Local restaurants are great places to go for ambience, sit-down service, and hopefully, delicious food. But sometimes you’d rather create your own adventure, and that’s where Indianapolis food trucks come in. The smallest kitchens can be the gateway to the biggest flavors — like Korean corn dogs, pierogis or tacos dorados. And you can take a seat wherever you want.
For ideas of food trucks to track down, check out these fan-favorite mobile kitchens.
“When in doubt, fry it” — for most people, that’s an off day (or Thanksgiving). But that might be what Books, Bourbon & Bacon (or BBB) founder-owner and chef AJ Feeney-Ruiz lives by. Enlightened during a six-month stay in China, trained in Paris, but a Hoosier at heart, Feeney-Ruiz is more than a sum of his many parts. And it all gets a home in his Korean corn dogs, plump bourbon buttermilk brown butter brioche donuts, and golden beignets and sopapillas that feed much of downtown Indy on a weekly basis.
His name is Timmy Campbell, but most of Indiana knows him as Tha Corn Man. He makes elotes slathered in the creamiest of coatings — mayonnaise, butter and handfuls of parmesan cheese. He’s even jumped on the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto bandwagon, for those who dare. With an infant at home to keep him busy and breakfast orders pouring in, there’s nothing stopping Campbell now.
Long-time fans of Taqueria Oaxaca know that Miguel Dominguez started out with a full-service restaurant but has since moved on to a food truck parked at 4501 W. 38th St., by Lafayette Road. For over 10 years, Don Miguel has built a reputation for cooking traditional favorites until the wee hours. Tacos dorados and tortas are just some of options, but where Don Miguel excels is in the burritos, which he prepares by toasting the flour tortilla for a crunchy bite.
Maybe she’s nacho mama, but you’re probably wishing she were when you grab a bite of her Holy Guacamole nachos. They’re just one of the many nachos Christen Moore whips up for the loyal customers that she’s been feeding for over a decade. From spicy nachos with a kick to a vegan taco crumble, Moore’s grown Nacho Mama with the times, adding a mini taco salad, soft tacos, and a rice bowl featuring what she calls a magical Mama’s rice mix.
Rook, the beloved Fletcher Place restaurant, shut its doors during the pandemic and went mobile. Filipino-born Carlos Salazar, an alumni of the city-favorite Oakley’s Bistro, fuses Asian and Latin flavors. He’s on a mission to introduce Indiana to the flavors that fill homes in China, Japan, and, of course, the Philippines. If you’re wondering where to start with Lil’ Rook’s eclectic menu, order the steamed buns, which are brimming with bulgogi. And, whatever you do, try the longanisa sausage bowl. To know where Lil’ Rook is parked, follow them on Instagram.
Black Leaf Vegan gained its name (and fame) in 2021 as an Indiana State Fair favorite, with its loaded nachos being one of the event’s most Instagrammed dishes.
For owners Derrick and Taria Slack, there’s been no looking back, especially after being backed by actor-comedian Kevin Hart through a grant from the Coramino Fund in 2023. Earlier this year, the business was named a certified Women’s Business Enterprise and received a $10,000 grant from the Indiana Pacers. While we recommend digging into their vegan delights at the truck, we wouldn’t blame you for grabbing a bite inside their store at 355 W. 9th St.
When former Marine veteran Rob Wilder lost his job in the early 2010s, the last thing anyone expected him to do was launch a food truck selling pierogies. The Polish delicacy was one of the many things Wilder missed about living in Syracuse, New York, and was something he couldn’t easily find in Indianapolis. So he made them. Ten years later, he still sells a small but mighty menu of three types of pierogis and a Polish hot dog. See the event calendar here.
When driving east on East Washington Street, you’ve likely noticed a neon orange taco truck outside a tire shop. If you’ve ever stopped to see what’s cooking, then you know that the birria and asada tacos are the real deal. Elias Valdez from Zacatecas, Mexico, who’s been operating Las Mexicanas for two years, cooks options for meat eaters that can be added to tacos, quesadillas and tortas.
Although everything on the menu is great, the hamburger with fries is sometimes worth forgoing the more traditional fares (we recommend adding the salsa to the burger, however). Las Mexicanas can now be found on the northeast corner of East Washington Street and Jefferson Avenue.
T’Days is the truck that has everyone kicking up the spice in their lives, from their signature grilled and smoked jerk chicken to jerk wings more sauces than you can imagine. Can’t make it out to the truck? Order a bottle of their delicious jerk sauces, available in mango, barbecue and hot varieties, off their website to bring a little Caribbean flair to your kitchen.
Follow their truck’s schedule here.
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