It’s way past lunch hour and you’re stuck on campus for the day, famished and looking to grab a bite to eat. Luckily, at UC Davis food truck there is a wide selection of food places available to students, staff, and visitors alike. You can swipe in at the Residential Dining Commons, opt for a variety of choices at The Silo and student-operated CoHo, or stroll into town and eat at a local favorite less than a mile away. Not really feeling these options? Fortunately, UCD also partners with eateries in Sacramento to give locals a food truck, food experience.
Gif courtesy of giphy.com
Hesitant to try them out? Not sure if they’ll be any good? No problem–we tried one of the most popular items from each food truck and rated the quality of each below.
1. Shah’s Halal Food Truck
Photo by Samantha Teshima
If you’re passing through the area between the ASUCD Bike Barn and the Craft Center, you’ve likely seen Shah’s Halal Food at its primary location by the Silo. Around noon-time, there’s usually a massive line of students waiting to get a taste of their ever-popular Mediterranean-inspired, Middle Eastern cuisine. However, the line tends to move quickly. You can also catch them during off-hours between 9:30 am and 8 pm.
For those unfamiliar with halal food, the term comes from Islamic culture, meaning lawful. Typically, for foods to be halal, they can only contain ingredients and be prepared in ways permitted by the religion of Islam. At Shah’s, they carry two main menu items: rice platters and gyros, with your choice of chicken, lamb, or falafel.
2. Star Ginger Food Truck
Star Ginger, like Shah’s, has seen its fair share of customers since establishing its UC davis food truck services in 2011. It offers Vietnamese-Thai food created by Mai Pham, chef and owner of its restaurant equivalent in Sacramento. Grab a bite of their Asian fusion cuisine between the hours of around 11 am to 3 pm at the Silo, or at the side of Hutchinson and Storer Hall. If you’re passing the residence halls, drop by the truck at Tercero on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Segundo on Tuesday and Thursday evenings after 5 pm.
This food truck used to offer its popular Banh Mi sandwiches, but as of lately, the item has been removed from the menu. However, they’re still serving up tasty rice bowls, noodle salads, and Thai tacos.
