Amidst all of the rapid corporate expansions of restaurant chains across the US, sometimes it can be difficult to find the few remaining small mom and pop places to eat in town.
Especially in larger cities.
But food trucks are still one of the few places you're almost guaranteed to find that authentic, locally owned restaurant business.
And Waco food trucks are no exception.
Some of the best local places to eat in Waco are based out of locally owned and operated food trucks.
So, I set out on a mission to find the best food trucks in Waco. And once I found them, of course I had to share them here with you!
Click on any of the food trucks below to learn more:
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Waffle Chic Food Truck
First on the list is the best food truck in my opinion.
The Waffle Chic food truck.
And there's a reason this food truck is on the top of the list.
True to their name, everything you can order off their menu involves waffles. But not just any waffle.
Here are some highlights about the Waffle Chic food truck in Waco:
Freshly sourced ingredients
Organic produce
Gluten free options
Vegetarian options
Sweet, savory or spicy - take your pick, or go all out with all three!
Whether it's a traditional chicken waffle, or a dangerously sweet and savory tango of half a waffle with chicken, fried egg, avocado, bacon and syrup, and a second half waffle with chocolate, whipped cream and strawberries on top, you simply cannot go wrong with whatever you pick on the menu.
This Waco food truck will have you questioning the meaning of life, and whether you've been missing it every day that you've existed until you finally discovered the Waffle Chic.
And if you think I'm exaggerating... I'm not. Waffle Chic has the awards to back up their legendary rise to fame in the Waco food truck scene after starting out in this humble little food trailer outside of a local coffee shop:
Where can you find this fabulous Waco food truck? In downtown Waco At the Silos at Magnolia!
Jus Foodin' Around Food Truck
I'll be entirely honest... Of all the Waco food trucks that I've intentionally hunted down and tried out, I found this food truck completely by happenstance.
I went to a food truck holiday event in Valley Mills, TX about 20 minutes West of Waco, and this food truck happened to be there.
I'd never tried their food.
I'd never even heard of them.
But by what I can only describe as a divine appointment (kidding... sort of) I was walking by their food truck, and noticed that they had a burger on their menu called "The Ultimate Burger".
Now, that's a pretty big claim... To say that you make something that's "the ultimate" of anything is a pretty substantial claim.
But, I remembered that my wife had said she was hungry for a burger earlier that day. And since I knew that none of the other food trucks at the event sold burgers, I decided to give this "ultimate" burger a shot.
I brought it home and as soon as she took a bite, I knew it was a legit burger.
So (in a "she ate, he ate" account reminiscent of Adam & Eve, but without the whole forbidden tree element) I too took a bite of it.
I was shook.
And seriously... I'm not mad about it at all. They completely own that title because that burger was bangin'.
So, that's all I know about this Waco food truck as of right now... that they make "The Ultimate Burger". And based on my experience, they're fully and completely entitled to retaining that name for their burger because they have earned every bite of it.
If I were to ever host an award ceremony, I'd most definitely award them with the "Expert Texan Burger Award" for the best burger in Waco.
And if you are in the area, and you don't track this Waco food truck down with the specific intention of trying out this burger, well... that's your mista - I mean, choice.
Here are some of the things I really like about Jus' Foodin' Around food truck:
This Waco food truck sources their meat from locally raised sources which is likely a contributing factor towards the "ultimate" part of their burger.
The waffle fries at this food truck give Chick-Fil-A a run for their money! I'm a pretty avid fan of Chick-Fil-A and I'm not even kidding.
Their "Ultimate" burger lives up to its name.
You can track down Jus' Foodin' Around food trucks current location for the day on their website, or on their social media.
Tell'em Expert Texan sent ya (... just kidding, they have no idea who I am so that might be awkward).
But we'll be on a first name basis very soon.
I plan on being a frequent burger buyer going forward.
And who knows, maybe I'll try something else on their menu and report back here!
Mac's Fry House Food Truck
Mac's Fry House was a little difficult to check out. There was an event with several Waco food trucks that I went to in an attempt to try out their food.
But, I guess that getting there an hour into the event was a mistake. They had already sold out of their main menu items, including their mac n' cheese which was the main thing that I wanted to try.
So, I got one of their catfish meals instead. And don't get me wrong - it was good! But I was really looking forward to checking out their chicken and mac n' cheese meals.
A few weeks later I got another opportunity to coordinate my schedule with where they were planning on being - at another food truck event in Valley Mills, TX. Yes, the same food truck festival where I accidentally discovered Jus' Foodin' Around (see above).
When I walked up, I asked if they still had mac n' cheese and chicken. They were a little confused by my question, but I quickly explained that at the last event (just a few weeks prior), they'd sold out of everything in the hour prior to my arrival.
