San Francisco's 5 favorite food trucks (that won't break the bank)

San Francisco's 5 favorite food trucks (that won't break the bank)The Chairman. | Photo: Olee L./Yelp
Hoodline
Published on August 21, 2018

Looking to try the most popular food trucks in town?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best affordable food trucks in San Francisco, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to meet your needs.

1. Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie

Photo: Isabella W./Yelp

Topping the list is Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie, which touts its slow-roasted meats and seasonal, fresh-from-the-garden fare. The mobile eatery, which serves dozens of markets each week, is the most popular affordable food truck in San Francisco, boasting 4.5 stars out of 1,368 reviews on Yelp. 

This rolling roaster gets around, so check the truck's website for location details. It serves non-GMO certified ingredients like garlic grown in Gilroy, lettuce harvested from Bolinas and chicken farmed in the Central Valley. Recent menu offerings include the famed crispy porchetta sandwich, herb-infused rotisserie chicken and tomato salad. 

2. The Chairman 

Photo: wiseley f./Yelp

Next up is The Chairman, which has earned four stars out of 1,398 reviews on Yelp. The traveling Taiwanese and Asian fusion spot has proven to be a local favorite for those looking for an inexpensive option. As we previously reported, it recently closed its brick-and-mortar location in the Tenderloin, but it's still serving up steamed bao and rice bowls from its food truck. 

Menu offerings include Coca-Cola braised pork buns with cabbage, preserved mustard seeds and garlic mayonnaise; braised beef short rib buns with horseradish mayonnaise, fennel slaw and Japanese curry; and spicy chicken buns with toasted sesame puree and banchan pickled carrots and cucumber. 

Check out the truck's website for schedule information.

3. FK Frozen Custard 

Photo: dan b./Yelp

SoMa's FK Frozen Custard is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the budget-friendly mobile shop 4.5 stars out of 320 reviews. Dishing up West Coast-style frozen custard, the food stand features standard flavors like black sesame, cookie butter and matcha white chocolate, along with seasonal offerings. Sundaes, custard sandwiches and frozen bars are also on offer. Visit its website for location details. 

"Still a must try and still a personal favorite," Yelper Maleah M. said. "Not only do they have unique flavors, but they also have various ways of presenting those flavors — whether simply in a cup, a doughnut sandwich or bread pudding style."

4. Curry Up Now Food Truck

Photo: curry up now/Yelp

Curry Up Now, a roving Indian spot that's usually stationed in the Financial District, is another inexpensive go-to, with four stars out of 912 Yelp reviews. It has locations in Alameda, San Jose, Palo Alto, Oakland and San Mateo, so check its website to find out where to track it down. (You can also visit the truck's brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Mission.)

The truck serves up unique burritos filled with chicken tikka masala, saag paneer or lamb stew; deconstructed samosas; and street food like naan bits, holy moly fried ravioli and cross-cut sweet potato fries. 

5. Twirl and Dip

Photo: Esther Y./Yelp

Last but not least is Golden Gate Park's Twirl and Dip (335 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive), which has earned 4.5 stars out of 240 reviews on Yelp for its organic soft-serve ice cream, floats and frozen bananas dipped in chocolate.

Standard soft-serve flavors include vanilla bean and dark chocolate, with seasonal options like strawberry, fresh mint and mango. Top off your treat with toasted almonds, cacao nibs, housemade chocolate sauce or coffee syrup.

"I love this place," Yelper Jacqueline H. said. "The vanilla bean ice cream is amazing — especially if you get it dipped with the sea salt. It's in my top-five list of ice creams in San Francisco. It's cash-only, but if you're in the area you need to go."