We may be opening up a can of worms by writing about the best food trucks in Raleigh; to say we have a few is an understatement! More and more culinary artists are popping up all over the City of Oaks, and many of them don’t have a brick-and-mortar establishment.
It’s just so typically Raleigh to be ditching white tablecloths for food trucks. The casual roadside bites you find here are perfect for people on the go – tech entrepreneurs and researchers needing to fly back to their labs, or for people who enjoy low-key dining where parking lots become hangout spots, where the conversations with other diners are as good as the tacos.
Raleigh’s food trucks aren’t necessarily places to find cheap, oily burgers outside football games, but where chefs experiment, communities come together, and where the menus are evolving at the same pace as the city. Of course, if you’re looking for cheap food, it probably will no longer come from a food truck, and some would say, having a sit-down meal at one of Raleigh’s restaurants is better value.
Food trucks are trendy, however, and they come with a price tag, but for those who enjoy the street food experience, there are some worth paying the price for. They also add an extra element of local discovery at our many festivals! We asked our local community, and spent our own days (and more than a few nights), tracking down Raleigh’s best meals on wheels, and these food trucks are what we locals discovered.
Hot Chix Hotcakes And Chicken
The most recommended place by our Raleigh community was Hot Chix Hotcakes and Chicken, a North Carolina food concept that perfectly balances sweet and savory fried chicken. There’s a beautiful Southern alchemy at work at Hot Chix. You get the comfort of a classic chicken and waffle dish, but they put a playful Latin spin on it that turns it into something altogether more playful, portable, and, frankly, addictive.
Think classic fried chicken pairings reimagined: think fluffy buttermilk hotcakes folded around crisp, golden chicken tenders, taco-style! If the taste isn’t enough on its own, the house-made sauces turn the volume up to 11/10. This local favorite is all about skipping the cutlery and leaning into the mess. We like the indulgent “B.A.D. Chix” (Breakfast All Day) piles on eggs, bacon, and cheese that fuel you up all day.
The loaded tater tots, served crispy, golden, and often smothered in cheese, bacon, or queso, are worth pulling up for all on their own. If you love carbs and are really hungry, then you won’t regret ordering at Hot Chix. What you should try: chicken tots with queso, the original hot chix (of course!)
Not Just A Fry Guy
We’re personally big fans of Not Just A Fry Guy because the fries are 100% gluten-free, a rarity to find amongst the food truck scene. This family-run truck has built its reputation on a simple premise: delicious loaded fries that are gluten-free and crisped to perfection.
This award-winning food truck often gets raved about for having a variety of well-crafted flavor pallets, engineered for maximum craveability. Our personal favs are the Nashville Hot, Cheeseburger, and Philly Fries, which are succulent and bursting with flavor, and toppled on some perfectly crisped fries. In fact, Not Just a Fry Guy has been voted to have the best fries in the Triangle by the WRAL Voters’ Choice Awards in 2025.
Catch them at a local market or festival; the locations change daily. But wherever you go, expect to see long lines – a testament to a truck that turns everyday street food into something worth celebrating. We first discovered them at the Pimento Cheese Festival in Downtown Cary – happening this April 11, 2026. Load those fries with pimento cheese for a unique celebration! (Definitely worth it). What you should try: Cheeseburger Fries and Philly Fries.
Read more: Best fries in Raleigh and gluten free restaurants in Raleigh
DonutNV
DonutNV is a mobile food truck specializing in fresh to order hot, mini, donuts. What’s fun, especially for kids, is you can watch them being made through the small circular window. Top the light and fluffy donuts with a wide range of toppings from cinnamon sugar to strawberry shortcake and dirt n’ worms. They also have seasonal toppings that change every month. Get them in a small bag of 6, party box of 24, or a bucket of 36. Donut NV also serves fresh lemonade, coffee, hot chocolates and seasonal drinks. What to order: Smores:chocolate glaze, chocolate chips, golden Oreo crumbles, and mini marshmallows.
Drunken Noodles
For some of the best Thai street food in Raleigh, of course, you have to eat it Thai style, on a street corner on a small plastic stool with traffic whizzing past. It’s so authentically Bangkok, you would be forgiven if you forgot you were in Raleigh for a moment. The scene is not the only thing authentically Thai, though. Drunken Noodles is Thai street food from the minute the noodles hit the wok – unapologetically aromatic and built on recipes that have been transported rather than translated.
This award-winning food truck, which took home the gold in the 2021 North Carolina Food Truck State Championship, is a family-run, community-driven food truck that makes cooked-to-order dishes using authentic recipes. The namesake dish, pad kee mao, or drunken noodles, is the obvious draw, but they also have other Thai favorites such as pad thai and khao soi curry. The menu is small, but that’s because of quality over quantity.
