Brian Nagele
New York City is the most visited city in the U.S., with countless iconic attractions. A large part of New York City’s allure is simply walking its busy streets.
Each New York City neighborhood has a unique personality, its parks, and cityscapes are as interesting and exciting as any Broadway play.
Walking New York City streets works up an appetite, and there are far more options than a soft pretzel and hot dog. Read on to explore my list of the best food trucks in New York City.
The Halal Guys
Multiple locations
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The Halal Guys is a longstanding institution for Middle Eastern food with locations in Union Square, Sunnyside, Midtown, and Manhattan Valley.
The Halal Guys originated in New York in 1990 when three Egyptian friends wanted to offer Halal meats to fellow Muslims.
The menu at Halal Guys is a classic Middle Eastern offering of gyro meat, chicken, and falafel in pitas, salads, or combo platters.
Their light and crispy falafels are my personal favorite. I order them in a warm pita with lettuce, tomato, white tangy sauce, and a spicy red sauce.
Uncle Gussy’s
345 Park Ave, New York, NY 10154
Phone: 929-600-1111
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Giving Halal Guys a run for their money, Uncle Gussy’s is a Mediterranean food truck owned by a Greek family with years of experience as New York City food vendors.
Uncle Gussy’s food truck lies in the heart of Midtown, offering the most authentic Greek food using high-quality ingredients imported from the home country.
Their incredible food has been featured on BBC, Food Network, The New York Times, and more. My favorite dish is the Greek Salad topped with pork souvlaki with a side of Greek seasoned feta fries.
Wafels & Dinges
Multiple locations
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Wafels & Dinges is a wildly popular Belgian-style waffle and pastry truck with dozens of locations around the U.S. and two locations in NYC’s Midtown and Koreatown.
Wafels & Dinges originate in NYC when Belgian native Albert II began selling authentic wafels out of his 68’ Chevy.
Their signature dishes are waffles with elaborate toppings- known as dinges-, hot Belgian chocolate, and spekuloos, or gingerbread cookies.
I wanted to combine two signature dishes, so I ordered the Throwdown waffle with spekuloos spread, whipped cream, and spekuloos cookie crumble.
Birria-Landia
77-99 Roosevelt Ave, Queens, NY 11372
Phone: 347-283-2162
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Praised by the New York Times and locals alike, Birria Landia is an authentic Mexican food truck from Mexican brothers Jose and Jesus Moreno, specializing in birria.
Birria is a spicy and savory beef stew that can be enjoyed as a soup, broth, taco, tostada, or mulita.
The Birria tacos are served in handmade corn tortillas topped with the classic diced onion and cilantro garnish with a side of birria broth to dip them in.
I haven’t found more authentic Birria outside of Mexico.
Eddie’s Pizza
2048 Hillside Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY 11040
Phone: 516-354-9780
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Eddie’s Pizza is a beloved Long Island pizzeria that opened in New Hyde Park over 40 years ago. They make New York-style thin-crust pies and slices.
Their food truck is mobile and for-hire, hitting a different New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut city or neighborhood each week.
They offer an abridged menu of the original Eddie’s using the same famous recipes. My favorite pizza at Eddie’s is the Eddies Special with sausage, meatball, pepperoni, peppers, mushrooms, and onions.
Gorilla Cheese
Gorilla Cheese is a mobile and for-hire food truck specializing in grilled cheese sandwiches. Cheese lovers and comfort food fans alike love Gorilla Cheese for its extravagant variations on a favorite childhood snack.
Gorilla Cheese offers classic grilled cheeses on white bread with a tomato soup cup for dipping. I’m a bigger fan of their gourmet, more sophisticated sandwiches like the triple cream brie with prosciutto and strawberry preserves on buttery white bread.
King Souvlaki
Multiple locations
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With a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Bayridge and three food trucks in Astoria, Bayside, and Manhattan, King Souvlaki is the original souvlaki meat cart.
Owner Lefteris started selling souvlaki from a cart in Astoria in 1979, expanding his cart to a wildly successful chain of trucks and restaurants over the last 40+ years.
My favorite dish at King Souvlaki is the Chicken Souvlaki platter with two chicken skewers, creamy tzatziki sauce, a small Greek salad, and thick-cut French fries.
Tacos El Bronco
4324 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Phone: 718-788-2229
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Located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, Tacos El Bronco is a traditional Mexican restaurant and food truck with a vast menu of regional Mexican favorites and American comfort food.
They hand press scratch-made flour tortillas with a wide variety of fresh salsas to accompany any taco, platter, or soup.
I recommend one of their sizzling steak platters like the Churrasco Azteca with grilled skirt steak, nopales, jalapenos, grilled onion, cheese, and guacamole served with fresh tortillas.
The Mudtruck
Opened in 2000 by Gregg Northrop and Nina Berott, The Mudtruck is NYC’s first mobile coffee shop, offering craft-brewed, artisanal coffee and espresso on wheels.
The Mudtruck drives around the five boroughs, preparing fresh coffee for businessmen, students, and anyone else lucky enough to be in the neighborhood when they roll through.
The Mudtruck has its own line of roasted coffee beans, mugs, and other paraphernalia to purchase alongside a delicious mocha, espresso, or drip coffee.
Tacos Tlaxcala Food Truck
151 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
Phone: 347-821-9139
Overlooking Tompkins Square Park in the East Village, Tacos Tlaxcala is an authentic Mexican food truck with a menu that offers every street food imaginable.
They specialize in interior Mexican street food, from snacks to meals. It’s hard to find a menu with so many famous Mexico City-style street foods outside of Mexico City, so Tacos Tlaxcala is a unique and sought-after food truck.
They happen to make my favorite Mexican street food, a dish called Tlacoyos made with thick corn masa stuffed with goat cheese, fava beans, or refried beans and topped with nopales, diced onions, cilantro, and salsa.
Just as New York City is known for its walkability, so too is it famous for its incredible street food that is as diverse as its population.
Whether you’re looking for tacos, kebabs, or gourmet coffee, my list of the food trucks in New York City has the best of it.