God Save the Cuisine food truck is host to delicious local, organic, sustainable food, including grass-fed meats. Clearly British in theme and design, the foods are nosh-worthy.
The fish and chips is a favorite, with fish beer-battered on-site and truly mouthwatering “chips,” or french fries, as we know them. And we can’t forget the tartar sauce! The Big Ben burger is well-loved and full of fresh crumbled English mature cheddar cheese. Another fan favorite is the spiced lamb on naan, which is an explosion of flavor.
Devilicious Food Truck
Address & Hours: Find the truck’s location & times on its website.
Phone: 951-514-6332
“Food so good it’s bad,” they call it, and many would agree. This San Diego food truck takes classic American fare and adds its own delicious twist. Take the good, old grilled cheese: The Devilicious food truck makes a butter poached lobster grilled cheese (oh my!) and a duck confit grilled cheese.
Another offering is the crab cake, with a spicy aioli sauce that can’t be missed. And don’t leave the truck without trying their truffled parmesan fries, after which you can tuck into a dessert like the Strawberry ’Wich: balsamic strawberries, brie, cheesecake filling, and butter toasted artisan sourdough bread.
Kiko’s Taco Truck
Address: 4404 Texas St., San Diego, CA 92116
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. | Sunday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Phone: 619-341-7397
Amazing tacos are one of the reasons that people love San Diego, and Kiko’s Place food truck provides plenty of those. First, whatever you order will come with a free, hot cup of seafood soup to sip while you wait.
And then there is the food you order: fried fish tacos (possibly their best-known item) that are mouth-watering, garlic shrimp tacos, and amazing chipotle sauce, and octopus tacos (that gets rave reviews from those who love octopus), among many others. The spicy mixed seafood taco is unusual and amazing for those who love seafood. Sometimes it’s great to be a San Diegan.
Tabe BBQ Truck
Address & Hours: Find the truck’s location & times on Facebook.
Phone: 858-775-5256
Tabe is the first gourmet food truck to peruse the sunny streets of San Diego, and they are still up and running, producing amazing food for those on foot. Tabe is Korean barbecue fusion, served as they say with “a Mexican flare.” Using Korean spices and marinades on meat, fermented Korean chilies and fresh fruit, and fresh flour tortillas, they create scrumptious meals on the go.
Try the Cali Style Burrito that feels like a special version of a California burrito: it comes with crispy five-spice french fries, bulgogi beef, spicy mayo, and cheese. Decadent and amazing. The Korean BBQ is cantaloupe, honeydew, and pineapple on savory meats adorned with seaweed flakes and daikon.
New Orleans Cuisine & Catering Gourmet Food Truck
Address & Hours: Find the truck’s location & times on its website.
Phone: 858-336-7418
If you live in San Diego and have a craving for some good ol’ New Orleans-style cookin’, we’ve got the food truck for you. New Orleans Cuisine & Catering food truck is a smorgasbord of New Orleans flavor, and they also offer breakfast!
Try some grits and sausage and coffee with chicory for breakfast, and come back later for lunch and dinner. Some standouts are Kate’s Gumbo, served over white rice with French bread, and Cajun Catfish Bites, which are small squares of cajun-fried catfish with delicious sauce. For kids, they offer a PB&J, with or without crust.
New York on Rye
Address & Hours: Find the truck’s location & times on its website.
Phone: 858-689-2600
Hankering for some New York deli-style food? Hit up the New York on Rye food truck to satisfy it. They have a large menu for a food truck, with so many options that everyone can find something they’ll love.
It can make you hungry just to scan the traditional NY deli menu: A tuna melt on grilled artisan sourdough bread, hot pastrami on rye, and corned beef are just some of the available offerings. Or try something a little different, like the corned beef hash burrito, which has the traditional corned beef along with some new-style ingredients (pico de gallo, chipotle corned beef, and cheddar) and comes wrapped in a burrito. Be sure to add the soup or a side and you’ll be a satisfied customer.
Currywurst Frankfurt
Address & Hours: Find the truck’s location & times on Food Truck Finder.
Phone: 619-866-9406
Currywurst Frankfurt has a straightforward menu for the customer who knows the taste they are craving: 100 percent German handmade sausage and grilled cheeses. This is pure comfort food! As explained on the website, Currywurst is a German steamed then grilled veal or pork sausage cut into slices and seasoned in curry ketchup.
Like many of the food trucks, Currywurst Frankfurt provides not only their food truck but also catering for events around San Diego. If you’re looking for an amazing fall or winter comfort food menu, this is a great place to start.
Mastiff Sausage Company Food Truck
Address & Hours: Find the truck’s location & times on Twitter.
Phone: 760-504-3834
Founded by two San Diego-native friends, Mastiff Sausage Company uses locally sourced and grown ingredients in combination with humanely raised pork to produce a mouthwatering menu that will satiate even the most hungry customer.
Try the Mastiff classic bratwurst with sauerkraut for an idea of their fare, and add some loaded fries to be truly full. The curry chicken sausage is flavor-rich and filling, as well, and the chicken coconut curry is amazing. The pig fries loaded with bacon and pork belly is a fan favorite.
Fork Yeah! Food Truck
Address & Hours: Find the truck’s location & times on its website.
Phone: 619-204-9882
Fork Yeah calls their food “elevated California comfort food,” and with food items on the menu like the fried chicken sandwich, it seems they are 100 percent correct. This cheerful turquoise van has something for every San Diegan. Kids can order a delicious grilled cheese sandwich (with or without the veggies!)
The Farmer’s Market Grilled Cheese is a fan favorite, jampacked with chewy, gooey delicious cheese with fresh seasonal veggies added on top. The Not Asada Fries are french fries with sous vide steak and chimichurri sauce and spicy ketchup — a flavor avalanche. The Fork Yeah menu is small but extremely consistent in flavor and quality, even though their menu items do change.
