The food truck revolution gained steam in California with Los Angeles’ Kogi BBQ, launched in 2008 by chef Roy Choi. The movement has since spread across the state, and the world, providing diners with an array of cuisines as diverse as California’s people and landscapes.
Due to the mobile nature of food trucks, favorite vendors can sometimes be difficult to track down—especially for visitors who are in town for a limited time. That’s where parks come in. Located in cities across the Golden State, these permanent hubs offer foodies the opportunity to discover fare from multiple vendors in a single location. Listed north to south, here are 10 of the best food truck parks and gathering spots to check out across the state.
The Park Food Truck Hub, Redding
Thursdays through Sundays, The Park food truck hub at 1552 Placer St. in Redding invites locals and visitors to hang out, play, and eat in a family-friendly atmosphere featuring food trucks and live music. Regular players include The Sum of All Smoke, with its popular pork belly sandwiches; Kasalonga Thai for fragrant noodle dishes; and Holy Crepe, known for its sweet and savory creations. For the weekly vendor lineup, see The Park’s Instagram account.
Midtown Farmers’ Market, Sacramento
Spanning five blocks and hosting more than 200 vendors, the sprawling Saturday Midtown Farmers’ Market in Sacramento is also a year-round hub for local food trucks. After picking up some gorgeous, locally grown produce—there’s a reason Sacramento is known as California’s farm-to-fork capital—head over to 20th Street between L and Capitol for mouthwatering food truck fare. From Gondo Fusion’s Cuban-Mexican rice bowls and burritos to Filipino sweet treats from Hella-Halo, the market offers mobile eats for every craving.
Mitote Food Park, Santa Rosa
Set in the Roseland neighborhood, home to the largest Latino population in Santa Rosa, Mitote Food Park hosts a collection of eight food trucks offering vibrant flavors from throughout Mexico—as well as South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Have a craving for tacos? Hit up Super Taco for classics like al pastor, pollo asado, and cabeza. In the mood for seafood ceviche? Head for Pezcow. You’ll even find mushroom-based Oaxacan street eats at Lucha Sabina. Wash all that goodness down with local wine and beer, plus Mexican cocktails and a dose of live music. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
SPARK Social SF, San Francisco
SPARK Social SF in San Francisco’s waterfront Mission Bay district is a true hybrid: It’s a food truck park, beer and sangria garden, and event space all rolled into one. With more than 150 food trucks in the rotation, each day offers a new lineup to explore for lunch, dinner, and in-between noshing. The day’s offerings are posted on Instagram each morning, and the park’s permanent vendors include local favorites like KoJa Kitchen, with its tasty mashups of Korean and Japanese flavors; Firetrail wood-fired pizzas; Momo Noodle’s Szechuan fare; and Señor Sisig, legendary for its Filipino fusion burritos. Groups can book firepits by the hour, plus cozy lounge alcoves and even seating inside a British-style double-decker bus.
Parklab Gardens, San Francisco
Just across the street from SPARK Social is sister operation Parklab Gardens, home of the Stagecoach Greens mini golf course, a beer garden, and its own collection of food trucks. Simply show up to see what’s on offer or order in advance online. You might choose pork-inspired fare from Bacon Bacon—be sure to try the chocolate-covered bacon—or opt for El Salvadorian-meets-Mexican eats at Domingo’s International. For California-centric cuisine like fried Pacific oysters and kale seafood salad, check out Chef’s Truck. Parklab’s Watering Hole bar offers happy-hour specials every weekday.
Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid, Oakland
On Friday nights between April and October, the Oakland Museum of California(OMCA) hosts Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid. Along with a diverse array of Off the Grid food trucks representing some of the Bay Area’s best vendors, the weekly block parties feature live music and late-night access to the museum’s galleries and special exhibitions. Bring a blanket and lounge in OMCA’s laid-back garden while you bask in the flavors and culture of Oakland.
Avenue 26 Family Night Market, Pico Rivera
On Saturday evenings, the community comes out to eat and play at Avenue 26 Family Night Market, located in the Pico Rivera Sports Arena 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The Latino night market began with a single vendor, Avenue 26 Tacos, and has since expanded to include dozens of food stalls and trucks serving everything from tacos to Asian barbecue skewers to pupusas. With a fair-like vibe, the venue also hosts live music, DJs, Chicano comedy nights, and family-friendly entertainment.
Granada Hills Grubfest, Granada Hills
Around a dozen rotating food trucks line Chatsworth Street on Friday evenings for Granada Hills Grubfest in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley. The weekly family- and dog-friendly gathering features popular local vendors like Kyoto Hibachi & Ramen, Indibowl Fresh Organic—try the saffron-infused Butter Chicken Bowl—and Malibu Cove Seafood, with its grilled lobster tacos.
Food Truck Fridays, Indio
The city of Indio in Greater Palm Springs hosts Food Truck Fridays each week from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., featuring a variety of tasty eats like freshly fired pies from Nick’s Pizza, slushies from Luigi’s Slush Life, and birria from Outside the Masa. See the city’s social media posts for the weekly lineup of food trucks.
Curbside Bites, San Diego
Every Wednesday afternoon, a half dozen local food trucks gather for Curbside Bites along B and India streets in downtown San Diego. The roster of lunchtime purveyors changes each week, so there’s always something new and delicious to discover. Look for Chicken Shack on Wheels for fried chicken, seafood, and even frog legs, or check out Taco Land for loaded asada fries and Mexi-Cali tacos featuring house-made tortillas.
On summer evenings, San Diego food-truck fans also flock to Balboa Park for Food Truck Friday, which hosts more than a dozen rotating food trucks, plus live entertainment.
