What to know about the San Diego food truck scene
They are San Diego’s mobile food outlets — trucks roaming around the streets — servicing customers from office buildings, docks, or even warehouses, where people gather round to purchase a meal. In today’s blog, Warren Van Dam will feature these ubiquitous food trucks, how they evolved from a purely “just-business” venture into a thriving sub-genre of the local San Diego food scene.
They used to be a fixture on the road in the local food scene, catering to many businesses, in stark-white and stainless trucks, says Warren Van Dam. Their food choices — a machaca burrito in deli wrap, a two ounce cup of salsa, and a breakfast sandwich. Lunch was a standard fare, due perhaps with a steady clientele of workers to which they serve griddled American items and Mexican cuisine like tortas or burritos.
The trucks have evolved, however, to those from a much younger breed of food truckers that has essentially overshadowed the originals, that are now a bit under the radar. These “new breed” of food trucks have eye-catching graphics all around the vehicle, that features menu in larger-than-life images as a form of advertising, explains Warren Van Dam.
The growing number of food trucks have elevated the game in business, says Warren Van Dam. These younger players have even replicated the experience in restaurants. Through this, customers have more choices of quality food, which can also be seen at different locations throughout San Diego. And from working class customers to a more-hip crowd, the evolution in taste is quite evident with the way that customers have gravitated from the “plain-wrap” tacos to a more gourmet style menu of “freshly made tortillas, filet mignon, crispy melted cheese, avocado, and a spicy pistachio jalapeno salsa.”
