Food trucks are showing no signs of slowing down in popularity. And for good reason. There are some delicious street foods that you can get from food trucks, not just your basic food options. Whether it’s an oyster po’boy, lamb curry poutine, or Alaskan reindeer sausage. Yeah, I had to google when that last one even was. Plenty of my friends follow food trucks around, going to breweries specifically to eat from the trucks. This surging popularity led Shane Co. to determine the most popular food truck items. To do this they turned to Google Trends. From there they analyzed search volume across 500 food trucks and 1,500+ menu items over the past year to find the favorite food truck orders and cuisine both by state and nationwide.
Many of the favorite food truck items reflect the local cuisine. Some are more basic, and others had me scratching my head about how on earth that item was the most popular. Listen I love brussel sprouts but that’s the most popular item in Delaware? I have a hard time believing that. I know one thing I will be participating in these Google search trends trying to find a local vendor for some of these foods. Keep reading to see the most popular item by state including both Carolinas and our neighbors. You’ll also find out the ten most popular food truck foods. Read the full Shane Co. article here.
Most Popular Food Truck Item In Each State
- North Carolina: Fried Shrimp Burger
- South Carolina: Sauerkraut Hot Dog
- Georgia: Pulled Pork Sliders
- Tennessee: Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
- Virginia: Curry Fries
Second Most Popular Food Truck Item In Each State
- North Carolina: Honey-Drizzled Pork Ribs
- South Carolina: Korean Corn Dog
- Georgia: Loaded Tator Tots
- Tennessee: Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
- Virginia: Oyster Po’boy
1. Tacos
Tacos were one of the two most popular items in 10 states:
- Alaska (Alaskan salmon tacos)
- Arizona (Carne asada tacos)
- California (Al pastor tacos)
- Colorado (Birra tacos)
- Idaho (Birra tacos)
- Ohio (Birra tacos)
- Arizona (Brisket tacos)
- California (Shrimp ceviche tostados)
- New Mexic0 (Carne asada tacos)
- Rhode Island (Lobster tacos)
2. Sandwhich/Roll
There are seemingly endless varieties of sandwiches, so of course, it’s the second most popular item! This includes lobster rolls in New England, Florida Cuban sandwiches, and North Dakota’s favorite Hawaiian pulled pork sandwich.
3. Fries
A conversation the other day led me to the realization that fries might just be my favorite food. So you can bet I’m ordering loaded fries at a food truck. Other popular options include pot roast fries in Arizona and curry fries in Virginia.
4. Burgers
Always a classic. North Carolina loves the shrimp burger, other popular options are the Wagyu beef burger and a falafel burger!
5. Hot/Corn Dog
You can jazz up a hot dog but it’s still a hot dog. But some people love them. Idaho loves its classic corn dog while South Dakota prefers the Sauerkraut dog.
6. Mac & Cheese
Gourmet mac and cheese? Yes, please. Don’t mind me I just may relocate to Maine for the lobster mac and cheese or Ohio for the pork belly variety. Good think North Carolina has the Cousin’s Maine Lobster truck I and I don’t have to move to Maine. I wouldn’t survive that winter!
7. Sliders
Not to be roped in with burgers or sandwiches sliders are their own category. Popular favorites include pulled pork sliders in Georgia and Utah. Maryland boasts some crab cake sliders as well.
8. Pizza
You can never go wrong with pizza. I’ll take it frozen, from a brick oven, or a food truck. Topping the list in multiple states including the Chicago deep dish in Illinois and a lasagna pizza in Wyoming that I am dying to try!
9. Po'boys
It’s not just the Louisiana that loves their po’boys. In fact, it wasn’t a top contender in the Bayou. But nearby Alabama enjoys a hot chicken po’boy and Virginia likes their’s with oysters.
10. Ribs
Ribs from a food truck are a little bit of a stretch for me. But too each their own. In fact, North Carolina loves honey-drizzled pork ribs. Though it’s not me that’s searching for them.
