Options, Foodies. It’s all about the options and Vancouver’s food cart scene has almost every one. In about a 5 – 6 year period, food carts flaunting everything from Mexican spice to Ukranian comfort, Taiwanese fusion to ol’ fashioned American, have sprouted up in and around the downtown core, luring and satisfying foodies of every flavour.
Food carts are a serious endeavor, and it’s a tricky business deciphering exactly which ones deserve a spot in your belly. We at Vancouver Foodie Tours actually dedicated a whole tour to give you in the inside scoop on the city’s best picks! Check out our World Best Street Eats Tour here.
Vancouver Food Carts All Over This Beautiful City
You see,
There are food carts in this city that are well matched to your lunch-hour go-to.
There are Vancouver food carts that will rival that “cute place” you saw on your way in.
There are Vancouver food carts that will serve you something wholesome and healthy.
There are Vancouver food carts that will brighten the rainiest of days.
There are Vancouver food carts that you will find at the bitter end of very long week and they will serve you all the shamelessly decadent and divine items that you always wished you tried.
This blog post is dedicated to that last one.
Food Carts You Always Wish You Tried
On a half-block stretch that begins on the corner of Hamilton and West Georgia is a superstar line-up that will stun your Food Cart Friday fix. Salty, ooey-gooey Reel Mac & Cheese, parked beside the Australian Pie Guy. In the spot over, Dougie Dog with a claim to fame in the Guinness Book of Records (for a $100 foot-long hot dog!) Just a step further are juicy, duck sandwiches, from Fat Duck Mobile Eatery. My one piece of advice to guide you? Foodie with foodies. Together, you can try something from every cart…one stomach is simply not enough!
First up… it really is a donut. Though Dougie Dog is known for their hot dogs, a donut burger was impossible to deny. (It was the Friday of a long week, remember?) I should mention that the insides (patty, guacamole, bacon, tomato, lettuce, onions) would make a great tasting burger. But the donut “buns” take it over the top and will have you feeling young and alive.
Speaking of young and alive, remember the mac and cheese from your childhood? Reel Mac & Cheese takes that nostalgic taste and pumps it up with a sinister twist – have it with bacon, hot dog, or hey deep fry the whole thing! It’s guaranteed to warm you up and bring a cheesy smile to your face. Featured here is “The Green Mile,” chosen for the “serving of veggies” that will “round out” your meal. Oh, but you can add hot dog, and I certainly recommend that you do.
I’ve always liked the surprise of pot pies; everything is concealed in a palm-sized crust and you never really know what you’re in for until the glorious moment when you break it open. With a stab of the fork comes beef short rib goodness with apricot hoisin sauce. The apricot flavour is distinct and surprisingly well paired with the darkness of meat. Warmed to perfection when you order, the Australian Pie Guys don’t mess around!
If you’re a fan of duck like myself, sometimes things may not seem fair. Things with duck can taste awesome just because they have duck, regardless of the toppings. But at The Fat Duck Mobile Eatery, they certainly caught my tastebuds’ attention with their pickled red onions, swiss and truffle mayo and a side of homemade chips. It’s a wicked combination!
It was a street eat kind of Friday, and Hamilton Street fit the bill in the most classic street food way. But I did tell you that you could get food cart cuisine of every kind in this city, and I can’t write about Vancouver food carts without mentioning a few of my much loved favourites:
Tacofino – the orange taco truck
For their tuna ta-taco ($5.00) and the Chocolate Diablo cookie.
Soho Road Naan Kebab
For their butter chicken wrap, half size or full.
Le Tigre
For their Kick Ass Popcorn Chicken with a poached egg
Pig on the Street
For the thick-cut, double-smoked bacon. Find it. You deserve it.
Before you get ready to food cart into the sunset, don’t forget to check http://streetfoodapp.com/vancouver to make sure the cart you’re hoping for is where you hope that it is! Go forth and food cart!
