Food Shark truck

Street food vendors were once something that some people loved and relied on and that others fearfully called roach coaches. Now street food is sweeping the country, with some trucks becoming so popular that entire cities are following their whereabouts on Twitter with the humble hope that they'll be in driving distance when lunch rolls around. From bison burgers to schnitzel, street food cuisine is becoming more eclectic and exciting than just hot dog and tacos. Here is a little round-up of the most interesting vendors across the country. 

Chef Shack in Minneapolis, Minnesota:  What's on the menu? More like what isn't on the menu. For two and a half years, Lisa Carlson and Carrie Summer have been serving up beef tongue tacos, bison burgers, veggie-walnut burgers, pulled pork nachos, grass-fed beef hot dogs, bacon brats, vegan brats, falafel, tempura-fried soft shell crab sandwiches, hand-cut fries, "trailermade" tempura cheese curds, fried green tomatoes, Indian-spiced mini doughnuts, crème brûlée, chocolate mousse, goats' milk ice cream, and red beet ice cream.

Food Shark in Marfa, Texas: Krista Steinhauer and Adam Bork sell falafel (or in Food Shark terms, "marfalafel"), hummus, salads, and a variety of daily specials including regional fare (like Mexican) in the eclectic Texas town of Marfa.

Brunch Box in Portland, Oregon: Portland is a street food hot spot. In fact, there is a whole blog devoted to the scene. But one of our favorites is Brunch Box, where Ryan Incles and Ariana Berry specialize in breakfast sandwiches, hot dogs, and burgers—some of which are strange. Like the OMG! Burger, which layers a cheeseburger with egg, ham, SPAM and bacon, and the YouCanHasCheeseburger, inspired by Adam Kuban's own Fatty Melt: a burger patty stuck between two Texas-toast grilled cheese sandwiches. 

Schnitzel and Things in New York City: Schnitzel is probably as fun to say as it is to eat. And how often do you really get a schnitzel-eating opportunity? Oleg Voss and Jared Greenhouse scoot around Brooklyn and Manhattan selling pork, fish, and chicken schnitzel. The "things" refers to sides like roasted beets and feta, Austrian potato salad, braised sauerkraut, Tahitian vanilla panna cotta, and apple sprtizers. 

Let's Be Frank in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California: Streetside hot dogs are not uncommon, but how often are they made from locally raised cattle fed nothing but grass their whole life? No speck of hormone or antibiotics in this tube meat. The menu also includes chicken dogs and "Not Dogs."

Fojol Bros. of Merlindia in Washington, DC: Where or what is Merlindia, you ask? It's a word combining the fantastical elements of merlins with Indian cuisine. Four "brothers" (technically they're not all related) serve chicken masala, various curries, lassipops (frozen lassis on a stick), and locally-made snacks and chips.

Here is a more complete list of street food vendors on Twitter across the country.