15 New Food Carts Hit Vancouver Streets

Vancouver’s newest street food vendors will feed your appetite for everything from comfort food to ethnic fare to decadent desserts

Vancouver’s got 15 new food carts on its streets this summer, feeding appetites for everything from vegan entree salads, to savoury Australian pies, to duck confit sandwiches.

The new food carts will be located throughout and just outside the downtown core, hitting all of the city’s hot spots. A new “pod” (borrowing from Portland’s thriving street food scene) of seven trucks will be established on Hamilton Street, outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Other locations will include high-traffic areas such as the Olympic Village SkyTrain Station, Abbott Street near Rogers Arena, Victory Square (across from Vancouver Community College) and Beach Avenue.

Vancouver’s street food scene was recently ranked third best in North America by Travel and Escape, and its growth rate will continue over the next few years, bringing the number of food carts to around 150 by 2016 from our current 114.

Click through to see what’s in store for your stomach.

Healthy Meals on the Go

Yes, it is possible to get a healthy meal on the go from a food cart! Three new food vendors are bringing Vancouverites fresh, healthy – and delicious – options.

• Culver City Salads: Making fresh, daily vegan entree salads and brown rice bowls. 400 Cambie Street
• Eat Sexy: Offering healthy fusion fare. 400 Cambie Street
• San Juan Family Farm: Providing fresh fruit juices, smoothies and fruit shakes. 1800 Davie Street

Pictured above is the quinoa salad ($8.50) from Culver City Salads, which makes plant-based and gluten-free salads, smoothies, snacks and sweets… although salads are definitely its specialty.

Comfort Food

If it’s comfort food you’re craving, the new food trucks won’t disappoint. Whether you need your carbs, cheese, protein, deep fried yummies… or everything all at once, head for the street and eat your way to an endorphin-high.

• Aussie Pie Guy: Bringing Australian-style sweet and savoury hand-held pies. 600 Hamilton Street
• Dougie Diner: Offering gourmet hot dogs made from preservative- and nitrate-free meat from the Fraser Valley, and burgers made from organic beef. 600 Hamilton Street
• Falso Philly Cheese Steaks & So What Bubble Tea: Making variations of this famous steak-and-cheese sandwich, with a side of bubble tea, of course (Hey, it’s Vancouver). 200 West 40th
• Fat Duck Mobile Eatery: Giving city folks some country cooking with dishes like the duck confit sandwich with caramelized onions, Swiss cheese and parm-truffle mayo; the pork-belly sandwich with avocado-cucumber relish; and the beef tongue and cheek bahn mi. 600 Hamilton Street
• Reel Mac & Cheese: Offering gourmet macaroni and cheese made with butter, whole milk and seven different cheeses. Options are movie-themed: “The Main Event” is the classic; “The Green Mile” includes broccoli; “Slumdog Millionaire” is prepared with curry and peas; “Run Fatboy Run” will get you deep-fried mac & cheese balls. 600 Hamilton Street

Pictured above is “Some Like it Hot” ($8) from Reel Mac & Cheese, which starts off with its classic preparation but includes banana peppers, chili flakes, Frank’s RedHot sauce and a sprinkling of cayenne.

Ethnic Flavours

If ethnic diversity is what drives your appetite, the new food trucks bring flavours from around the world.

• JJ’s Trucketeria: Offering healthy Filipino fusion food like garlic fried rice ($8), the “panwich” (pan de sal bun with coleslaw and meat, $5), and a variety of grilled meats (BBQ pork, lemongrass chicken, etc.) All fresh, all made from scratch from family recipes. Abbott Street at Expo Boulevard
• The Grill Express: Providing Kosher Israeli fare. Location to be determined
• Wan Jai Thai Food: Offering exotic dishes from Thailand. 1300 Pacific Boulevard
• Yo Quiero Taqueria: Featuring tacos with fresh homemade salsa. 1700 East Broadway

Pictured above is the “Market Bowl” ($5) from JJ’s Trucketeria. This best-seller is a vegan dish consisting of brown rice, beans, seasonal vegetables and topped with JJ’s special sauce. This tasty delight was voted “Best Market Item” at the 2013 Nat Bailey Winter Market.

Sweet Treats

What’s better than streets filled with the scent of coffee, sugar, cream, chocolate and fruit. Now all your sweet cravings can be sated by these irresistible food trucks (and one cart).

• Chou Chou Crêpes: Offering classic French crêpeswith assorted fillings. 500 Cambie Street
• Patisserie Lebeau: Offering delectable, made-to-order Liege-style Belgian waffles ($3.50-$8). 600 Hamilton Street
• Stir It Up Bike Cafe: Featuring Vancouver’s first pedal-powered food cart with sustainable coffee and gluten-free snacks. Olympic Village SkyTrain Station

Pictured above is a delicious work-in-progress by Patisserie Lebeau. This prototype waffle cup is made up of bite-sized Liege waffles with homemade creams that are infused with fresh fruit flavours. Other offerings will include the classic strawberries and fresh whipped cream as well as other more exotic flavour combinations (top secret for now).