They assured me that this time they brought "plenty" to last the whole night.
You could've colored me thrilled in that moment.
I happily ordered a mac n' cheese meal with chicken and collard greens.
I am ashamed to say that I'd never eaten collard greens prior to this experience, and Mac's Fry House helped me correct the error of my ways.
And if you have kids... My kids are probably much like yours - they don't like vegetables of any kind. But they thoroughly enjoyed Mac's Fry House collard greens.
On top of that, my kids are professional mac n' cheese testers. They're the ultimate judges of what is good or bad in the world of mac n' cheese and according to them, "this is some of the best mac n' cheese I've ever had".
Whether you take the word of a 9 year old and a 5 year old is up to you - but when it comes to their mac n' cheese taste-testing skills, I'd highly recommend whatever they recommend.
And don't even get me started on the chicken... Crispy and delicious breading on the outside, and so moist on the inside that it falls apart and melts in your mouth with a flavor explosion that defies all known earthly, fried chicken culinary experiences.
So here's the word on Mac's Fry House food truck offerings:
Get their chicken, mac n' cheese and collard greens plate. You will be on an otherworldly food-tasting experience in a matter of seconds after your hot plate of fried goods lands in your hands.
The tantalizing scents of deeply marinated and seasoned fried chicken may begin transporting you before you even see it.
You can check their social media to see where they're located on any given day of the week so you can check it out for yourself.
When you see the "CAUTION HOT PIZZA" sign on the side of the road with a white Artisan Oven Pizza food truck sitting nearby... you need to stop.
Better yet, check out their Instagram page or website to track down their current location if you're in the mood for some delicious sourdough, brick-oven, wood fired pizza.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Brick-oven, wood fired, sourdough pizza.
Read it again.
It's unlike any other pizza you've tried and once you've had it, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything like it anywhere else.
Of all the Waco food trucks, Artisan Oven Pizza is one of the most unique food trucks in that they have custom-built brick ovens onboard their food truck that help them recreate their wood-fired pizza magic on the go.
I'm mostly a pepperoni pizza kind of guy, but I've ordered both the pepperoni and the cheese only pizzas. I've bought pizza's from this food truck many times, and every time it's been a great experience. Just keep in mind that if it's at a busy event, your wait time may be a little extended since they are baking pizza in a food truck with limited ovens and space.
310's Kitchen Food Truck
Brisket, Beef ribs, Pork ribs, Chicken, Sausage, and Crab Cakes.
Oh, and gumbo.
What more can I say...? 310's Kitchen is one of Waco's best food trucks.
My wife is from New Orleans. She's pretty critical of any dishes that resemble something traditionally made in New Orleans, or of New Orleans origin. So, I wasn't sure if I should order 310's gumbo dish.
But, I did.
And she liked it.
And it received much less of a negative critique from her than other "cajun" or "creole" restaurants dishes from around the Waco area.
In fact, she had generally positive things to say about it.
I too enjoyed their gumbo, but I also thoroughly enjoyed their crab cake.
There aren't many food trucks in Central Texas in general that serve brisket, gumbo and crab cakes. Much less all three from the same food truck. So the fact Waco even has a food truck like this should be considered a city treasure.
Can a food truck be given the keys to the city...?
Anywho. I have a few Waco food trucks that I really like, and this one absolutely made the cut.
Sadly, they were temporarily displaced due to construction and renovations the city has had underway in East Waco. But their latest update on Facebook indicates that the city is almost done with the construction on their block, and they expect to be open again soon.
At the time you're reading this, they may already be re-opened. You can check their social media page to get an update before heading their way.
Chute 4 Rodeo Foods
Speaking of BBQ... you don't want to miss out on this food truck appropriately called Chute 4 Rodeo Foods.
Founded by an old school rodeo cowboy, this barbecue food truck in Waco serves up incredible food that would make anybody jump off their saddle (or just park their car) and stay for a while.
Chute 4 Rodeo Foods gets 5-Star reviews across the board. You'll be hard-pressed to find anything less than impressed customers, no matter where you look online.
Speaking of which... Chute 4 Rodeo Foods doesn't have a website. But I'll show you the horse-trodden path that'll guide you right to his food truck.
Just click here to follow the trail to some incredibly delicious rodeo-worthy barbecue served straight out of a food truck.
Ps. Should I ask him if he tows the food truck around with his horses...?
Le's Kitchen Food Truck
Le's Kitchen food truck was at a local craft and artisan event that I went to our in China Spring (just 10 minutes West of Waco). And although I've seen them all over the place ever since then, that was my first time seeing them and trying their food (and coffee).
