Food Trucks

Molly Davis

You have a tasty plate comprised of a juicy chicken quesadilla, a side of Lays potato chips, and a coca cola can. The plate is made of paper and the silverware is plastic. The food is phenomenal, but it is not from your typical restaurant: this restaurant is on wheels. It is a food truck. These trucks carry a variety of food from burgers to Mexican to crepes, and they can be found in various locations in Carrboro and Chapel Hill.

I walk up to the front of Al’s Garage with a few of my friends and see a congregation of people crowded around these peculiar parked trucks. The aroma of delicious, fresh-cooked food fills the air. This aroma is coming not from a restaurant, but from four food trucks cooking meals fresh from the inside of these portable contraptions. The smell is almost reminiscent to that of a picnic or barbeque. The congregation of people casually socializing resembles this as well. One could easily mistake this for a gathering of family and friends. This scene is the epitome of a community banding together and becoming exposed to enjoying delicious food accompanied with the outside natural environment. People of all ages, races, and relations are sitting in chairs, on the ground, or standing together enjoying good company and food. Lines filled with people anxious to eat wind in front of these tiny trucks. This is a typical scene on any Thursday through Sunday night for the food truck business. Many people may not have heard of arguably Chapel Hill’s best kept secret, but it has a rich clientele and culture all its own.

On a crowded night you can find all types of people lingering at the food trucks. There are old couples, young couples, friends, and families that wander out to frequent these delights. It is not uncommon to see a group of young kids eating together on the ground or a cluster of older men talking together in a round circle of chairs. The food trucks don’t discriminate- they attract all relationships, ages, and races of people. Whether it is merely the delicious food, down to earth community, the occasional local band that sometimes plays, or open socialization that attracts people, something does the trick. It is more than just a place to get some good local food; it’s a social event to be enjoyed by all. The vast variety of delicious food available is definitely an added bonus. It might be the fact that there is no table between you and your fellow diners, or that you can roam freely and talk to whoever you please without intruding, but coming to these trucks promotes personal relationships and encourages socializing. To some it stands for community, local support, and companionship, due to its high accessibility and welcoming atmosphere.

You could quickly swing by to pick up a snack or speedy lunch during work, or make the food trucks an all evening affair for the family; the choice is yours. There is no doubt that the convenience and promptness make these places all the more appealing. It’s like fast food, but without the heart attack, chain restaurant, and happy meal. The location of each specific truck has a lot to do with the clientele and quickness of dining. There are two on the UNC campus conveniently located beside the construction site right on students’ trek to and from class. The owner of one of the trucks, Eddy, explains that he is busiest in the mornings when students are on their way to class and simply stop by for a morning snack or breakfast on the go. He stays put through the duration of lunch time receiving some lunch frequenters, but makes the majority of his sales in the peak morning hours.

The other truck on campus seems to draw most of its business during the lunch hours when the Hispanic construction workers would take the twenty step hike to obtain some convenient and quality food. When I tried talking to these workers, it was somewhat challenging due to my lack of Spanish in trying to break through the language barrier; however, I was able to obtain some conclusive thoughts. The worker I spoke with was very enthusiastic and content with his daily meal from the truck. It consisted of rice, pork, beans, and a soda can. He explained to me that this is the type of food he would eat with his family and was so pleased with it that he tried his best to get me to share some of his meal with him. His great appreciation for the food was evident. It reminded him of a traditional home-cooked meal, but was at the convenience of being right beside his job. As far as he was concerned, he was in food heaven.

Food trucks provide a dining experience that has the equivalence to a picnic. They allow you to surround yourself in your outer community and take a sabbatical from the typical family dinner at the kitchen table. Since the owners of the trucks are locals just trying to earn a living, you can also feel good about supporting the community during your experience. The fact that the food used to cook the meals in these trucks is mostly local is simply an added bonus. Despite the local factor, the prices are very reasonable. If anything the food is less expensive than a sit-down restaurant and the experience is so much more. Simply through observing or even talking to the owners of the trucks you can see how passionate and happy they are about their jobs. They give the food personality that is otherwise lacking when you are merely served by an unenthusiastic waitress who got the food from a line of cooks solely performing the motions.

While external factors enhance the food trucks’ attraction, ultimately it is the food that is the biggest pull. The food has the scrumptiousness and comfort of a home-cooked meal, the fun environment of a social picnic, and an added smidgen of a normal restaurant feel. The reasonable portion size and healthy balance of food groups augment the homemade sense of the cuisine. It is freshly and personally made by the truck owner/driver which only increases its similarity to a meal your mom would make you for dinner. The fact that the trucks are walk-up and order stands with paper and plastic utensils gives it a more casual and picnic feel than a normal restaurant would have. Also, the blatant point that you enjoy your meal in the natural setting of being outside with the seating arrangements of the ground, a fold-out chair, or blanket complements the picnic ambiance. Due to the fact that you’re still paying for someone else to prepare your meal for you makes the food trucks parallel to a regular sit-down restaurant. Its appeal reminded me of an ideology we use at my house; if its dad’s turn to make dinner, that means we’re going out. The food trucks are an easy and entertaining alternative to a homemade dinner or the hassle of taking the family out to an often drawn-out restaurant. It is a family field trip that provides community culture and spares mom from fixing dinner after a busy day. Or, for others its just a chance to consume some tasty local food while simultaneously getting out of the house and enjoying the neighborhood.

When I asked some of the customers why they frequented the food trucks and what the trucks meant to them, I surprisingly got a lot of similar feedback. The consistently yummy food and laidback atmosphere were the most repeated responses as to why some of these people were very loyal customers. In reply to what the trucks mean to the people in the community, they explained to me that it was part of the identity and culture that makes Carrboro unique. Food trucks like theses are certainly not things you see in your typical town; in fact, I had never seen or heard of a food truck before starting this research. The rarity, quality, and friendliness of the stands add to the rich culture of unique food that Carrboro prides itself in. The Hispanic customer appreciate the authenticity and parallelism of the taco trucks to the traditional food they’re accustomed to and non-Hispanic customers simply value the scrumptious experience.

Without a doubt the food trucks are a cherished addition to the community. They add spunk to the sometimes mundane routine of a sit-down restaurant or fast-food option. The experience you get when dining from a conglomeration of portable food stands is unique from any other dining alternative. Their expediency and food quality make the trucks the most enticing. Whether it is a first date or a family outing, the food trucks are good pick to get an enriching and tasty cultural experience.