Nashville's 10 best food trucks serve some of city's best, most diverse food
Brad: There is something so exciting about a food truck! I'm not sure what it is — a throwback to ice cream trucks of our childhoods, maybe? My brother Scott arranged for a taco truck to serve food at his younger son's graduation party, and we all were super jazzed!
The only thing better than a food truck? About 15 to 20 food trucks, which is what you'll find at lunchtime Thursdays downtown by the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, an event called Street Eats where we did lots of our research.
Mack: I can't get enough of Street Eats, and I'm extra stoked to head back down there now that the weather's nicer. Without that event, I'm not sure I'd have had the chance to try the spectacular Bob's Fish Fry, which would be a major, major crying shame.
I think what I like most about food trucks, and our list shows that, is the incredibly diverse array of food they seem to bring to our city.
10. Mala Vida
@feedmemalavida on Instagram
Mack: This is a bar-food truck with a pan-Latin twist. I love it. The Big Mickey is an excellent burger. The Bokstar, a chicken sandwich with smoked mayo and pickles, is ridiculously good. Though the street tacos are tiny, they're also good. I'd instead opt for the street-style quesadilla, griddled until lacy with cheese and served with pickles.
Brad: You should definitely try the Big Mickey, but Mack won't tell me why it's called the Big Mickey. 😅
9. Tennessee Cobbler Co./The Baking Room
@tncobblerco on Instagram and StreetFoodFinder.com/TheBakingRoom
Mack: I poo-pooed the idea of having dessert trucks in this roundup. That's until I tried the Tennessee Cobbler Co., which is just a delightful thing to stumble upon. This little food truck serves nostalgia: think warm peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream and cobbler milkshakes. All you need is a rocking chair and a Southern summer porch.
Brad: Thanks for coming around to the fact that dessert is food! How sweet is that? My fave is The Baking Room, opened by a hair stylist who switched careers during the pandemic. She makes everything with cheesecake. Cheesecake shakes, cheesecake cookies, cheesecake cheesecake — all excellent!
8. Chivanada
Often parked outside Basement East at 917 Woodland St.; online at Chivanada.com
Brad: I dig when food trucks focus on one or two items and do them really well. And that's what I found here: big, crispy Colombian deep-fried empanadas, stuffed with well-spiced meats and tons of cheese. Delicioso!
Mackensy: There's really so much to love about this place, not the least of which is that it keeps me going after a show at Basement East. Who knew I'd be swooning over lentil and cheese empanadas? That happened. Vegetarians take note.
7. Southern Spoon
Brad: Tremendous meatloaf sandwich at this classic Southern food truck served with bacon (hooray!) on a wonderfully fresh ciabatta bun. (That bun is not exactly Southern, but hey, they like to go off-script, and I applaud their bravery!) But let's talk about the star of the show, their (again, off-script) take on banana pudding.
Perfectly fried, lightly breaded ripe banana chunks sit on top of creamy pudding with a generous shake of powdered sugar on top — how sweet it is!
Mack: It's the little extras that do it for me with this truck. Dill pickle cream cheese on a hot chicken sandwich? Don't knock it till you try it.
6. Maiz de la Vida
In front of Chopper Tiki, 1100B Stratton Ave., maizdelavida.com
Mack: Maiz de la Vida is a Mexican food truck, but oh so much more than that. It serves excellent quesabirria tacos made with slow-simmered American wagyu beef. When I have a few of those, some consomme and a drink from Chopper tiki bar (where this truck is stationed), I can't possibly be happier. The specials are always worth a gander, including a recent take on a BLT served on a tostada. The tortillas here are handmade and made well. This would be higher, but Brad has issues. This isn't the first time I've said that....
Brad: Ha! So true. Listen, I love love love Maiz de la Vida Tortilla Shop, an understated spot in a Bordeaux strip mall, which happens to serve some of the most incredible food in Nashville. For me, the Maiz food truck, however, has fallen off. The five dishes I tried recently were either really greasy or bland or both. It's rare, Mack, that you and I have completely opposite takes on a place, but this is definitely one.