If you can’t handle your heat, do be sure to let them know, and they can turn down the volume on the spice. And be sure to alert them to any allergies. What you should try: Devil Noodles, Crazy Fire Ribs, Thai Milk Tea.
Arepa Culture
The local and family-owned food truck, Arepa Culture, brings a taste of Venezuela to the streets of Raleigh. You may also have seen them on Season 2, Episode 5 of MSNBC’s Leguizamo Does America! In case you’re not familiar with Venezuelan cuisine, arepa itself is a hand‑pressed, gluten‑free cornmeal “bread” grilled to a golden edge and stuffed with bold, fresh ingredients. They are made from scratch each day and prepared using traditional methods.
There is a reason why Arepa has won so many awards, including theWRAL voters’ choice awards in 2021 for best new restaurant and in 2018 and 2022 for best food truck. The flavor pallets are creative, the portions are generous, and the prices are reasonable.
If you’re not sure what to order, we like the La Tica arepa, a beloved favorite, which is stuffed with sautéed chicken with sweet caramelized peppers and gooey mozzarella. They also have a good selection of vegan and vegetarian options on the menu, and their arepas are 100% gluten-free. What you should try: La Tica or La Capresa.
The Naked Empanada
What started as chef Roy “Fuzzy” Thombs’ passion project, The Naked Empanada, has grown into a local favorite known for handmade, golden‑fried empanadas that are crispy, hearty, and the sort of flavor that pairs perfectly over drinks at a brewery taproom. The empanada isn’t just a snack here. The beefy “The Fuzzy” is one of the famous crowd pleasers. It’s seasoned ground beef, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and olives deliver that rich, comforting flavor that you expect with this Latin dish.
Vegetarian diners don’t miss out either. The “Shroom” offers a savoury mix of sautéed mushrooms and peppers enrobed in cheddar. Feel like dessert? Have an empanada with Nutella or strawberry inside! And please let me know what that tastes like. What you should try: The Fuzzy or The TLC
Baltic Bites
- Where you can find them
- Website: balticbites.net
The first and only Lithuanian food truck in the country is right here in Raleigh! Serving fresh, healthy, and delicious cuisine, this family-owned and operated food truck serves comfort Eastern European food at festivals, brewery patios, and weekend markets around the Triangle.
For wholesome, warming, and hearty food, we recommend tucking into a chicken goulash or sausage stew, or for something lighter, the fresh Baltic‑style salads are a winning choice. It also serves desserts – the Lithuanian lazy cake and seasonal fruit pastries are sweet bliss! Baltic Bites have a loyal following, not just for the novelty of having Lithuanian cuisine, but because the authentic flavours linger long after the last forkful. What you should try: chicken dumplings or goulash.
Momomandu
- Where you can find them
- Website: momomandunc.com
I can’t say no-no to a momo! MoMoMandu is an award‑winning Nepali food truck that has rapidly become one of the Triangle’s most adored mobile kitchens. The true star here is the momo: juicy, generously sized dumplings paired with one of two house sauces — mild or fiery — ready for dunking.
If you want more than dumplings, the Chicken Chow Mein gets raved about. This stir‑fried dish with crunchy veg and Himalayan spices pairs beautifully with freshly made momos. Winning both the Best Food Truck Maggy Award by Cary Magazine and the Gold for Best Food Truck by Raleigh’s Best (News & Observer) in 2025, there is a good reason people queue up for Momomandu. What you should try: momos!
Antojitos Catrachos Maite & Tacos Maite
- Where: 4115 Buffaloe Rd, Raleigh
- What you shoud try: pupusas revuletas
Located in the parking lot of LIDL in northeast Raleigh is a stationary hidden gem of a food truck, Antojitos Catrachos Maite and Tacos Maite, Antojitos Catrachos Maite offers Honduras cuisine such as pastelitos, baleada, and yummy flautas. The very friendly server suggested I eat the pupusas revuletas (gluten free) my first time and they were delicious. I found portions to be large and prices reasonable. Parked beside it is Tacos Maite, where Craig picked up some delicious tacos – flavorful, quite large and reasonably priced!
UtensilzOptional
Utensilz Optional is a veteran‑owned, family‑run food truck serving finger‑friendly meals. It’s hard to define what cuisine Utensilz offers; it ranges from buffalo wings to egg rolls to potato skins – it’s all about eating with your hands but make it gourmet. This is playful food that’s fast, big in portion size, and packed with flavor. We opt for loaded potato skinz, which are crispy, indulgent, and stacked with toppings like sweet bacon. Perfect for sharing with a pint when they park up outside a brewery in downtown.
