The best food trucks in Melbourne and Victoria

Everyone's had a burger but have you ever had a Uruguayan steak sandwich? This is the question that got Australian-born Uruguayan Marty and his Kiwi wife Anna thinking. They set up El Chivi from their garage in 2014, and it's since become one of the most loved food trucks in Melbourne, serving up its delish "Chivito" sandwiches at music concerts, markets, carnivals, techno events and community festivals. Traditionally, a Chivito must have thin steak, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise, olives and bacon. El Chivi draws its inspiration from the street carts of Uruguay with layers of fresh ingredients and bright colours.

How to find them: Guess what! El Chivi now has a permanent location at food truck hangout Bikes & Bites, located at 377 Bayswater Road in Bayswater. A shared space with fellow food truck Dos Amigos, the food playground is serving up food from Spain, Uruguay and Mexico, with fun (and family-friendly) festival vibes. Check out the indoor activities area for pool games, foosball tables and display vehicles and motorbikes on show. 

Jamaican cuisine isn't something you come across too often in Melbourne, but the Real Jerk is definitely filling that gap. The spicy jerk chicken is spiced, grilled or fried, and served with coconut slaw, rice and peas as is typical in the Caribbean. If you see the team slinging cassava chips, order some. The root vegetable makes an amazing alternative to potatoes and goes really well with the smoky jerk dishes.

How to find them: Instagram @therealjerkfoodtruck

Anyone who's been to Portugal knows the food, particularly the street eats and seafood, is out of this world. That's why we're nothing short of blessed to have O Tuga Tastes of Portugal within our exciting food trucks network, bringing us the best of Southern Portugese street food. Think authentic cod fish cakes, traditional slow-cooked pork sangas and marinated chicken grilled to perfection.

How to find them: Instagram @o_tugatastesofportugal

One of the pioneers of Melbourne's food truck scene was Raph Rashid who started Taco Truck, which is home to some of the better soft-shell tortillas going around. Choose from chicken, fish or bean and potato tacos, served a la carte, or as a platter with corn chips and zesty guac. Though not entirely traditional, the hefty burritos, filled with rice, beans, slaw, sauces and a protein of your choice, are also a solid option.

How to find them: Instagram @tacotruckmelb

For Greek food that's fresh, healthy and as tasty as it gets, the Greek Trojan Yiros is where it's at. This Melbourne-based independent food truck is serving traditional Greek yiros (Aussie term for 'gyros') wraps, packed with seasoned rotisserie meat, fresh salad and traditional sauces, and can often be found at family-friendly community events such as the Antipodes Festival and Moomba.

How to find them: Instagram @greek_trojan_yiros

You know what's harder to find than a four leaf clover these days? Fried food that's actually been fried in proper vitamin-soluble animal fat, like beef tallow, as opposed to incredibly processed hydrogenated seed oils. This is where Nuggies sets itself apart. A food truck that looks like any other chicken nugget purveyor at first glance, Nuggies fries all of its delicious meaty nuggets and chips in beef tallow, resulting a juicy, flavour-packed and perfectly seasoned bite every time. We're obsessed.

How to find them: Instagram @nuggiesau and they've also just celebrated the grand opening of their permanent location at 137 Bell Street, Ivanhoe.

Hop on the birria 'trend' at Dingo Ate My Taco, and stay for Tex-Mex-inspired street foods such as quesadillas and fresh tortilla chips and salsa, or sample what this food truck is clearly known for: tacos. There’s a slow-smoked Texan brisket variety topped with pico de gallo and pickled onion, or Mexican corn fungus grilled with mushroom and refried epazote black beans on a handmade blue corn tortilla. Find the truck as it pops up around the city or at its permanent Dingo Kitchen on St Kilda Road.

How to find them: Instagram @dingoatemytaco

Greek souva shops are among Melbourne's most-loved cheap eats, so it's a no-brainer that Greek Street Food is one of the city's longest-running food trucks. Its main offering is cheap souvlakis, though you can also get grilled kalamaki sticks with a combo of salad, dip and chips. Greek Street Food has also opened a permanent spot at 749 High Street in Thornbury so you don't have to chase them down if you're hankering for a souva.

How to find them: Instagram @greekstreetfood

Vola Foods specialises in Cameroonian cuisine, a melting pot of flavours from the north, west and centre of Africa, with a dash of Arabic and European influence. From a parking lot in Brunswick, head chef and owner Ashley Vola’s team sling her coveted jollof rice, puff puff (fried African dough balls) and mouth-watering barbecued meats from a bright orange shipping container. A westside block party Mr West threw in 2023 saw a Vola Foods truck make an appearance, but these days your best bet is to make a beeline for the permanent location.

How to find them: 30 Ovens Street, Brunswick, 3056

Falastini began as a pop-up and catering operation before launching a bright red food truck earlier this year. It was based at Pony Club Gym in Preston for a while, where owner Rahaf Al Khatib is served seasonal Palestinian dishes learnt from her grandmother like musakhan, a flatbread topped with confit onion, sumac, fennel and sumac-spiced chicken or fried cauliflower and eggplant for vegans. After a theft attempt – and fortunate recovery – of the vehicle, it appears Falastini is only popping up at events at the moment (check the Instagram page here for the latest developments). In the meantime, get a taste of the founder's recipes at Coburg's brand new Palestinian cultural centre Beit Siti.

How to find them: Instagram @falastini.foodtruck

Here's another one from Raph Rashid. The signature Raph burger from Beatbox Kitchen never fails: the beef pattie is served pink with a caramelised crust and is topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, gouda and 'stereo sauce' (a mixture of mayo, dill pickle, cayenne and lemon juice). It's no-fuss, and we appreciate a good burger that won't leave sauce and juices trickling down to your elbows while you eat on the go. Find them at summer festivals and bars around the inner city.

