Charlotte Five's Readers' Choice

We’re looking for the best food truck in the Charlotte area — vote now for your favorite

Charlotte-area food truck fans, we need your help.

We all love to explore a variety of cuisines at festivals, pop-ups and our favorite food trucks’ regular hangouts. Whether you’re craving Asian flavors, Mexican, Mediterranean or pizza, you’ll find a food truck that’s got it.

But which one is the very best? That’s where you come in.

In the Charlotte area, we have hundreds of food trucks, and it can be difficult to choose even a handful of favorites. When we asked for your top choices, your responses poured in — and in all, 32 top food trucks were nominated.

Now it’s time to put those responses to a vote to determine the best of the best. Here are the details:

  • The final round will determine the winner. It is currently live and will be until noon Oct. 9.

*Note: This is not a scientific poll or survey. If you have more than one favorite, you are welcome to refresh the poll and submit a second vote.

Top 2

Round 4 is complete, with the Top 2 food trucks named:

GGC Smokehouse

Location: Varies

GGC Smokehouse owner Eric Meza started his food truck after his backyard brisket got a glowing response from neighbors. Now, he and his wife, Shelley, specialize in Texas-style smoked brisket, along with pulled pork, ribs and sausage. We caught up with them in Concord, where we heard all about Shelley’s popular garlic-and-bacon green beans sauteed in butter. “People just come up and just talk about green beans,” Eric told CharlotteFive.

“We just want to say thank you very much to everyone that has shared and voted for us,” Shelley said. “We are very excited and thankful and blessed.”

Poppycox Nashville Hot Chicken

Location: Varies

Poppycox Nashville Hot Chicken owner Michael Kocak had a hot chicken experience, then spent about a year working out his own recipes in his home kitchen. Now, his food truck is thriving. He limits his menu to a chicken sando with comeback sauce, coleslaw and pickles; tenders; and loaded fries. “We keep it very very simple,” he told CharlotteFive when we rolled up to Pour 64 in Mint Hill to check it out.

“I can’t be anymore thankful for this because it has changed my life for the better,” Michael said.

Top 4

Round 3 is complete, with the Top 4 food trucks named:

  • GGC Smokehouse
  • Krave Food Truck
  • Endless Soulfood & Catering
  • Poppycox Nashville Hot Chicken

Top 8

Round 2 is complete, with the Top 8 food trucks named:

  • Endless Soulfood & Catering
  • Poppycox Nashville Hot Chicken
  • Krave Food Truck
  • Saucy Girl Taco Truck
  • GGC Smokehouse
  • Izzy’s at Triple C
  • Cousins Maine Lobster
  • Queen’s Ice

Top 16

Round 1 is complete, with the Top 16 food trucks named:

  • Poppycox Nashville Hot Chicken
  • Endless Soulfood & Catering
  • Krave Food Truck
  • GGC Smokehouse
  • Saucy Girl Taco Truck
  • Cousins Maine Lobster
  • Tin Kitchen
  • La Unica Estrella
  • Baltimore Crab Cake Company
  • Chickpeasy
  • Deejay Thai
  • TMR
  • Yummi Bahn Mi
  • The Chili Man
  • Izzy’s at Triple C
  • Queen’s Ice

Top 32

Here are all 32 of your nominees for best food truck in the Charlotte area:

AhaanLao Food Truck Lao/Thai Street Food

Location: 1015 Seigel Ave, Charlotte NC 28205

Baltimore Crab Cake Company

Location: varies

Carolina Smash Truck

Location: varies

Chickpeasy

Location: 3500 Latrobe Dr, Charlotte, NC 28211

The Chili Man

Location: varies

Cibi! Cibi!

Location: 274 Columbia Ave, Rock Hill, SC 29730

Cinn-sane Cinnamon Rolls

Location: varies

Cousins Maine Lobster

Location: varies

Cutting Board

Location: 1015 Seigle Ave, Charlotte 28205

Location: 1016 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28206

Location: 940 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28206

Location: 307 W Tremont Ave, Charlotte, NC 28203

Deejay Thai

Location: 613 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28207

El Veneno

Location: varies

Endless Soulfood & Catering

Location: varies

GGC Smokehouse

Location: varies

Hip Hop Smoothies

Location: 249 Mt Holly-Huntersville Rd #210, Charlotte, NC 28214

ITO Creations

Location: varies

Izzy’s at Triple C

Location: 2900 Griffith St, Charlotte, NC 28203

J J Lange’s Beatz & Eatz, LLC

Location: varies

Katsu Kart

Location: 1327 S Mint St, Charlotte, NC 28203

Krave Food Truck

Location: 483 Lakeshore Parkway, Rock Hill, SC 29730

La Unica Estrella

Location: 2508 Cuthbertson Rd, Waxhaw, NC 28173

Lobster Dogs

Location: 1219 NC-16 Business, Denver, NC, United States, North Carolina

Marlie Q’s Caribbean Queen

Location: varies

Mr. Greek

Location: varies

Poppycox Nashville Hot Chicken

Location: varies

Queen’s Ice

Location: varies

Saucy Girl Taco Truck

Location: varies

Shell’s Kitchen

Location: varies

Strudelteig

Location: varies

Tacos Rick-O

Location: 1402 Winnifred Street Charlotte, NC 28203

Tin Kitchen

Location: varies

TMR

Location: 6640 Old Monroe Rd, Suite E, Indian Trail, NC 28079

Location: 1183 University Dr #101, Burlington, NC 27215

Yummi Bahn Mi

Location: 121 N Long St. Salisbury, NC 28144

This story was originally published September 25, 2023 at 6:00 AM.

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