Remember that whole “Austin has the best street food in the world” thing? Well, thanks to a reader poll conducted by Huffington Post’s The Daily Meal, we now have actual, quantifiable proof that Austin has most definitely earned that title.
Daily Meal readers voted four Austin food trailers into the publication’s “101 Best Food Trucks in America” list for 2015.
Love Balls, a nifty Japanese restaurant that operates out of a re-purposed short school bus, ranked as the 81st best food truck in the United States, while One Taco, a well-loved taco joint known for its delicious tacos al pastor, racked up 74th place. The quirky sandwich truck Hey!… You Gonna Eat Or What? was voted as America’s 56th greatest mobile eatery, which is no surprise considering its mouthwatering menu, while East Side King won the highest placement among Austin food trucks as the 31st finest restaurant on wheels in the nation.
In 2012-2014, The Daily Meal determined rankings by considering Yelp ratings and number of social media followers along with the type of food served by each truck, as well as their originality of concept and geographical location. Trucks serving only desserts or drinks were not considered. This year, however, the Daily Meal’s team used the aforementioned data, reader suggestions, and Vendy Awards results to develop a list of voting candidates. Then, they allowed readers to choose favorites in a public survey. When the poll concluded, the publication had received a total of 5,634 votes — not to mention proof that food trucks are in fact, “here to stay.”
“There has been talk recently that food trucks are a moribund trend. We beg to differ,” writes Nikkitha Bakshani, Editor of The Daily Meal. “Even if the buzz around the food truck renaissance started off frenzied and then cooled a bit, the resilience of these mobile eateries is a testament to the fact that creative, quite literally chef-driven food need not be limited to wallet-busting restaurants with month-long waiting lists…. Korean fusion, lobster rolls, and tacos seem to lead the way in terms of popular food truck cuisines; vegan food, barbecue, and grilled cheese make up a lot of the most beloved meals on this year’s list… [and] almost every food truck on this list serves something totally out of the box.”
The Daily Meal also ran a similar poll to discover which cities and local businesses serve the 101 top pizzas in the U.S. in 2015. Unsurprisingly, two classic Austin pizzerias made the list: The Backspace (No. 93) and Home Slice (No. 65).
———
Featured photo: Tacos al pastor. Flickr user William Neuheisel, CC licensed.
