San Antonio has an up and coming food truck scene that is vibrant, delicious and exciting. Despite early criticism for being a little late to the game, behind Dallas and Austin, San Antonio has more than made up for it. San Antonio has some of the easiest food vendor laws to navigate, helping vendors set up shop quicker and more efficiently. San Antonio has also put in a great deal of effort into partnering with parks and food trucks to keep the city’s foodies fed. Here’s your ultimate guide to Food Trucking in San Antonio.

How to Spot a Food Truck:
New to the food truck scene? Not sure how to keep up with a treasured favorite truck? Social media is the key to success in food truck navigation. Trucks often are very socially active; posting their schedules, menus, specials and locations on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For trucks that aren’t as socially active, there is also The San Antonio Food Truck Association (SAFTA). SAFTA is dedicated to keeping food truck fans in the know by posting the locations and times of their partnering food trucks. Most food trucks however, handle their own social media, and those accounts act as a way to communicate and share what’s going on behind the griddle. Most food truck vendors are very social indeed. Did you like a dish? Take a picture and thank the truck’s crew, you’ll likely get a thanks from the chef.

Where to Dine:
Now that you’ve settled on a new food truck or tracked down a favorite, the question is: where to eat? San Antonio food trucks have plenty of places to nosh on food truck fare, but there are a few exceptional places to dine.

Travis Park: Travis Park has been newly renovated and has refreshed its green space, adding new shaded chairs and tables. The city has also partnered with local food trucks to promise that there will be trucks every day of the week for a far superior work lunch.

North Main and Main Plaza: To satisfy the hunger of downtown denizens, Main Street also often hosts food trucks during the week for lunch. The historic courtyard or the Frost Building provide a great backdrop for your food truck lunch.

Alamo Eat Street Bar: For late night foodies, the Alamo Eat Street Bar is a delicious haven for trucks and a drink. Trucks line up usually later on in the evening and on weekends to satisfy the tastes of the late night crowd.

The Block: Going to UTSA has one additional perk; there are often food trucks on campus and ready to serve up tasty food to busy college students. The downtown UTSA campus often plays host to food trucks to keep students well-fed and provide a much needed break from studying.

Boardwalk on Bulverde: The city’s first park just for food trucks. This open air food truck park hosts trucks starting from 6:00pm to 10:00pm Friday night and 12:00pm to 10:00pm Saturday. Alcohol is bring your own, except for special events, and about ten trucks per night set up shop at this park in North San Antonio.

Types of Trucks:
There are nearly endless types of food trucks in San Antonio. Seafood, tacos, Mediterranean, BBQ, burritos, burgers, coffee and did I mention that there’s a cupcake truck? There’s a truck for everyone when it comes to the San Antonio food truck scene. San Antonio is by nature a city of vendors and people on the move, so food trucks were a natural addition to the dining scene. Many food trucks are mobile versions of established anchor stores like Teka Molino and Cheesy Jane’s. Some are newcomers to the food scene and are hoping for the pride of an anchor store like Duke’s Seafood and Vietnamese Cuisine. Many are backed by famous chefs like the Duk Truck, which is the brainchild of Chef Jason Dady. Some food trucks hook up with other local establishments like the partnership between SoHo Wine Bar and Say.She.Ate, a delicious new American food truck that brings delicious food to bar patrons.

The San Antonio food truck scene is ever-changing and growing. Trucks come and go and change out their menus and swap chefs. The truck scene however can only go up and the results so far have been incredibly tasty, full of duck fat fries and cupcakes on the go. With the number of trucks increasing steadily, the city can only look forward to a more delicious mobile food future ahead.

Farmers markets are no longer a novelty or a fleeting fancy in the city of San Antonio, they’re an expectation. The problem is for those working office jobs in the city’s downtown, it’s often difficult to break away for the smaller farmers market in Main Plaza on Tuesday mornings, and the massive farmers market at the Pearl Brewery Complex can be difficult to reach when the weekends are the only time you have to relax. Though other farmers markets have popped up in every major neighborhood of San Antonio; the Quarry, Dignowity Hill, Olmos Basin and the like… it can still be a hassle.

Truckin’ Tomato aims to fix that for the busy downtown workers. In a partnership with the city of San Antonio, Truckin’ Tomato visits key downtown hotspots during what is for most, their lunch hour… bringing the feel, quality and delicious produce of the farmers market to the busy streets of downtown San Antonio. The mobile market often sets up shop Tuesdays and Thursdays at either Main Plaza, Travis Park or off of E. Houston Street.

The truck brings all the flavor, hospitality and “passionate food people” of a farmers market, and makes it more than mobile. The produce is fresh and seasonal, there’s also premade goods like artisan crafted jams, local honey, local cheeses, etc., along with fresh herbs and pre-made individual meals and juices if you’re just looking for a healthier downtown lunch option. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and incredibly passionate about food. The mobile nature of the truck also expands Truckin’ Tomato’s territory to apartment complexes, schools and businesses to cater to those who especially benefit from farm fresh produce, but don’t always have the time or resources to venture out to the more established farmers markets in the city.

