Austinites turn to food trucks for something new

By Aubrie Iverson
Texas State undergraduate and fearless taste tester


AUSTIN -- The trademark minuscule kitchens and pop-open windows of the modern food truck industry have gained rapid popularity across Travis County, garnering regular customers that workers know by name and by order.

A sea of blue markers represents the immense number of food trucks in the Austin area.  Austin Mobile Food Map courtesy of Google.

The lunch trucks and dessert joints that pepper today's maps are a far cry from the first of their kind, but not far at all from the food trailer's origin.  Born during the Reconstruction, the first chuck wagons kept Texas cowboys fed on cattle drives and represented the "rugged individualism" that defines the American spirit, according to the American Chuck Wagon Association history page.  With roots in the Lone Star State, it's no surprise that Austin's food truck popularity is always on the rise.

The capitol city, known for its live music, hippie mentality and legislative headquarters, has been winning over the hearts, minds and ballots of Austin and its visitors for decades.  But the food truck trend has taken aim at a very different target: their appetites.  From pizza to doughnuts, from gyro to tofu, business is booming with no end in sight.

The Short Bus Subs location on Barton Springs Road in
South Austin is a popular choice for local foodies
who crave something a little different.
Photo by Aubie Iverson.

From the chaps-clad community of the 19th century to modern East 6th Street's late-night grub central, a devoted following is something all successful food trucks share.  For Brian Robbins, a tech mechanic at Rocket Electrics in Austin, the mobile eateries cropping up around the city have become a must-have for his daily lunch break.

"The food here is just incredible," he said.  "I would recommend them to anyone."

Mobile eateries have steadily gained popularity at the hands of ingenious cooks and loyal customers, aided in part by cable television shows such as the premiere of The Great Food Truck Race in August 2010 and related stunts.  The major recession of 2008 resulted in widespread layoffs across America, forcing high-end commercial chefs into the role of entrepreneurs and birthing competition that has up-ended the traditional restaurant industry for good.

Eric, owner of Hey! You Gonna Eat or What?, is one of those entrepreneurs.  Laid off at 45 years old, Eric (who goes only by his first name), was unemployed and living off food stamps when he decided to open a food truck, according to an interview with Felisha Bull of Grunge Grubbin'.  Two years later, Eric's business is the top-rated food truck in Austin and winner of the 2013 Truck by Truckwest competition, with a sky-high Yelp rating to boot.

Throughout the Austin-Travis County area, it is clear that the food truck biz is here to stay.  For more information on the community and a great place to grab lunch, visit Food Trailers Austin or Austin Food Carts for suggestions and locations.