Best Food Trucks in Asheville—A Local’s Perspective
- Ian Wasserman
- May 21
- 5 min read
Growing up, I thought food trucks were invented in Asheville. You can’t blame a guy. With all the festivals, concerts, farmer’s markets and so on, on a good day you’ll see at least a half dozen of these bad boys parked all across the city.
Imagine my surprise when I realized that other towns had their own food trucks. Turns out the first food truck was actually a hotdog-car. The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile to be exact. So says my research. Scrapped for metal to aid the war effort in the '40s.
All that is to say, food trucks are a crucial aspect of the Asheville culinary ecosystem. And as ephemeral as they are, I thought it would be useful to break down some of my personal favorites. So read on and discover five of the best food trucks in Asheville.
We’re starting off strong with what many consider to be in fact the best food truck in Asheville. Myself, I reserve judgement. I believe variety is the spice of life.
Matter of fact, so does El Kimchi. As the name suggests, this highly-original endeavor blends the best of both Korean food and Mexican, spinning these influences into a menu I’ve never seen the likes of before. Bibimbap side by side with quesadillas. Bulgogi beef in a taco. Teriyaki chicken in a torta. For someone like myself, a true lover of Korean and Mexican food alike, I got to tell you, nothing hits the spot quite like El Kimchi.
This is what I love about food trucks in Asheville. They’re never afraid to try something new. Never afraid to go places that a brick-and-mortar restaurant may not have the raw octane to encounter. And as far as I’m concerned, El Kimchi is the poster child of this endeavor.
Where to Find Them: Wednesdays, 5pm to 8pm at the Brew Pump in West Asheville. Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 8pm at New Belgium Brewing. As for all of the food trucks on this list, be sure to check their website for the latest.
Moving right along, whereas El Kimchi is a sojourner in the realms of culinary fusion, Guajrio prides itself on providing old-time Cuban flavors, passed down through the generations, right to the window of this iconic local food truck.
As you may guess, Guajiro’s out here serving up all the staples that make Cuban food so darn good. Yuca fries, Cuban sandwiches, pan con bistec, and even bowls of Nana’s secret-recipe black-bean soup. It’s comfort food with a capital “C,” and don’t even get me started on their breakfast menu.
I find there’s something about a Latin breakfast that’s always just a cut-above your rank-and-file fried eggs. And don’t get me wrong, Guajiro’s surely got good fried eggs. But once you throw in some of their ham croquettes, bacon-wrapped plantains, or a slice of Cuban toast, then you got yourself truly a breakfast to remember.
It's the kind of meal that’s simply a pleasure to enjoy out under an early Sunday-morning sun. Picnic-style, I’m saying. Get some fresh air in your lungs.
Where to Find Them: 10am to 9pm at Hi-Wire Brewing in Biltmore Village, just south of downtown.
Asheville’s long been a hotbed for vegan food, with my hometown’s talented chefs taking plant-based dishes to heights undreamt of by man or vegetable. And when it comes to the food truck scene in Asheville, there is no exception.
Mean Mandy’s promises dishes that not only are 100% vegan, but 100% dope, sassy, and all-around knockout good, regardless whether or not you are of the vegan persuasion yourself. From their mock-duck banh mi’s to the Korean-style fried broccoli florets their menu is steeped with a kind of comfort-food vibe that pairs surprisingly well with their commitment to cruelty-free ingredients.
On top of all that, Mean Mandy’s been out here serving the community with free food and supply drives in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Thank you Mandy, for your service.
Where to Find Them: Their hours vary more than your average vegan food truck, so be sure to check their website. In aggregate: they’re typically open weekend afternoons and evenings at either Highland Brewing or Diatribe.
Now here we have the originator of this article, the food truck that put the idea in my head in the first place. One of Asheville’s best-kept secrets, this dynamite Filipino food truck serves authentic cuisine straight out of Manila, and yet, feels right at home among the star barbecue-joints of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
We’re talking BBQ pork skewers, chicken inasal, chicken adobo, and more crisp-fried lumpia than you can shake a stick at. And I hope that’s got your appetite whetted, because for dessert, it’d be a crying shame if you missed out on their ube suman or banana turon.
It's some one-of-a-kind stuff out here, folks. Not only one of the best food trucks in Asheville, but dare I say one of the best-in-class for Filipino and barbecue alike.
Where to Find Them: Outside the RAD Brewing Company, 5pm to 9pm Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Noon to 9pm on Saturdays and noon to 7pm on Sundays. In the past, they’ve made occasional sojourns to Highland Brewing Company out in East Asheville.
And finally, we come to the end of our tour of Asheville’s food trucks, here at not a restaurant-on-wheels, but a café. Velvet Cup is undeniably another one of those local’s-secret kind of joints, nestled away near the entrance to the Pisgah National Forest, one my all-around favorite spots for hiking in WNC.
There’s simply nothing better than coming out of Pisgah, sweat-drenched, feeling good and all-natural, and sitting down to a cup of one of their signature house brews. I like the Nutter Butter myself. It's the protein.
Follow it up with a half dozen of their mini-donuts (or a full dozen, if you’ve really been out there hoofing it) and you got yourself set up with one of my favorite ways to relax, and enjoy a weekend out here in the mountains.
Where to Find Them: At the Hub and Pisgah Tavern, a great little place south of Asheville towards Brevard and the Pisgah Forest. To my knowledge, this is the only place on earth you can come for coffee, beer, and bike rentals, all under one roof.
Businesses Mentioned
El Kimchi
(828) 551-6775
760 Haywood Rd #3136, Asheville, NC 28806 (Brew Pump)
21 Craven St, Asheville, NC 28806 (New Belgium)
Guajiro
786-202-8961
2A Huntsman Pl, Asheville, NC 28803
Mean Mandy's
66 Sweeten Creek Rd Apt Parking lot, Asheville, NC 28803
Master BBQ
(828)-808-5622
13 Mystery St, Asheville, NC 28801
Velvet Cup Coffee Truck
(828)-565-1252 11 Mama's Pl, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
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