This North Carolina city has one of nation’s best food truck scenes, rankings show
If you want a good meal on the go, a North Carolina city might be the best place to satisfy your hunger.
That’s because Raleigh ranks No. 10 on a list of best food truck destinations in the United States, according to findings published April 19.
“[Raleigh] doesn’t have the ‘big city’ hurry up-ness, there’s a lot of culture in the South and its food truck scene,” Chef Ken Lumpkin told Food & Wine magazine. “The environment, the food, and the people make you feel like you’re at home.”
Food & Wine said it compiled the list of favorite food truck scenes after its editors created a survey. Each respondent was “asked to rate airlines, airports, cities, cruise ships, hotels, restaurants, and bars on a number of characteristics” based on trips over the previous three years. The magazine didn’t share how many readers participated in the survey, completed from October 2021 to December 2022.
The resulting readers’ choice awards — also called the Global Tastemakers — consisted of the “best culinary experiences from around the world.” Within the United States, Raleigh made its mark when it landed on the list of “Best Food Truck Cities.”
“The trucks are an integral part of the dining experience because chefs use them as a breeding ground to reinvent classic Southern dishes, while others bring more international flair to the city,” Food & Wine wrote in its report.
Those include Triangle-based trucks that dish out foods inspired by the flavors of Cuba, India and other parts of the globe, Food & Wine said. In its report, Raleigh also got a nod for having an easygoing atmosphere.
“It’s this laidback, casual ambiance that draws diners into Raleigh’s mobile kitchens,” the magazine wrote. “Food trucks are a popular addition to the city’s Southern charm, where barbecue and comfort food options are plentiful.”
Raleigh, the only place in North Carolina to be named a food truck hot spot, has been recognized for its dining scene before. In the past year, a restaurant in the city made it onto a list of best places to eat for date nights, and one of its bakeries was named the state’s top place to get pastries, McClatchy News reported.
On the latest list, the highest-ranking food truck destination in the country was Portland, Oregon. Rounding out the top five:
- Los Angeles
- Austin, Texas
- New York City
- San Francisco
This story was originally published May 2, 2023 at 2:54 PM with the headline "This North Carolina city has one of nation’s best food truck scenes, rankings show."
