Image via Complex Original
In case you haven’t noticed on the way to work or during those lunch breaks at Starbucks, food trucks are the new edible phenomenon right now. Ultra-contemporary dishes, lunchroom line service, and reasonable prices—what’s not to love? Some of us luck out and have an entire block of these mobile food establishments parked outside our midtown corporate buildings. Others, well, they’re subjected to roaming the streets in hopes of discovering a good food wagon.
But why settle for yesterday’s tacos from the mediocre Mexican restaurant at the corner when you can discover the best meals-on-wheels eateries directly from your iPhone or Android device? A number of developers have created apps that are optimized to feed our portable grub cravings by informing us what’s in the neighborhood. Take a look at the 10 Apps to Help You Locate the Best Food Trucks Near You.
TruckSpotting
Platforms: iOS, Android; FREE
Quality of service is a virtue that every food service must abide by. Here’s an app that assures it for every major mobile kitchen, meeting with all established food trucks to make sure food and information (menus and scheduling) is on-point. Track down wagons on a virtual map via real-time GPS and select specific categories to narrow down options. Burgers, tacos, and yes, ice cream—there’s nothing TruckSpotting won’t locate.
Roaming Hunger
Platforms: iOS; FREE
While most services remain city-specific, this one roams the entire nation for the most popular food trucks. After asking for a location, the app will generate a list of vehicles in the area, while also offering vendor profiles and images to view. Filter categories by food type, operational hours and area, or select favorites by toggling results between previously visited spots.
Eat St.
Platforms: iOS, Android; FREE
The popular Cooking Channel program goes mobile and cooks up nearby eateries and carts. Several options are served to the user that allows them to digest newly discovered trucks, recently craved dishes, and more. Update a personal profile to indicate preferred cuisines, which will reflect searches. Tapping on a listed establishment will bring up details such as number of likes, open/closed status, and thumbnail images.
TruxMap
Platform: iOS; FREE
Utilizing Twitter feeds to track food trucks across 21 cities, TruxMap plots open-for-business vehicles across a digital map in green, while indicating soon-to-open trucks in blue. Choices vary depending on the locations, with Austin, New York City, and Los Angeles featuring the largest selections. Users can also request new trucks for the platform, which are all taken into consideration by the developers.
Food Truck Fiesta
Platforms: iOS, Android; $1
This automated map service delivers real-time updates on your favorite food trucks through Twitter feeds. Only difference on Food Truck Fiesta is that it provides more info to work with. Food and menu photos are present on the app, along with food-truck events in the neighborhood. Keep in mind that at the moment it’s reserved mainly for foodies based out in Washington, D.C.
Truckily
Platforms: iOS, Android; FREE
Find yourself low on cash and wondering if the local food truck takes plastic or PayPal transactions? No sweat. Truckily displays the payment options for neighboring food trucks. In addition, it grants location updates and weekly schedules for each logged truck in its database.
Road Stoves GPS
Platform: Android; FREE
Catering to L.A. foodies, this GPS-enabled app accurately tracks the most sought-after food trucks in the city. Gain access to menus and Twitter feeds directly from the app. Furthermore, gain travel directions to reach these mobile kitchens faster than they can move to the next district.
WhereTheTrucks.At
Platforms: iOS; FREE
Billed as the “most accurate food truck finder in the world,” this Louisville and Cincinnati-only app relies on GPS technology to deliver accurate locations. The cool thing about the platform is that it will indicate whether a truck is still serving—all directly from the map. Aspiring food truck owners can also sign up for the program to expand notoriety.
NomNom Finder
Platforms: iOS, Android; FREE
Launched in Utah, NomNom Finder uses a “Zoomable Map” view to pin down food trucks and their nearest locations. Call establishments in advance to organize deliveries or add favorites and share your experiences on social media. The developers are working on expansion for other states and welcome new truck owners to sign-up.
NYCTruckFood
Platforms iOS; FREE
With New York serving as a food capital of the world, the city that never sleeps is constantly birthing some of the most innovatively delicious chow wagons out there. And there’s no better way of keeping tabs on what’s around your strip than through the NYCTruckFood app. Simply tap the “Near Me” button and stumble upon the closest sidewalk luncheonettes. Feel free to search by cuisine type or zip code as well.