- Thomas Crone
The true fans of particular food trucks know where those mobile businesses present themselves to the public, be that at a common destination like the Gallivan Center or on the humble, outer parking lot of a hardware superstore or car dealership. Other purveyors, of course, pull right on up onto city sidewalks and you can count on those appearing pretty much every day along major roads. And with the rise of Instagram as a go-to food truck tracker, you'll never be too far from four-wheeled food in Salt Lake City.
Over the years, several trucks have become regulars at a type of destination that makes all the sense in the world for a day-long collaboration: craft breweries. Without internal kitchens but with an on-site audience of hungry customers, several local craft breweries have developed a reputation as a great place to find consistent, quality food, often seeing the same trucks visit their locations on a regular or intermittent basis.
Below are a handful of breweries that feature regular food trucks. We'll list their address and all-important Instagram pages.
Fisher Brewing (320 W. 800 South; IG: fisherbrewing): As a kind aside, be forewarned that Monday nights at this spot are nuts, with a backyard bags/cornhole league. That said, this place is busy most of the time, giving it a good reason to keep a food truck outside the front door seven days a week. As much as anyone on this list, Fisher keeps a wide range of food options rolling.
Kiitos (608 West & 700 South; IG: kiitosbrewing): Alongside their beers, Kiitos features occasional live music and a rotating cast of food trucks, with those setting up right outside the front door. Green Chile House (IG: greenchilehouse), a New Mexico- and green chile-themed truck, tends to be a frequent visitor, but the variety here is solid from Thursday to Saturday.
RoHa Brewing Project (30 Kensington; IG: rohabrewing): Of the group listed here, this spot's got the least-routine food truck program, though that may change over the summer as the brewery targets added vendors. The most-often found truck here is Torito's Tacos (IG: toritos_tacos_slc), which parks right out front when around. (And if you have a truck, this is a business actively looking for new food truck partners.)
Saltfire Brewing (2199 S. West Temple S; IG: saltfirebrewing): For the past four years, Salfire's been without a consistent food truck presence, though some have been through on an intermittent basis. By press time for this piece, the brewery will have its own vehicle ready, called Punk As Truck. Though it'll occasionally roll off-site for special events and festivals, it'll largely be parked right at the front door of Saltfire, allowing its customers a regular food option.
TF Brewing (936 S. 300 West; IF; tfbrewing): Here's another spot with a food truck mere feet from the front door, though this one's on a small parking lot, which causes the occasional awkward dance of driver and pedestrian. That aside, this is a really fine spot for food truck ordering, as the venue features nice outdoor seating options both out front and in back, with the selections varying by genre and style seven days a week.
As a household that's seen both members deal with bouts of COVID-19 in 2022, we found food trucks a good way to sample a lot of cuisines around town (even during the coldest weather), while keeping the sick member of the crew away from the order line. Once healthy, we've continued to keep an eye for any/all of the following trucks:
Cluck Truck (IG: clucktruckutah): There's no fast/casual foodstuff in America that's seen a popular explosion like the fried chicken sandwich. This truck offers a play on that trend, with tasty wraps and a better-than-your-average-truck's selection of sides.
District Thai Fusion (IG: districtthaifusion): Here, you'll find some really nice curries, a classic pad thai and egg rolls that have to find a place on your plate.
Tacos Costa Grande (IG: acoscostagrande): On many a weekday, you'll find this truck at the busy intersection of 4500 State Street in Murray, but the truck's a regular at breweries on the weekends, when mobile kitchens can expect work from noon until last call. You may know the semi-permanent taco trucks nearer to downtown on State and on Main; this one's a fantastic alternative. Super, super nice folks, to boot.
Unique Spice Always aka USA (IG: uniqe_usa; sic): Offering a selection of excellent Iraqi fare, you'll want to sample a couple of entrees, with the knowledge that they're pretty large and will likely be your next day's lunch. You'll be offered some free soup (say "yes") and a dessert of baklava (not free, but also say "yes").