Santa Fe Food Trucks: A Guide to the Best Bites on Wheels

Santa Fe’s food truck scene is a must-visit, with colorful trucks serving a variety of cuisines. From downtown to the city’s Southside, food trucks can be found in mini-malls, side streets, and parking lots.

The diversity of cuisines cooked up in these mobile kitchens is impressive, with options like spicy Thai, rustic Italian, and Mexican street food. With so many mouthwatering choices, you could spend weeks tasting your way from truck to truck and not have the same thing twice.

Longtime Santa Fe resident Ricky Allen, a principal of Ricky Allen Tara Earley Real Estate Group, is a big fan of food trucks. Fortunately for him — and us — the City Different has an abundance of choices when it comes to grabbing a meal from a local food truck. Let’s learn a little about the evolution of food trucks and what the Santa Fe scene offers.

Santa Fe’s Thriving Food Truck Scene

Santa Fe’s food trucks offer a delightful culinary experience, with unique flavors and dishes offered by each truck. These mobile eateries offer casual fine dining that is big on flavor.

Food Truck Origins

Cowboy chuckwagons are considered the forerunners of modern-day food trucks. Those contraptions helped cowboys transport food and supplies on cattle drives. A busy cook dished out beans and biscuits to hungry cowpokes, but there was little variety in those days.

Chuckwagons worked for cattle drives, but pushcarts were the answer for urban workers who needed a quick lunch in the middle of their workday after the Civil War. Garment and construction workers in major cities relied on vendors with pushcarts full of sandwiches or meat pies to get through the rest of their workday. In some parts of the country, pushcart vendors still offer items like tamales, hot dogs, or sandwiches, even today!

The 1950s saw ice cream trucks slowly driving down neighborhood streets playing a jingle that made kids stop whatever they were doing and run out to get a five-cent popsicle or other frozen confection.

Starting in the 1960s, workers who weren’t near restaurants could count on trucks with ready-to-eat meals to show up at their worksites. These vendors typically served packaged sandwiches or other prepared food wrapped in foil or plastic. While those workers were glad to have a meal on the spot, there wasn’t much variety, and the food wasn’t all that tasty.

Modern Food Trucks

Food trucks and food trailers have come a long way from the days of chuckwagons, pushcarts, and foil-wrapped sandwiches of the ‘60s. Sometime after 2000, these mobile kitchens became associated with good food prepared on the spot, typically offering a specific cuisine.

Food truck areas sprang up in many cities, offering diners a wealth of choices at one location. Now, savvy travelers look for mobile food vendors when they visit a new city.

Some cities may have a large selection of Asian offerings, while others might carry Mexican selections like tacos or burritos. Locals everywhere rely on them for quick, tasty food prepared with care on the spot.

The Santa Fe Trail is home to many food trucks. Airport Road and the corner of Old Santa Fe Trail and Paseo de Peralta are home to multiple trucks, including those serving great food, like pulled pork, with condiments like eel sauce, and spicy mayo.

The James Beard Foundation has even recognized food trucks, including Santa Fe’s own El Chile Toreado. Luis and Berenice Medina, owners of El Chile Toreado, were semi-finalists in the Best Chef: Southwest category in 2023.

Food Truck Cuisine Flavors and Cultures in Santa Fe

According to Ricky Allen, a principal of Ricky Allen Tara Earley Real Estate Group, there’s a large selection of food trucks in Santa Fe offering a variety of cuisines in the City Different.

Whether it’s for a work lunch, a casual dinner out under string lights, or a stop during weekend shopping, food trucks in Santa Fe offer a variety of cuisines to suit any palate — you can even find a sushi food truck and more than one Native American-style rolling kitchen!

Basics Like Burgers, Burritos, and Tacos

Of all the varieties of Santa Fe food trucks out there on the streets, you can count on plenty that offer burgers, from the basics to those served New Mexico style with green chiles and fresh avocado.

