University City - The bustling heart of West Philadelphia and the academic epicenter of the entire region, University City is so named due to two of the largest and most influential institutions in town: the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University.
University City Food Truck Locations
• Delicias Food Truck: Grilled Venezuelan arepas stuffed with adobo-braised steak and plaintains; chicken salad and avocado; or chorizo and pico de gallo are all hot sellers at Delicias. Lynette Gueits’ repurposed truck calls University City home (at 35th and Market Streets), but the truck also travels citywide.
• Foo Truck Food Truck: Foowiches, or grilled square sandwiches filled with green-curry quinoa salad, gingery meatballs, pork belly with tea egg or peanut-flecked lemongrass chicken—are the signature items at Foo Truck, an uber-casual Asian-fusion concept located largely at 35th and Market Streets.
•Gigi and Big R Food Truck: The winners of Philly’s first-ever Vendy Awards, the long-established Gigi and Big R serves up down-home Caribbean fare such as fried whiting and curried chicken, along with generous portions of greens, beans, rice and mac and cheese. The outfit’s bricks-and-mortar location resides in West Philly at 5943 Haverford Avenue while the food truck sets up shop daily at 38th and Spruce Streets.
• HubBub Coffee Food Truck: The shiny red caffeine truck known as HubBub Coffee purveys Stumptown and Reanimator roasts via espresso drinks drawn from swank La Marzocco machines. It also sells the croissants and bagels necessary to go with these liquid delights. HubBub’s new non-mobile shop is on Logan Square at 1717 Arch Street, and the mobile location hails at 38th and Spruce Streets.
• Kung Fu Hoagies Food Truck: Specializing in vegetarian and vegan fare, Kung Fu Hoagies has wooed the meat-free set with tofu banh mi, BBQ “beef” hoagies and cold sesame peanut “chicken” noodles. The truck most often sets up shop 38th and Sansom Streets.
• Mac Mart Food Truck: The nail-polish pink Mac Mart truck turns America’s favorite side (macaroni and cheese) into a main course by mixing in barbecue chicken, homemade garlic croutons, bacon bits and more into five-cheese pasta. Look for it at 33rd and Arch Streets.
• Magic Carpet Food Truck: Catering to budget-minded vegetarian eaters since 1984 — long before it was trendy — Penn staple Magic Carpet has a slew of meat-free options, from the Smurf ’n’ Turf platter (tofu meatballs, rice, veggies and cheese) to the Sloppy Jason pita sandwiches and the exquisitely light spinach pies. Trucks set up shop at 36th and Spruce Streets and at 34th and Walnut Streets.
•Street Food Philly Food Truck: Haute cuisine in a decidedly non-haute atmosphere is the idea beyond Street Food, where truffle parmesan fries, surf-and-turf lobster rolls, homemade chorizo and shrimp tacos and salted brownies have made appearances on the seasonal menu. The truck largely resides at 62 N. 33rd Street.
•SpOt Gourmet Burgers Food Truck: Specialty sirloin burgers, hand-cut fries, hand-butchered cheesesteaks, roast pork loin sandwiches and creative concoctions like meatballs stuffed with sharp provolone, have made Spot, owned and operated by a former butcher, a highly sought-after lunch stop on Drexel’s campus. Spot is located at 33rd and Arch Streets, in the midst of Drexel’s food truck haven.
• Sugar Philly Food Truck: A patisserie on wheels, Sugar Philly operates out of a truck named Sheila, vending perfectly engineered treats like crème fraîche cheesecake with blueberry compote, milk and honey, along with green-tea macaroons and classic crème brûlée. For your sweet fix, visit the truck at its, 38th Street between Walnut and Sansom Streets locale.
• Rival Bros’ Coffee Roasters Food Truck: An espresso bar on wheels, Rival Bros’ truck, bearing its old-fashioned pugilist logo, serves up espresso, pour-overs and drip-brewed single-origins and blends. It also sells fresh-roasted beans by the bag. The truck is located largely at 33rd and Arch Streets.
• Tacos Don Memo Food Truck: The wait for lunch can be long at Tacos Don Memo, whose passionate University City fan base swears by the generous tacos al pastor, vegetarian burritos and gigantic tortas layered with mayo, cheese and pickled jalapeños. The truck calls 238 S. 38th Street home.
• Yue Kee Food Truck: Since 1983, Yue Kee has been charming visitors with its no-nonsense proprietress and cheap, authentic Chinese — and Hong Kong — style eats such as sesame chicken, fried fish in garlic sauce and stewed pork ribs with rice. Located on 38th Street between Spruce and Walnut Streets.
