The arrival of warmer weather means a warm welcome back to our town's beloved food trucks. It's finally safe for all-season tires, and K-town residents are eager to get outdoors and get exploring again.
Over the past five years, the food truck scene in Kelowna has increased exponentially. Every year, new trucks full of innovative food bless our streets with their delicious bites and accessible prices. It's "fast food" created by local talent with passion for their craft, so it's no surprise that the popularity of food trucks has skyrocketed.
For both consumers and entrepreneurs, a food truck is (literally) the perfect vehicle to deliver excellent homemade food. The truck gives the flexibility to go where the demand will be, the freedom to create without the worry of extra overhead costs and the perk of the limited menu (so they therefore only serve their #1 dishes).
As a consumer, you'll always find something unique, well thought out, well executed and typically at a price that you can't beat. Plus, gone are the cash only days, and most trucks these days accept both card and cash. You get to enjoy delicious food right there at whatever venue your food truck is at, which in Kelowna means wineries, breweries, parks, beaches and more.
Here are a few trucks to keep your eyes open for this summer!
The CrAsian food truck is the truck to hit up when you're craving something sweet, salty and everything in between. Their imaginative menu combines Asian flavours with North American street food - so you'll find things like Sriracha fries, a Thai burger, and a grilled "Kimcheese"! Follow their Facebook page to see where they'll be weekly!
The guys at YLW are coming out of their winter hibernation and making up even tastier tacos and burritos for you this year. Their tacos are exploding with flavour, and their convenient location on Highway 97 (in the parking lot of One Boardshop) makes it easy for you to it make Taco Tuesday, every day. Go for the biggest burrito in town, and then go back to try every flavour!
There is always room for more tacos in this town, and Bare Taco is doing them vegan style! Their plant-powered recipes are ethical and animal-friendly, but will still satisfy any taco craving you might be having. They even have a text-based delivery system! You have to try these guys out.
At Artists Gelato, their motto is "Eat Fresh, Eat Real, Eat Local," so you know their gelato will be excellent. Always homemade in the Italian style, and often with Okanagan ingredients, every bite is refreshing and decadent. Last year they were conveniently located at Stuart Park, so hopefully that's where we will see them again this summer! It's the perfect pairing with a walk along the lake in our Okanagan heat.
You don't often see an authentic stone pizza oven on a 30 foot food truck, but that's just what the Tomkinson family did, and they did it right. Their truck is a thing of beauty, and it creates delicious pizzas with Okanagan ingredients in the Mediterranean style. Find their 12-inch hand tossed pies at Blasted Church Vineyards in Penticton. Pizza and wine tasting in Penticton? Don't mind if I do.
At this west-coast inspired taco truck, you'll find fish taco creations not out of place on the Venice Beach boardwalk. They have all kinds of seafood tacos, but you have to try their "Totchos"– nachos made with tater tots, and loaded up with pico de gallo and other delicious works. You can find Surf Side all around Kelowna this summer, so make sure you follow their Facebook or Instagram to see where they're at!
There are few better comfort foods than perfectly cooked chicken. On its own, on a salad, in a fajita or on poutine, the options are unlimited and Chick Chick Boom seems to be doing it all. They don't have all five-star ratings for no reason! They're often located around UBCO, but you can find them at hotspots around town too. Make sure you go with a big appetite!
There are even more food trucks in Kelowna than these listed here. What is your favorite spot to #treatyoself? See you out in the sunshine!
Kelowna born and raised, Keddy Pavlik of TheTreatLife has been passionate about the local food scene basically since birth. If she's not in the kitchen, you can probably find her at the farmer's market or taking pictures of food. Photo Credit: Jordana Dickson.
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