The Menu Red Flag That Could Mean A Food Truck Isn't Serving Fresh Food

Roll up to a food truck, and you may not know exactly what is going on inside when it comes to the preparation of your order. An informed eye can be aware of indicators that can serve as food truck red flags, and it can be helpful to take stock of the cart's offerings before you step up for a meal. While sit-down restaurants can tempt the hungry with extensive lists of items and dishes, food trucks that attempt to market food similarly might be a warning sign. If you notice that a food truck advertises an impressive list of menu choices, you may be well served by walking away. 

Since space is limited and the number of staff that can comfortably fit inside a truck is confined, long menus can mean that some ingredients aren't fresh, and the meal you choose to order isn't a perfected recipe. Not every mobile shop stocks up on fresh, quality ingredients before hitting the road. Plus, when a menu is larger, it can delay lines as the time to prepare the requested food item can take longer to sort through ingredients and cook dishes. 

In addition to serving up reliable food, trucks that have a narrowed focus when it comes to menu offerings are more likely to be profitable. "This is our model. $5 menu, a signature product, 5 hour event today, $1000 in sales and our overhead is so low it's almost entirely profit," wrote one user on Reddit. "We have 6 items on our menu." Limitations of space, time, and ingredients can provide creative culinary guardrails for specialty, focused food carts to thrive. 

Whether you're looking for gourmet hot dogs or a specific cuisine, the mobile vendors that either specialize in a particular set of dishes or offer a limited menu can be the green flag you're looking for when it comes to finding a meal or snack to confidently feast upon. The Halal Guys, Kogi BBQ, and Horn Dawg are a few examples of successful food carts that have mastered the approach of limited offerings with combined successful branding to build lasting food businesses. Regardless of where you are in the world and which food cart you're considering ordering from, check online reviews if you're feeling less than confident about your lunchtime cravings and aren't sure what to order at the local food truck.