South Austin just picked up a serious new shawarma fix. Salam's Grill, a Palestinian-run food truck from the family behind North Austin favorite Peace Bakery, has set up shop outside Vacancy Brewing, serving shawarma, falafel, and amped-up coriander fries to the St. Elmo crowd. It is a tight little operation built on home-style recipes and bold imported spices, sliding neatly into the corridor's growing food-and-beer scene.
The trailer is parked at 415 E St Elmo Rd 1-D2, just outside Vacancy Brewing. The brewery's taproom page confirms the address and notes that food trucks, including Salam's Grill, are part of its regular setup.
A Family Recipe On Wheels
Chef-owner Amr Hammad is the son of Jihad and Nuha Hammad, the couple who launched Peace Bakery & Deli in North Austin. Salam's Grill spins out of that family business, carrying the same Palestinian roots to a South Austin parking lot. "We take pride in feeding people and showing our heritage," Hammad told The Austin Chronicle, adding that his mother helped fine-tune the sauces for the truck. The idea is to honor Peace Bakery's flavors while leaning harder into spice and sauce.
What To Order
Shawarma and falafel are the headliners, available as wraps or as the Fat Man's Plate, a larger spread that comes with fries or rice. The menu is rounded out with hummus, baklava, and a mango-lemon mint refresher. Community Impact reported that the truck opened on Oct. 4 and noted that Salam's riffs on Peace Bakery's coriander potatoes to create its signature, spice-coated fries. If you are into big seasoning and garlicky sauce, those fries are not exactly subtle, in a good way.
Spices, Bread And The Chef's Resume
Hammad told The Austin Chronicle that he has specially blended spices shipped in from Jordan and drives to Houston weekly to pick up bread, joking that he "pay more for spices than the meat." The Chronicle also points out that his background includes time in local kitchens and that his long-term dream is an Arab steakhouse built around live fire. Put together, it paints Salam's as a mix of family tradition and chef-driven attention to sourcing.
Where And When To Eat
Salam's Grill lists current hours and menu details - Wed-Thu 12-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 12-10pm and Sun 12-9pm - and the truck posts more granular day-to-day updates on Instagram. The website also confirms the Vacancy Brewing address and ordering options, while Community Impact has published the truck's opening details and its Instagram handle @salamsgrillatx. As with most brewery-side food trucks, hours can shift with events and weather, so it is worth double-checking before you head over.
For longtime fans of Peace Bakery, Salam's Grill feels like an accessible, spice-forward extension of the Hammad family legacy. For newcomers wandering into Vacancy Brewing, it is a compact, low-frills way to try Palestinian flavors in the middle of a South Austin beer run. Local reviewers have already taken notice, and the combination of home recipes and imported spices suggests this little trailer is one to keep an eye on as winter rolls in.