Keeping up with the truck is easy, they’re very active on social media and their website is simple to navigate, and easy to find where the truck will be that day and for how long. There’s also a certain approachability to having a smaller scale mobile market that has fewer of the unconventional farmers market finds. Truckin’ Tomato brings wholesome and organic staple produce to the busy office workers of downtown. If you need carrots, tomatoes, lettuce and the like, for a delicious and responsibly sourced meal, then Truckin’ Tomato is right up your alley. If you’re looking for local jams and honeys, and you only have the time on your lunch break to do so, then Truckin’ Tomato is also perfect for you. If you are looking for more interesting produce than your local conventional market has to offer, give Truckin’ Tomato a try.

Truckin’ Tomato also delivers produce boxes full of veggies, fruit and meats along with herbs and other products to zip codes around the city of San Antonio and services the downtown zip codes as well. So, even if you don’t have time to leave the office to pick up the produce you want or need, Truckin’ Tomato will bring it to you. Truckin’ Tomato is a fun, fresh and mobile produce market that brings yummy products to the continually growing population of downtown San Antonio and those that live, work and play downtown couldn’t be any happier about it.

Austin’s a great food city, there’s no denying it. Austin’s a city of food rebels and dedicated locavores that want to know where their food came from, to ensure the best taste and sustainability. Global flavors and a desire to cook and make whatever a chef wants rules Austin’s food scene, so it was no surprise that they were an early adopter of the mobile food revolution in the state. As a matter of fact, Austin was one of the first Texas cities to move legislation and pave the way for restaurateurs and foodies alike to set up shop and serve great food on the go. We’re going to help you decode, find and enjoy some of Austin’s tastiest food trucks and trailers.

How to Find:
Austin’s food trucks are very socially active. Follow and keep up with already established favorites on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date on menu changes and locations. Social media is very important to Austin mobile eating, so take a picture of your meal. Ask a question on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll likely get a pretty quick and personal response from the crew of the truck or trailer. For finding new trucks, publications are very important. Austin’s a foodie city and many national and international magazines have written and talked about where to find the best mobile grub in the city from Food and Wine to Food Network Magazine and local magazines and newspapers, all of which can fill you in on events and sites where food trucks are likely to be parked, not to mention any foodie festivals or events going on that may have slipped the national press’ attention. Word of mouth is also very important; locals love sharing their favorite food truck finds and are more than happy to tell you all about it if you ask.

Where to Find Trucks:
Austin’s scene can be a little tricky to navigate and some of the food trucks are somewhat hard to find. Luckily, Austin has more dedicated space for trailers and trucks to park and serve their guests. Here’s a roundup of a few notable locations.

Downtown: Downtown’s usually buzzing with food trucks that cater to locals and tourists alike. During special events like SXSW and Austin City Limits (ACL), these trucks can be all over the place, so be sure to check Twitter or Facebook to pin down exact locations. Usually downtown hot spots are off Congress and down the very famous 6th Street.

Universities and Malls: Austin’s a college town and many trucks will post up for the day by universities to keep students well-fed. St. Edward’s University sometimes has trucks nearby and the University of Texas at Austin has trucks posted sometimes. These trucks aren’t just there to serve students, so if you’re in the neighborhood, check them out. Malls and shopping areas often have food trucks as well in Austin; The Dominion is a great example. These can be on a case by case basis, so keep an eye on your favorite truck’s social media to see what locations they’ll be visiting.

Surrounding Areas: Some Austin food trucks travel! Some head out to Bee Cave and out past Georgetown. The range of Austin food trucks is absolutely worth mentioning because it means that some trucks may be willing to travel a little out of range for company functions or fundraisers. Some Austin food trucks have even been spotted in New Braunfels, Pflugerville and San Marcos.

Trailer and Food Truck Parks: Most of Austin’s mobile food comes from trailers not trucks. A few dedicated locations serve as concrete or impromptu hitches for food trailers and trucks to serve hungry patrons. The South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery is one very famous one, and hosts trailers and trucks for lunch and dinner to keep Austin locals and tourists well fed.

Types of Trucks:
Austin has a huge variety of great food trucks, and they are all delicious. The types are incredibly varied: doughnuts, cupcakes, great BBQ, fusion, Asian, tacos and yes, a lobster truck… even a truck dedicated to pomme frites (a very fancy and very tasty French fry truck). Some are beloved chains like Torchy’s Tacos and others have great celebrity behind them like East Side King, the brain child of Top Chef (season 9) winner Paul Qui. Some trucks have brick and mortar locations like The Peached Tortilla, while others are just foodie greats that can sling delicious eats from the back of a truck or trailer.

Austin has a diverse and passionate mobile food scene that has kept tourists and locals stuffed and coming back for more. The trucks are also very convenient when visiting for bigger events in Austin, letting you enjoy delicious food while waiting for your favorite artist to take the stage or for the next big event. Austin’s a fun foodie city and it makes sense that some of the best eats are available to take on the go, giving you more time to check out the great concerts and nightlife.