The eggrolls are another crowd pleaser. Topped with zingy flavors like Caribbean Jerk Chicken or hearty Steak and Cheese, these aren’t your average pub‑fare rolls. Whether you’re chilling at a brewery patio or parked outside a Sunday market, this is an unpretentious, generous, and downright joyful street food option. What you should try: steak and cheese egg rolls.
JAM Ice Cream
- Where you can find them
- Website: jamicecream.com
This is no ordinary ice cream truck; JAM Ice Cream is a dessert truck that serves your traditional soft‑serve ice creams as well as specialist frozen sweet treats. The over‑the‑top sundae creations are what get people lining up down the street. The Kitchen Sink combines twist soft serve ice cream with hot fudge, caramel, Heath, Butterfinger, and whipped cream, and is just divine! Kids would love the Rainbow Candy Store sundae, which brings childhood dreams to life with Nerds, mini‑M&M’s, and sour candies under a cloud of whipped cream.
If that sounds a little too indulgent for you, the milkshakes are just as good. They have classic flavors and inventive blends, such as a coffee‑kissed Mocha and Pink Lemonade flavors, each crowned with whipped cream and a cherry – Yum. What you should try: Strawberry Milkshake.
Barone Italian Grille
Barone Italian Grille, born from the beloved Barone Meatball Company, is where to find Italian street food without the pretense. This food truck has become a favorite pit‑stop for anyone who likes an elevated meatball. You could opt for classic Mom’s Italian meatballs, rich and perfectly seasoned, smothered in a house‑made marinara, or you can opt for yours topped with grilled cheese to make it gooey, crispy, and utterly mouthwatering.
The playful twists are what keep people coming back time and time again to sample new flavors. The Buffalo chicken meatballs have a tangy kick, and they also have a vegetarian meatball for the plant-based diners. There is also a rotating roster of specials worth keeping an eye on the social media pages. What you should try: Italian Meatballs with grilled cheese or the Korean meatballs (specials only).
King of Soul
- Location: check their Facebook for updates
- Website: facebook.com/p/King-of-Soul
On a sunny afternoon in Raleigh, nothing settles a hunger quite like soulful, Southern cooking. And if you’re new to Raleigh, you gotta get a taste of the South on your visit. If you get the chance, stop by King of Soul when the truck parks up. It has carved out a reputation on the city’s food‑truck circuit for offering joyous comfort food topped with Southern charm.
Think generous portions, bold seasoning, and unique flavors, and the crispiest Southern fried chicken around. What makes King of Soul unique is the sauces. King of Soul offers fruity sauces on fried chicken (peach, pineapple, strawberry, and blueberry), which might sound odd at first, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. We recommend trying the peach sauce first; it’s less powerful than the others. King of Soul is known for its hot wings, ranch wings, and catfish nuggets. What you should try: blueberry, peach, or pineapple sauce on hot wings!
Bare Baked Pizza
- Where you can find them
- Website: barebaked.com
Bare Baked can often be found at Red’s Corner, but also often at The Raleigh Market and on NC State University’s Centennial Campus. It’s where to go for simple, wood‑fired pizza with high‑quality toppings. There isn’t a large menu, but it doesn’t need to be, when the simplicity of high-quality ingredients shines through. The pizza is made just how I’ve seen it in Rome – slightly charred around the edges, soft and buttery, but crisp enough to not be fragile, but begging to be eaten straight from the peel. What you should try: hot honey pizza
Chirba Chirba Dumpling
- Where you can find them
- Website: chirbachirba.com
Last but not least, one of Raleigh’s favorite dim sum places. Chirba Chirba Dumpling first appeared on My Family Recipe Rocks! on the Live Well Network, but here in Raleigh, it’s better known for its warm, chewy, and deeply satisfying East Asian dumplings. The name Chirba Chirba literally means “Eat eat!” in Mandarin, which is aptly named, because that’s all you want to do when you first try their juicy buns and chicken minis.
There are only three items on the menu: juicy buns, chicken minis, and vegetarian dumplings – but if you know how to do something, do it well and do it lots of times! This is one of Raleigh’s street‑food stops that’s as memorable as it is delicious. What you should try: juicy buns.
Festivals for top food truck bites
Find a food truck at a festival near you:
- Top festivals in Raleigh for the year
- Artsplosure festival in Downtown Raleigh
- Spring Daze Festival in Bond Park, Cary
- Hopscotch Festival in Downtown Raleigh
- Best Raleigh fetivals in the Fall
- Best Raleigh festivals in the Spring
Share your favorite food trucks in Raleigh in the comments below. And to ensure your recommendations always make our local favorite roundups, follow us on Facebook. We often ask our community – and their suggestions land in our posts and help local businesses be seen!
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