food trucks indianapolis

Eat + Drink

Food Trucks are a Thing in Indy Too. Nosh at These Trucks

Naptown’s top trucks, like The Flying Cupcake and Pierogi Love, corral at the First Friday Food Truck Festival. (Photo: Getty Images)

The food truck phenomenon hasn’t been lost on Naptown. The city has its fair share of bold, scrumptious eats on four wheels. You can find them conveniently parked in one culinary Shangri-la known as the First Friday Food Truck Festival (FFFTF). From May to October on the first Friday of the month, you can gorge yourself on the best of Indy’s food truck bites in the Old National Centre Parking Lot, along with some live music and plenty of beer. The eating starts at 5 p.m., so be there, or be … really, really sorry you’re not.

Now all you have to decide is what to eat. Or maybe you’ll eat it all. But we’ve picked a few of our favorites Indy trucks that are often at the festival (and if you can’t find them there, you should definitely hunt them down around town).

Little Pockets, Big Taste at Pierogi Love Indy

What are pierogis? They’re an Eastern-European treat: delicious dough, usually stuffed with potato, or cheese, or potato and cheese. Pierogi Love gives you more, though, with specialty pierogis stuffed with ingredients from around the world. The traditional, sautéed pierogis are on point, but don’t miss combinations like the loaded feta and spinach pierogi with tzatziki and the Fiesta Pierogi — it’s like a taco in a dumpling. Sweet! And Pierogi Love was voted the best food truck in Indianapolis two years running, so rest assured you’re eating some of the best pierogis around.

There’s more than just pierogis, though. This food truck also serves up food in buns, like 100-percent all-beef hot dogs, favorites in Syracuse since 1879 (and the owners of Pierogi Love are from central New York, so they know of what they speak), or kielbasa topped with bacon and kraut. With all this yum, bring your patience with you; there will be a line, but trust us, it’s so very worth it.

caveman truck indianapolis
Indy’s Caveman Truck (Photo: Courtesy of the Caveman Truck)

Go Paleo at the Caveman Truck

Eat like your ancestors did, like, the way, way back ancestors. Caveman Truck was one of the first paleo and primal food trucks in the nation. Paleo focuses on proteins, and the slogan “Bacon > Gluten” emblazoned on the truck invites meat lovers to join the revolution.

But cavemen probably never ate so good. Devour the Barnyard Chili. Made from grass-fed beef, organic sausage, pasteurized pork bacon, organic tomato and organic sweet potato, this chili will blow your mind. The menu is ever-changing thanks to locally sourced seasonal items. But Bacon Hash, Jicama Tortilla Tacos, Fried Plantains, Chocolate Chili Fudge Bites and more have appeared in the past, and maybe you’ll catch them in season, too!

And if all that weren’t enough to convince you, Caveman Truck also takes pickup orders and offers curbside and daily deliveries. Paleo-convenience, woot woot!

The Flying Cupcake Truck in Indianapolis
The Flying Cupcake Truck in Indianapolis. (Photo: Courtesy of The Flying Cupcake)

If Cupcakes Could Fly …

Ok, cupcakes can’t fly, but The Flying Cupcake’s trucks, named Petunia and Penelope, “fly” about Indy bringing you sweet treats. Originally a brick and mortar shop (now four), The Flying Cupcake brings the mini cakes to you in pink trucks decorated with, you guessed it, flying cupcakes. Let them fly right into your belly.

During FFFTF, don’t miss some of their eclectic flavors. Best-sellers include the Red Velvet Elvis, Lime in the Coconut (key lime cake with key lime filling and coconut buttercream), Here Comes the Bride (almond cake with almond buttercream), and Ebony and Ivory (chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting).

Oh, and if you’re gluten-free or vegan, you won’t be left out of the fun. The Flying Cupcake’s RAW menu offers up more than 40 vegan and gluten-free flavors.