The Durham Food Truck Rodeo is a spectacle to behold- hundreds of people flock to Durham’s Central Park from all over the Triangle to experience the region’s premier celebration of food. If you missed the one on January 31st, don’t worry! The Food Truck Rodeo happens five times a year, with the next one coming up on March 13th. If you need some more convincing to hop on downtown for the tasty festival, here are 7 reasons why it shouldn’t be missed.
1. Food. Lots and lots of food.
Photo by Brian Chan
If you’re coming from Duke, you may only usually see the same five food trucks every week. But at the Rodeo, you can roam among 50 plus trucks. You’ll have plenty of options to choose from, and trust me, you’ll want to try all of them – from classic Latin American cuisine at Arepa Culture to mouth-watering meats at The Wandering Moose.
2. Big-names
Photo by Brian Chan
This past weekend, Cousins Maine Lobster truck had the longest line. And it’s understandable why- it’s a nationally recognized fleet that won a deal with mogul Barbara Corcoran on the ABC show Shark Tank, and has been subsequently featured on the Food Network, the Chew, Good Morning America and more.
3. Too many choices
Photo by Brian Chan
I selected this juicy sandwich from Porchetta, stuffed with roasted Italian-style pork, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, mozzarella and garlic aioli, but the options were endless.
4. Cost
Photo by Brian Chan
Cheap food = seconds. The truck food usually doesn’t cost that much, so you’ll have plenty left in your wallet to get more. I washed down my first sandwich with this grilled cheese with figs, speck, balsamic drizzle and goat cheese from local favorite American Meltdown.
5. Art and Live music
Photo by Brian Chan
This time, it was cover band Plan B, and next time it will be Brooklyn natives PitchBlak Brass Band. Plus, the trucks themselves are painted, so wander through and check out the designs as well as the menus.
6. Location
Photo by Brian Chan
The Rodeo is held in Durham Central Park, where there’s plenty of open space for you to lounge around and relax. Some people bring lawn chairs or blankets, while others just lay down and chill out.
7. Dessert
Photo by Brian Chan
I got this chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting and cookie dough from Not Just Icing. Then I got a second one (see #4).
Good thing there are five of these each year – make sure to check out the next one on March 13th!