Food trucks have now become the new android phones of our generation- we take them for granted and we can’t remember our life without them. And just like androids they respond to most of our needs: they sustain us, they are affordable, and they are conveniently located. It might be surprising to read, but this dependency on food trucks sprung from way before androids existed. Food trucks have been around since the period of the civil war with the “push carts” and “chuck wagons” (according to the HISTORY channel).
Even though we can trace food trucks from centuries ago, the most devoted users seem to be college students. For example, I have a to admit, I eat or drink at a food truck every two days, even though I do cook in my apartment, I enjoy not having to walk 15 minutes back and forth from campus to my apartment. However, even students seem to have a love/hate relationship when it comes to food trucks. While they appreciate the convenience, some still view them as fast and poor quality food. This is simply not true. Some food trucks have made considerable attempts to upgrade: the quality of their foods, the presentation of their boxes, and even come up with creative names. Students who go to food trucks aren't the fat kids or the overachievers who binge on the first gyro truck they see.
There is a new era of food trucks which tries to mix and match combinations of flavors and offer a more "gourmet style" meal.
Having said that, speaking from someone who enjoys food and appreciates the social aspect that generally accompanies a meal, I would never I have thought I would write about food trucks in a positive way. For me, food trucks have always been associated with fast and poor quality, sandwiches or French fries. It’s also the kind of place where I expected food poisoning scandals and hygiene skepticism.
This is probably due to the food culture I grew up with. Food trucks have never been a thing where I come from, which is France, and I had never bought food from a food truck before coming to Drexel University.
However, as you will probably grow into disliking the on-campus facilities and other over-priced restaurants in University City where a simple salad is $9) food trucks will become a “last resort” when it will come to finding a place where one can find both quality and affordable foods.
Some of the biggest perks of having food trucks on campus are their ethnic variety, surprisingly decent food quality and friendly service. For example, my favorite food truck, is held by a very sweet Asian couple who offer fruit smoothies and fruit salads for a very decent price. Even though we have three food trucks selling fruits, this one is my go-to truck because their fruits are always perfectly ripe and their smoothies have a naturally sweet taste and creamy texture which is unique to their food truck.
I think many of my peers share this opinion about food trucks now. I have also written about food trucks on campus for the school’s newspaper and from all the stories gathered, it seems pretty clear that when it comes to food, college students are in fact very demanding. They expect affordable, unique, and flavorful dishes prepared in a timely manner. The food truck phenomenon is contagious even for people who had second thoughts about them, such as myself. This phenomenon on college campuses has been anchored, for some of us, as part of our daily ritual. Choosing the food truck option is not about lowering standards to “fast food” but choosing a new culinary outlet that fits our personality and lifestyle.
