A lot of the food trucks at Gen Con were amazing and on point. Others failed on multiple levels. Anyone going to a convention needs to learn to spot a good food truck from a bad one. True, there are online reviews, and classic ways like making sure they have the right permits and clean glass, but how do you tell that they actually care about the food they’re making? Generally this comes down to three things: the art, the description, and the smell. Those three will generally tell you everything you need to know when you first walk up.

The Art

I’m a foodie with an art degree, a certification in generative AI, and I run a small business myself — so believe me when I tell you I know a few things. There’s a saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” This proves true more often than not… except at food trucks. I love a good hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but for food trucks, that instinct is wrong. A food truck needs to stand out.

There isn’t really a right or wrong way to make a food truck stand out — well, there wasn’t, until AI art. For drafting ideas, it’s hard to beat AI: it’s quick, cheap, and easy. But the finished products are always janky and unprofessional. Decorating your food truck with an AI image tells customers you skimp on the small things, that you rush, that you cut corners. If a truck has all clean lines, that tells customers your food is consistent, maybe even formulaic — that you like to be organized and get things done. Stylized art, from old west to graffiti, tells me you know the game, that you want to stand out and have fun with it. People know that if they go to you, even if the line is long, they’ll get something you’re proud of.

Naughty Lobstah, keep up the good work. Wild Bill’s, y’all are still doing good — the design of your soda station is always classic, always eye-catching.

The Description

Food trucks have a limited amount of space, so it’s easier to do one item really well and modify it rather than offer a bunch of choices. Listing ingredients for each dish helps too — when you can read the ingredients, you’re more likely to know if you can eat something, and if it’ll be fresh. Forking Pierogi is an expert at this: seven menu items, all with the same base but different toppings, making each one taste like a unique dish. Give me a Hot Lantana any day and I’ll be happy. The quick turnaround is a nice bonus. Some places were still good even with a ton of menu items, but generally you’ll see longer lines and wait times at those, with no descriptions to speed things along.

We don’t always need to know the salt, the pepper, or what type of oil you fry your fries in, but it’s hard to check if a dish has something you’re allergic to if there’s no description at all. Knowing which of the 30 different types of fried chicken a truck is serving, or which fried rice or dirty rice option they have, will always help. If all your menu says is “chicken tenders and fries,” for all I know you got them at Walmart — no one should pay $15 for a couple of Walmart tenders and fries.

The Smell

Smell is an important part of making anything tasty. If you can smell the food from half a block away, you’re golden. Granted, if you want sweets, a salad, or unfortunately, with places like Forking Pierogi. When it’s all about the toppings — this test isn’t perfect. At a block party like the one at Gen Con, if you can’t smell the food cooking in the truck, you’re standing in front of, it’s not going to be that good. If the smell of the truck makes you queasy, run. No one wants to be stuck in a convention bathroom for hours. Good smells, though — Mr. Dough and Smokey Blue, y’all are on my list. I’m trying to stay healthy, and here y’all are tempting me. Shame on you for smelling so good!

Finding somewhere to eat is not always a science. Sometimes it’s a struggle, but you should always know what to look for when it comes to eating at a convention. Reviews and a few glances won’t tell you everything you need to know. It’s also true some of these rules have exceptions, but it’s also true that going through 30 food trucks in an hour is a bit insane. Sure, you can call me a snob and tell me I’m wrong. But before you do, think about how you chose a food truck, and whether it made you happy or just disappointed. Ideally the best food truck at a convention should have good reviews, clean windows, all the certification required, its own stylistic identity, an honest descriptive menu and smell amazing. Finding all of that in a short time is not going to happen. For the food trucks or soda station mentioned here, keep a watch for them. They tend to be well ahead of the curve

Featured Image: Gen Con Block Party

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