What isn’t AMAZING about 50 food and beer trucks taking over 11 city blocks of Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh? Nothing! Food truck rodeos have made a big splash in the last few years, which provides us residents with another admission free, insanely fun weekend event.
Starting in April and then three additional times through the summer and early fall, in both Raleigh and Durham, food trucks line the streets serving everything from beer to frozen yogurt to dumplings and baguette sandwiches. Food smells and friendly chatter greet rodeo visitors immediately. The smell of fuel and sound of engines are pleasantly missing as all the trucks are powered with silent commercial power, so fumes don’t ruin the taste of all the food.
There are 2 trucks I always visit when I hit the Food Truck Rodeo. My favorite food truck hands down is CJ’s Street food. Their tacos are mouth watering, perfectly spiced, and the fried rice is the best I have ever eaten. I could eat so many Korean beef tacos. My second favorite truck is the AmBREWlance by Carolina Brewing. Brewery on wheels? Yes please!
I also want to share the most helpful tips for visiting your first rodeo. These are things I wish someone had told me before I went to my first Food Truck Rodeo.
- Arrive early and wear sunscreen – you will beat the lines and it gets hot outside fast down South!
- Wear comfortable shoes. You will walk….a lot!
- Don’t worry about proximity when parking. A bit of a longer walk to and from the rodeo just means you can eat more.
- Go with friends! Eating a meal from each truck is obviously a difficult task. Eating nibble from each truck is a much more attainable goal! Plus, splitting up means only waiting in half the lines.
- Bring a backpack – going hands free means you can use both of them for food.
- Come hungry! With trucks like Baguetteaboutit, Locopops, Iced Cupcakes, Red Hot and Blue, and Urban Street Grill, there is more food then you could eat all weekend!
Before checking out the next rodeo in either Raleigh or Durham, check out their Facebook pages for calendar dates, truck line-ups, maps, and photos.
https://durhamcentralpark.org/events/category/food-truck-rodeo
