On the Hunt for Durham Food Trucks
Food trucks are an interesting study in foodie trends. Once the domain of places like New York City, they served fast and simple fare for tourists and others on the go. But as cities around the country have developed broader palates, they’ve adopted to fill a particular market niche: experimentation.
Your average food truck is now a place for new and exciting tastes. With less overhead, their owners remix popular foods into original creations, tailored for the brave tastes of late-night eaters and festival-goers. They’re also a great way to spice up your next party. Durham has a healthy food truck population, and these are just a few of its most prominent citizens.
American Meltdown
Seen on Food Network’s cutthroat kitchen, American Meltdown specializes in a quintessential piece of Americana: the grilled cheese sandwich. Turns out you can do a lot with it. The menu covers everything from the classic (the De-Lish, with its cheddar on bakery fresh bread) to the wild (the Pigs ‘n’ Figs, with balsamic reduction, figs and goat cheese.) Each truck has rotating selections; we’re partial to the Beer and Bacon (welsh rarebit and arugula) when we can get it.
KoKyu
As in many Asian countries, Korea’s street food is a rich and storied tradition. KoKyu brings it to Durham with high quality food and a goofy hip-hop flair to its branding. The cuisine is fusion at its finest, with American and Korean flavors living in beautiful harmony. Take the belly banh for instance: you get southern-style pork belly with pickled veggies. Or the KO.F.C, a heavenly pairing of spicy gochujang with fried chicken. It’s a great case for world peace.
Gussy’s Greek
Gussy’s owner – named Gus, surprisingly – is as legit as they come. Born in NYC and a soccer player in Greece for 17 years, he extensively studied street food and Grecian cuisine. His current truck is a prominent fixture near Duke, where students call him “the Greek devil.” The food is fittingly sinful: fresh cut fries with lemon juice, spit-cooked gyro, lamb meatballs, and housemade hummus. That he can even fit this on a truck is an engineering marvel.
Looking for a favorite truck, or curious what’s near your office today? You can see current locations of food trucks here! The list is updated daily.