Le's Kitchen is a Vietnamese food truck that serves up Banh Mi, egg rolls, fried dumpings, spring rolls, sticky rice, fried rice and much more.
Since that beautiful day, I've had Le's Kitchen food many times since. And every time it's been a lovely, piping hot dish of nothing but tasty goodness.
And I usually top it off with their world-famous Iced Vietnamese Coffee.
Ok, maybe it's not world-famous... yet. But it should be.
I credit the lady in the window of the food truck for recommending it and completely changing my coffee life as I knew it. I'm not sure I'll ever be the same.
In fact, before the event was over, I'd gone back and ordered a refill, stat.
I may have over-caffeinated that day.
And it was worth every sip.
I say all of that to say this... if you're craving Vietnamese food (or coffee), then you should absolutely track down Le's Kitchen food truck in Waco.
I personally recommend their Le's Sticky Rice meal w/ your choice of protein with an egg roll and a cup (or two) of Iced Vietnamese Coffee.
Food Truck Parks
If you're looking for Waco food trucks, then a food truck park is probably a good place to start! Not only because food truck parks are where you'll probably find a food truck... but because if you're going with multiple people, it'll be much easier to find something for everybody in the group.
So, for food truck foodies, here are all of the food truck parks in Waco as of today:
Route 77 food park is located right off of La Salle Ave. It's a unique food truck park in that it was a space intentionally designed to be a permanent food truck park, with a permanent, brick and mortar bar onsite right in the middle.
This food truck park also features a really nice artificial green space with games, lawn chair seating, exterior lighting, and a covered pavilion area for dining.
There are also bathrooms onsite, and a decent amount of parking in the parking lot, along with street parking nearby.
Route 77 also frequently has local musicians perform at the food truck park, especially on weekends.
The food trucks at this Waco food truck park have changed a few times since they opened up, but in general they try to have a wide variety of food trucks there at any given time such as:
American Food
Mexican / Tex-Mex Food
Comfort Food
Seafood
In fact, my favorite taco truck (Taquisa Waco) in Waco is located at Route 77!
The ambience at Route 77 food truck park is really nice, especially at night when the lights come on with the music playing, food cooking, kids playing, people talking, etc. It's just a really enjoyable atmosphere. In fact, you really go here for the experience and the good food is just the icing on top.
Magnolia Market Food Truck Park
The only other permanent food truck park in Waco right now is the food truck park at Magnolia at The Silos.
And it's definitely a great place to go for a delicious bite to eat.
The only downside is that Magnolia closes their gates at 6 PM every evening. So, it's more of a food truck park for breakfast and lunchtime unless you like to eat dinner earlier in the day and can get there well before 6 PM.
The great thing about this food truck park is that there's plenty of parking all around the Magnolia Market, along with plenty of seating once you're inside. There's also a lot of other stuff to see and do at Magnolia Market (and the surrounding area) outside of just getting some delicious food from one of the many food trucks.
The last time I was there (a week or two ago), they had a wide variety of food trucks offering everything from lemonade, to desserts, pizza, burgers, waffles and more. In fact, they usually have anywhere from 6 - 8 food trucks at any given time.
If you didn't have a chance to read about the first food truck on this list - you should. It's Waffle Chick and her food truck is located at the Magnolia Market food truck park.
Food Truck Festivals in Waco
If you were not aware - consider yourself informed now. Waco, Texas takes its food truck scene very, very seriously. Waco takes it so seriously, in fact, that the city of Waco hosts one of the biggest food truck festivals in the state of Texas.
Welcome to food truck heaven!
Here are the food truck festivals that call Waco home:
THE TEXAS FOOD TRUCK SHOWDOWN
The Texas Food Truck Showdown was the very first state-wide food truck competition in the state of Texas. It started with a bang in 2015 and has been going strong ever since; every year it continues to grow and exceed the previous years attendance records.
With 40+ food trucks signing up to compete and 25,000+ people in attendance every year, The Texas Food Truck Showdown is something you do 👏 not 👏 want 👏 to 👏 miss 👏.
Every type of food truck that you can imagine will be in one place at The Texas Food Truck Showdown with all kinds of competitions, live music events, a kid zone, a beer and wine garden, public voting on the best dishes and desserts, and much more!
The annual Texas Food Truck Showdown event is scheduled for April 1, 2023.
If you're a fan of food, food trucks, Waco, or if you're a human being... make sure you're there!
A Recap of Waco Food Trucks
Did you try any of the Waco food trucks mentioned above? What'd you think? What was your favorite food truck, or favorite food you had? Did I miss any food trucks in Waco that you'd recommend I go check out? Let me know!