Tacos top the list of food truck offerings. From authentic El Salvadorian to Asian tacos — yes, you read that right, Asian tacos — food trucks in Santa Fe have your taco craving covered. Of course, you can grab a traditional taco and burrito at some of these mobile vendors, but trying something beyond the ordinary taco might be fun. Like a lot of food in New Mexico, you can count on some green chile offerings. Breakfast and lunch burritos are popular in Santa Fe, too.

Pizza!

And, of course, pizza is always a favorite. You might even find a food truck with a mobile wood-fired oven! You can grab a slice on the go or sit down for a whole pizza. The variety of pizza types is on par with anything you could find at a pizza restaurant. Some of these pizza trucks also offer subs and salads.

Other Offerings

Sandwiches are also popular in the Santa Fe food truck lineup. From meatball subs to Caribbean flavors, you can step out of your sandwich comfort zone at one of many mobile kitchens.

Check out one of the Mediterranean-style mobile kitchens in town to sample falafel with hummus, lamb gyros, kebabs, or other Middle Eastern-style entrees.

BBQ eateries make up a portion of the food truck market. Sink your teeth into brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and other options on the streets of Santa Fe.

Trends Shaping the Food Truck Industry

Along with the ever-expanding culinary varieties, many vendors also cater to specific dietary needs. Diners can easily find vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options from many of Santa Fe’s street food vendors.

Sustainability is another trend shaping food truck businesses. With growing awareness around environmental issues, many trucks are adopting eco-friendly practices, such as using compostable packaging, sourcing ingredients locally, and minimizing waste. This eco-conscious approach resonates with consumers looking for more sustainable dining options and aligns with the values of environmentally-minded customers.

To make grabbing a quick meal easy, most mobile food vendors now accept various payment methods.

Local festivals or farmer’s markets often include several food trucks, so attendees can find delicious options when attending events or visiting breweries.

Additionally, technology plays a critical role in the food truck industry, with social media, apps, and food truck locator services helping operators reach and engage with customers. These tools make it easier for patrons to find their favorite trucks and keep up with schedules, allowing trucks to cultivate loyal followings and enhance customer convenience in a fast-paced industry.

Where to Find Food Trucks in Santa Fe

Explore the flavors of Santa Fe on a guided food truck tour, starting at 1006 Marquez Pl. Visit popular options along the Old Santa Fe Trail, including 502 Old Santa Fe Trail, and look for food trucks stationed on Early Street.

Discover the city’s culinary scene on Airport Road, including 4430 Airport Road. Enjoy a unique dining experience on Cerrillos Road, such as at 2860 Cerrillos Rd.

A Sampling of Santa Fe Food Trucks

It’s hard to pick just a few of these tantalizing mobile eateries, but here are some suggestions from longtime Santa Fe resident and realtor Ricky Allen:

Santa Fe Barbeque — Dig into some delicious barbeque at this rolling restaurant.
El Chile Toreado is your one-stop shop for Mexican food on the go. Check out their breakfast burritos or their lunchtime favorites.
The Street Food Institute offers training for potential food truck vendors. Supervised students do everything from preparing, cooking, and business planning to learning how to run a food truck. Customers get great meals and help out potential business owners when they purchase food from one of these trucks.
Back Road Pizza offers pizza, subs, salads, and other items on the expansive menu.

Conclusion

In Santa Fe, food trucks add to the city’s culinary landscape, serving flavors that reflect local traditions and global influences. From savory tacos and offerings loaded with green chiles to Asian fusion and vegan-friendly options, these mobile eateries offer something for everyone.

Santa Fe’s food trucks provide affordable, flavorful meals, contributing to local food culture. These rolling kitchens offer a delicious way for locals and visitors to experience the city’s rich and evolving food culture. Look for them in your neighborhood and at events across the City Different.

Craving Santa Fe’s food truck scene from a luxurious home base? Let leading realtors Ricky Allen and Tara Earley guide you. Find your Santa Fe home now!