5. Bad Luck Burger Club/Tasty & Delicious Burger
BadLuckBurger.Club/TastyAndDeliciousBurger.com
Brad: Yup, we crammed two terrific burger trucks into one spot. Probably because we were torn between them and didn't want to rank one above the other. Both serve really tasty burgers, with the Bad Luck Burger Club specializing in smash burgers. And both truck operators have a sense of humor, which we love.
On the Bad Luck Burger Club website is this boast: "Nashville's Undisputed Kings of Smashed Street Meat." Fun! 😆
Mack: Bad Luck Burger makes me seriously happy. I didn't get the hype until I tried it. As advertised, it's indeed the perfect burger. Yes, add jalapenos.
I was all set on that being my favorite burger until I walked past Brad at Street Eats on a day we didn't actually plan to meet, and he quite literally shoved a Tasty and Delicious Burger cheeseburger in my face and said, "Try this."
I did, and it also was as advertised. But Bad Luck, to me, has a slight edge over TADB.
4. The Pepper Pott
www.thepepperpott.com/food-truck
Mack: Where has this food truck been all my life? Guyanese comfort food, y'all. Amazing flavor packed into everything. Roasted salmon sandwiches with jerk sauce. "Tropic plates" with incredibly flavorful sides, including perfect cabbage, sweet plantains and, my favorite, the rice and peas. For your protein? Shredded chicken, salmon or exceptional jackfruit that could pass for meat but thrilled the vegan in our group. Get to this truck fast.
Brad: For me, that incredible salmon sandwich with citrus salsa is the best dish here. And how's about a shout out to this truck, and a handful of others, for really cool paint jobs on the outside? Pepper Pott's truck is a street graffiti-style work of art.
3. Ocean Delights
Ocean Delights on Facebook
Brad: The lobster roll! So fresh and buttery and delicious and wonderful. And I love the charm of the mother-daughter team operating this truck in Donelson. 🧡 You're rooting for them the second you meet them. Warning: Call and order ahead when you can. I waited 55 minutes for my order. But after one bite of the lobster roll, I was good!
Mack: Easily the best lobster roll in town. So buttery. And I love the ever-so-slightly spicy sauce that comes with it, which perfectly complements the sweet lobster.
2. Bob's Fish Fry
Mack: I hate to be dramatic, but this might be the best fried fish I've had in Nashville. I had the Nashville hot fish dinner with delicious pinto beans, perfect freshly made hush puppies and the truck's take on reunion salad, which here is basically a mild pico de gallo of sorts. Even the French fries were good. There's a reason the line's always long, folks.
Brad: I mean, did ya see the picture higher in this story of Mack straight cheesin' while holding this fried fish?? That is not a fake smile, people? It came from the far reaches of her tastebuds, with good reason. I must admit, I went in with low expectations — fried fish from a truck? That's gonna be nasty. Au contraire. They nailed it. Perfectly spiced batter, perfect amount of batter and the perfect fry on a beautiful piece of fish.
1. The Inka Trailer
Mack: The first time I tried this Peruvian food truck at the Nashville Farmers' Market, I was seriously blown away. The best ceviche I've had in Nashville so far comes from a food truck? Yes, yes it does. It's hard to get past that dish for me, especially when it's hot out, but I can also wholeheartedly recommend the lomo saltado and the chicken empanadas, which saved my life this Bonnaroo, I'm reasonably certain.
Brad: Absolutely fantastic, amazing food that's unreplicated in Nashville. Absolutely agree with Mack that this is the best ceviche you'll ever eat. Anywhere. And here's another reason I love The Inka Trailer — Chef Marcio Florez is an active partner with World Central Kitchen, which, basically, feeds hungry people.
If The Inka Trailer ever moves into a brick-and-mortar, the restaurant will be very high on our annual Top 25 Nashville restaurants list. (Hint hint to all you Nashville venture capitalists. Let's make this happen!)
What are your fave food trucks? Did we get it right? Find Mackensy at mlunsford@tennessean.com or Brad at brad@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville's 10 best food trucks: From burgers to South American bites
