By: Anindita Gupta
Summer in Vancouver could be defined as an extended stretch of time with little or no rain. And when it’s sunny, you can’t stay home! You could, but wouldn’t you rather be out, discovering the city you live in? Restaurants may not be very ideal in this situation; you want to be able to move around, as well as grab some food. And what’s out when the sun’s out? FOOD TRUCKS! This will be your guide to some of Vancouver’s best food trucks and everything you need to know about them.
Breakfast
- What better time to start the day outside than in the morning? That way you can make the most out of a sunny day. Don’t worry if you haven’t had the time for breakfast, because our first food truck is a breakfast one! At Yolk’s Breakfast Trailer, you get your entire breakfast, with all the nutrition you need, in a sandwich! It’s easy to eat while walking (or at least standing). It also fills you up enough to keep you going, but not enough to make you lethargic. You cannot leave without trying their lemon truffle hashbrowns as a side! The prices range from $7.50 for a single egg sandwich to $10.75 for a double egg sandwich; that’s cheaper than iHop, but just as good, maybe better! Sometimes mobile, but mostly parked, you can find this blue trailer at 500 Burrard Street at West Pender Street.
Drink
- Now, that you’ve finished breakfast, you want to pick up something cool to drink as the day is starting to get warmer by the hour. The Juice Truck, usually in Gastown, will help quench your thirst! Along with many food options too, this juice truck is quite hailed in its area, with a 4.1/5 rating on Zomato! Their cold-pressed juices and smoothies have an average price of $8!
Lunch
- If you step out for lunch, one of the best and most talked-of food trucks to grab an unhealthy little treat for yourself is Mom’s Grilled Cheese Truck. Usually parked on 884 West Cordova Street, it’s also featured in Zomato’s “super sandwiches” collection. This particular food truck is famous for serving variations of the classic grilled cheese, leaving you with different choices for breads and cheeses! Many have recommended you try their sourdough with Havarti. What’s more is that the price range does not exceed the $10 limit for a classic sandwich!
- This next one is something that Vancouver streets boast about. Rated #1 on almost every search of food trucks in the city, it’s a fusion of traditional American street food and Japanese spices, sauces, and delicacies. Yes, you guessed right; it’s Japadog! With food trucks spread all over Vancouver, mainly in the downtown area, it offers basic as well as specialty hot dogs. Their Kurobuta terimayo is listed as “one of the must-eat items in the world” On their menu. Another favourite amongst frequent visitors is the Okonomi. While all dogs are priced in the range of $7–$10, they also offer shaked fries as sides!
- Since we’re on the topic of sausages, Eli’s Serious Sausage is another food truck to check out. They are serious about their sausage, and they are seriously on the move! They can be found anywhere from New Westminster to Main Street to Burnaby to the West End; it would be a good idea to check their schedule at http://www.eateli.com/Schedule.php before planning your food adventure. There’s an array of authentic German-style sausages, at an average price of $7 with their most tried dishes being the bratwurst and the currywurst. With a larger good to bad reviews ratio and a Zomato rating of 3.5/5, do as most foodies do and trust Zomato!
- Home of the famous hot-smoked salmon sandwich, Kaboom Box, is another food truck that is highly rated, visited, and loved in the city! A must-try here is obviously their delicious Hot-smoked salmon “salmwich” that’s $9! The little but powerful red truck also is known for serving some good poutine or a special maple slaw as a side to any burgers or sandwiches. While they are mobile and on the move, they are usually located at Granville Street at West Georgia Street, or at the North Shore Night Market. They are a hit amongst seafood lovers, because of their Oyster Po’Boy burger, another one of their delicacies!
- If you want to kick your lunch up a notch and try something a little more meal-ier than sandwiches, then you have to hit up the pies at Aussie Pie Guy! This Aussie guy’s location varies. His location information can be found at www.aussiepieguy.com. Their chook (chicken) pies seem to be the most popular amongst pie-eaters, and are quite affordable at about $8. If you consider yourself a meat-lover and are into exploring exotic meats, then this is one of the easiest places for you to try kangaroo meat!
Vegetarian
- With an all-vegetarian menu, the Chickpea Truck makes it to this list because it may have been too biased on the meats so far. It works in a Subway-format, where you choose your bread, or base and then the mains and entrees. This is any Mediterranean-food lover’s dream come true . . . in a food truck, on the go! The average price for this hidden gem is in the range of $9–$13, and they are mostly known for their chickpea fries and hummus. They are mobile, but can be found at 33 Acres Brewing Company or at 884 West Cordova Street, amongst their other locations which you can look up at https://streetfoodapp.com/vancouver/chickpea-truck.
Desserts
- It is only fair if we now focus on desserts, after such a long journey on all kinds of other foods! The first favourite amongst Vancouverites seems to be Johnny’s Pops. They boast themselves as the city’s best homemade, artisanal popsicle makers, and what attracts most people to their cart are their different and exotic flavours! Some of their flavours are blueberry mojito and rhubarb elderflower, while avocado lime remains to be a people-pleaser! They serve a single popsicle for $3.50, and 3 for $10! The bicycle cart can usually be spotted in the Mount Pleasant area.
- To give this list the perfect, sweet ending, we cannot miss out on another famous and beloved dessert parlour on wheels! The last ice cream truck to make it on this list is our very own Rain or Shine Ice Cream. With flavours such as London fog and Honey lavender amongst many others, there’s something for everyone. Almost all their ice creams are gluten- and egg-free and in the price range of around $6. They are new to the food truck business and are usually parked at David Lam Park, 1300 Pacific Boulevard.
As we have come to the end of this long, mouth-watering list, I hope for two things: you try these and many more food trucks out this summer, and that we have sunnier days in Vancity!
