Whether you’re new to campus or you’ve been here a while, you probably frequently find yourself on the hunt for something good to eat. For those looking for something different midday, food trucks are among the many dining options on campus.
Each weekday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., two food trucks park at the corner of Via Ortega and South Service Road, outside Y2E2 (see the food truck schedule here). There you’ll find students and postdocs among those lined up to order street food from local vendors. Check out some trucks and items that are popular with students and researchers.
The Baba Kabob Truck serves Persian and Iranian food. Menu items include grilled chicken rice bowls, Angus beef sliders, seasoned grilled chicken salad, and crunchy saffron rice balls made with chopped grilled chicken, gouda and mozzarella cheese, and Greek yogurt, encrusted in panko and deep fried.
Popular with students and postdocs are the flatbread tacos, which come with Angus beef, grilled chicken or grilled vegetables, and homemade yogurt coleslaw, all wrapped in a whole grain mini-pita, topped with Baba Kabob’s original chipotle aioli.
Another option is the Moroccan tagine, which comes with roasted butternut squash, Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, ginger and garlic, skewered over a bed of saffron rice and served with a cooling cucumber sauce.
Flatbread tacos with grilled chicken from Baba Kabob Truck. (Image credit: Alex Kekauoha)
Twister Food Truck offers Asian fusion cuisine. Plates include wild Alaskan salmon, beef bulgogi, pork belly, or sweet and spicy chicken, served with rice and salad or gyoza. Bento boxes are popular with students and researchers and include a choice of protein and two sides.
Vegetarian options include roti flatbread with curry sauce, green onion pancakes, chow mein and a tofu bento box that comes with rice, kimchi and green salad.
Sweet and spicy chicken from Twister. (Image credit: Alex Kekauoha)
Capelo’s Barbecue serves up traditional Southern barbecue. Patrons can choose from sandwiches, tacos and BBQ plates, each with beef brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, BBQ smoked chicken, hot links or grilled chicken. Sides include BBQ baked beans, mac and cheese, creamy slaw, cilantro peanut slaw, potato salad or corn muffins.
Beef brisket from Capelo’s Barbecue. (Image credit: Alex Kekauoha)
GrillZillas offers a variety of sandwiches, burgers and salads. Menu items include the portobello mushroom sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, provolone and basil pesto dressing on a kaiser roll, or the bacon avocado sandwich, which comes with marinated grilled chicken breast, provolone, applewood-smoked bacon, avocado, jalapeño, lettuce, tomatoes and red onions on a ciabatta roll.
Popular among students and postdocs is the California burger, which comes with a half-pound Black Angus beef patty, cheddar, red onions, lettuce, tomatoes, applewood-smoked bacon and avocado on a kaiser roll. Don’t eat meat? The veggie burger comes with a garden patty, cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and mayo on a kaiser roll.
Grilled chicken and avocado sandwich from GrillZillas. (Image credit: Alex Kekauoha)