Here Are Our 7 Favorite Food Trucks (Right This Second, Anyway…)

Food trucks are the perfect combination of takeout and delivery. Sit on Fountain Square long enough, and most of these mobile kitchens will come to you. Or use their schedules as an excuse to explore your city. Either way, your lunch is ready.
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1. SUNNY SIDE BRUNCH
This diner-on-wheels gives the classic counter breakfast a brunchy upgrade. Standards like egg sandwiches, omelettes, and a “sunny hash” are made with locally sourced ingredients (the hand-written menu board name-checks Sixteen Bricks Bakery, Shadeau Breads, Eckerlin’s Meats, and Georgetown’s Emmett Ridge Farm) and the execution is humble and tasty. If you’re not up for a full breakfast, try the Sugar Bombs. Flavor-wise, they land somewhere between a doughnut, a hush puppy, and a funnel cake—otherwise known as the perfect breakfast dessert. Catch Them At: Oakley Crossroads, (513) 240-2502, streetfoodfinder.com/Sunnysidebrunch, facebook.com/Sunnysidebrunch


2. TACOS LOCOS
This truck has come a long way since it parked in a mechanic’s lot on Oakley’s somewhat desolate Robertson Avenue a few years back. Now it’s stationed in the parking lot of a Pleasant Ridge gas station, the formerly hand-written menu is neatly typed, and you can upgrade your $2 al pastor taco order to include new items like camarón (shrimp) salad, mushroom quesadillas, or a larger-than-life Milanesa torta. Catch Them At: 6135 Montgomery Rd., Pleasant Ridge, (513) 306-3617


3. CUBAN PETE
Editorial Note: The restaurant is closed.
Cuban Pete is living the food truck dream: Business was so good that they opened a brick-and-mortar at 133 East Court Street. If you aren’t based downtown during any part of your day, then visit the mobile truck for a shortened version of the menu, which almost always includes the classic Cuban (ham, pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, mayonnaise, and pickle on Cuban bread) and the Chicky Boom, a less fatty chicken-themed Cuban sandwich with a splash of Sriracha sauce. Catch Them At: O’Bryans Wine & Spirits, cubanpetesandwiches.com, facebook.com/cubanpetesandwich, Twitter: @qbn_pete


4. EMPANADAS AQUI
There isn’t much in the way of Venezuelan food in Cincinnati, so it’s lucky for us that this modest truck handles the genre nicely. There are two menu options: Arepas (grilled stuffed flatbreads) or empanadas (fried turnovers). One kinda feels healthy, one kinda doesn’t. Get anything that features locally made Venezuelan cheese—we like the Domino arepa’s queso-blanco-and-black bean combo. And the Carne Mechada empanada is everything you always wanted and never, ever got from a Hot Pocket. Catch Them At: 6279 Tri Ridge Blvd., Loveland (Ward’s Corner), empanadasaqui.com, facebook.com/empanadasaqui, Twitter: @empanadasaqui, Instagram: @empanadasaqui


5. BANASUN FRUIT BAR
Comfort food need not be greasy—in fact, you know you’ll be more comfortable in the long run if it isn’t. So next time you’re feeling tender, try a BanaGreens smoothie, a dead-simple mix of kale, peanut butter, and alkaline water, topped with a sprinkle of ground almonds. Owner Michael Kroeger will sometimes bestow free smoothies on customers who are willing to show off in public—that is, perform burpees or push-ups or some other smoothie-worthy physical activity. Worth it. Catch Them At: Fountain Square, (513) 601-8686, facebook.com/BanaSunFruitBar, Twitter: @banasunfb, Instagram: @banasunfb


6. NEW ORLEANS TO GO
The key word here is “scale.” This is not the kind of food that keeps well, so don’t go with this truck unless you’re prepared to throw down on a mammoth fried po’boy sandwich (catfish or shrimp) and a pile of cheese grits or sweet potato fries. Seriously, it’s enough food for three people. And yes, you want the spicy honey. Keep your eye on the menu board for Cajun specials like crawfish, jambalaya, and the muffuletta sandwich. Catch Them At: 4665 Cornell Rd., Blue Ash, (513) 833-1342, neworleanstogopoboys.com, facebook.com/mardigrasmad, Twitter: @NewOrleansToGo


7. C’EST CHEESE
These folks could not be more jazzed about grilled cheese. From a full menu of 30-odd iterations, they’ll choose four or five to feature in their food truck, along with Hen of the Woods chips and (in colder months) tomato soup. The Cheesy Wonder is almost always represented, since it’s a classic blend of four cheeses on thick Italian bread. Look out for The Bee Sting, with mozzarella, pepperoni, basil-infused honey, and chili-flaked butter. It’s like a grilled cheese pizza. If your 12-year-old self could see you now…. Catch Them At: Procter & Gamble, cestcheesecincy.com, (513) 535-8857, facebook.com/CestCheeseCincy, Twitter: @cestcheesecincy, Instagram: @cestcheesecincy

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