Mobile vending has been a part of the American culinary landscape for over a century. According to Food Truck Nation, the modern food truck boom is credited to two Los Angeles-based entrepreneurs who had a desire to stuff Korean-style meat inside Mexican tacos in 2008. However, they may not have been privy to Phoenix’s long-standing history with cuisine on wheels.

So successful is the industry that they created the Phoenix Street Food Coalition, which allows people to hire out food trucks for events, parties, and festivals.

Food Nation recently gave props to Phoenix when they named it the 14th-best city in America for food trucks. They arrived at their rankings by measuring menu options, food safety, employment, and local restrictions or laws that come with operating a business.

There are numerous places to grab a bite from a food truck in the Valley, not including the many events that include food truck cuisine. While you often have to keep track of where specific food trucks are stopping during the week, there are also plenty of standby stops and festivals that make them easy to find. With so many options, Neighborhoods.com put together a list of the best neighborhoods to find them — you can thank us later. 

Queen Creek Feastival - Queen Creek

Photo courtesy of K Star Barbeque

Between 15 and 25 food trucks make an appearance at every Queen Creek Feastival, which takes place every Friday night, while crowds are entertained by live music or shopping at the Boutique Market. This free event is located at the Ellsworth Loop and East Ocotillo Road near the Will Rogers Equestrian Ranch neighborhood in the Queen Creek Library parking lot from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Favorite trucks have included K Star Barbeque, which serves a pulled pork sandwich with a spicy Dragon’s Breath sauce, and Dough Licious Desserts, which is known for their edible cookie dough treats.

Gilbert Feastival - Gilbert

Photo courtesy of Aioli Gourmet Burger

Though Gilbert Feastival has bounced from place to place for the last two years, it has settled on a new location for the foreseeable future. According to Mouth By Southwest, you can find the feast in the Sam’s Club parking lot at the intersection of North Gilbert Road and East Houston Avenue every Friday night from 5:30-9 p.m. Seating is limited, so attendees often bring their own chairs. Six to ten trucks serve a wide variety of street food delights. One regular vendor is Aioli Gourmet Burger, who feature gourmet concoctions like their white truffle swiss burger and their vegetarian falafel burger. There’s also Fagota Mexican Grill, who serve up their beloved wraps like the fogata steak wrap, a combination of skirt steak, bacon, pico de gallo, and crumbled Fritos corn chips with a side of spicy french fries.

Farmstand and Food Trucks at Agritopia — Gilbert

Photo courtesy of Habbouz Tunisian Cuisine

Held weekly in the master-planned community of Agritopia, Farmstand and Food Trucks at Agritopia focuses on the healthier fare and freshest ingredients utilized by food trucks. Nosh on dishes like kabobs or grilled chicken méchoui from Habbouz Tunisian Cuisine or try chilled lobster meat in a traditional-style lobster roll with lemon aioli from The Maine Lobster Lady. The event runs every Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m.

Street Eats Food Truck Festival — Scottsdale

Photo courtesy of Le Crepe

An annual, weekend-long event that brings over 60 food trucks to Scottsdale, Street Eats Food Truck Festival features cooking demos by famous chefs as well as eating contests, live music, a farmers market, and a cornhole tournament. The festivities take place at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ spring training area, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Attendees can expect a much wider variety than the average food truck gathering. Past eats have included sweet and savory crepes from Le Crepe, bánh mì from Nonla Viet, and Dutch-Indonesian satay from Satay Hut. Look out for the next Street Eats Food Truck Festival in February.

Mesa Festival Forest — Mesa

Photo courtesy of Drive Wood Fired Grill

Don’t overlook Mesa Feastival Forest in Pioneer Park near the Fraser Fields neighborhood. Running every Saturday from 5:30 to 9 p.m., more than twelve food trucks cater to a lively crowd that is also enjoying live music and festivities. Drive Wood Fired Grill impresses with their grilled artichokes and street corn while Nana’s Kitchen is adored for authentic Mexican food such as their jalapeño cheese stuffers and ceviche.