How to find them: Instagram @beatboxkitchen

This beloved American joint still operates out of Fitzroy's Catfish pub but now also boasts a roving food truck devoted to its iconic Philly cheesesteak. Skip the standard and go for the sweet pepper steak variety, which sees sliced steak, molten cheese, onions and capsicum stuffed into a long white roll. No meat’s no problem here – sub the steak for tofu and assorted veg (don’t worry, it’s just as cheesy) or go for the vegan pulled pork sandwich with chipotle mayo and kale slaw.

How to find them: Instagram @sparrowsphillysteaks

For Filipino comfort food, look no further. Silog is the place to go for classic rice bowls such as longsilog, tapsilog and tosilog. They often pop up around Greenvale and Point Cook, and compared to other food trucks on this list, the Silog team are quite on-the-ball about updating their next hours and pop-up locations – so be sure to follow their Instagram page.

This small food truck operating out of a Coburg parking lot serves up ultra-delicious kebabs. One thing to note is the bread. It’s unique, not at all like the fluffy Turkish sandwich-style doner kebabs popular in south Berlin or the dry, floury naan of Afghan-style kebabs. Hanna’s is flaky, a bit like a pastry yet somehow reminiscent of roti in its thickness, and rubbed over the meat before it’s charred. The result? Gift wrapping that tastes almost better than what’s inside. Not that the juicy fillings aren’t absolutely cracking, too. My favourite is the lamb, its gamey flavour a perfect match for the tart green pickles, parsley, tomatoes and rich tahini sauce packed alongside it.

How to find them: 312-318 Sydney Rd, Coburg, 3058

You know a veggie burger is good when the someone who recommends it to you lives for rotiserrie chicken, eggs and lamb steaks. That's why when my meat lover fiancé couldn't stop banging on about a certain Jerry's Vegiburgers food truck at Rainbow Serpent (now Rainbow Spirit) Festival over the years, I knew they'd be stellar. And once I got to trying one, I can conclude they really are. Seasoned Wemba Wemba and French-trained chef Jerry Segat has been making and serving up these hearty vegan patties on buns for nearly 30 years. The burgers contain biodynamic black lentils, brown rice and an assortment of vegetables, and you can get your choice of satay, tomato, mayo and chilli sauces, but we'd bet the full burger recipe is a secret. It's just too good.

How to find them: Instagram @jerrysvegiburgers

This ‘sandwich pressery’ on wheels serves up some pretty unusual toasties. Sure, you could keep it simple and grab a classic toasted cheese. Or, you could try something a bit different, like the ‘Russell’ (gouda, bacon, shaved brussel sprouts, walnuts) or the ‘Fonz’ (fontina, mixed sautéed mushrooms, english spinach, roast garlic and thyme butter). 

How to find them: Instagram @toasta.melbourne

If you're a fan of plant-based fare, keep an eye out for Woking Amazing’s red-and-white-striped van, which often pops up at Welcome to Thornbury and local markets. The all-vegan food truck serves plant-based treats with a subtle Asian twist –think bánh mì-loaded fries topped with pickled veg, roasted peanuts, crispy onion and chilli or 'egg and bacon' brekkie rolls wrapped in flaky roti. Vego or not, you won’t miss the meat.

How to find them: Instagram @wokingamazing

With a crisp, pan-fried exterior and flavour-packed fillings, Pierogi Pierogi’s polish dumplings are a force to be reckoned with. Choose from slow-cooked beef with root vegetables, potato and farmers' cheese and mushroom and sauerkraut. Or better yet, save yourself the choice and order all three, then load them up with fixings such as sour cream, fried onion, pickles or crispy bacon chunks. We love that you can also now enjoy these parcels of joy at the team's new restaurant Eat Pierogi Make Love.

How to find them: Instagram @pierogipierogi

Eat Enjera is an Ethiopian vegan food truck cooking up incredibly tasty vegan eats, including its famous lentil and black rice sambusa, alongside its enjera (also often spelled like 'injera') fermented bread. From berbere jackfruit tibs with chickpea cheese to claypot-brewed coffee, everything this truck serves up is ace.

Where to find them: Centreway of C and D Sheds on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and at the top of E Shed on Saturday & Sunday.

Filipino food truck Hoy Pinoy doesn’t have a huge menu, but the operation is a prime example of the benefit of doing one thing, and doing it very, very well. In this case, that is chargrilled skewers. The pork and chicken skewers are marinated and then cooked to order, rendering the meat ridiculously sweet and tender. Condiments aren’t necessary, but the banana ketchup, a common condiment in the Philippines, is well worth a try.

How to find them: Instagram @hoypinoybbq 

Teha Kim grew up in Kyoto, Japan but was raised by Korean parents. This niche food truck is his way of paying homage to his heritage and mixed cultural influences. Teha has an impressive resume, having worked at Vue de Monde, among other fancy restaurants around the world. Give Kimu a try for authentic family-inspired dishes that blend Korean and Japanese flavours in a fun way, using seasonal produce and high-quality ingredients.

How to find them: Instagram @kimukoreanjapaneseeatery or check out their current events page here.

One nibble of American Doughnut Kitchen's hot jam bliss bombs shows you why generations have been happy to queue for them. This beloved family business has been operating since the ’50s, and on many market mornings, there’s a line of doughnut devotees peering through the windows of the blue and white van. Staff are busy within, cutting dough, frisbeeing it into the fryer and dusting it with sugar – the recipe is unchanged after almost 70 years.

How to find them: The E Shed at QVM or Market Square at Prahran Market