Top-10 Food Trucks in Knoxville

CJ’s Tacos rolls up as a top taco truck in Knoxville, balancing classic flavors with just the right amount of improvisation. There’s no mistaking these for the kind of tacos you grab and forget—each one is built with layers of flavor, tied together with house-made sauces that turn a simple bite into something killer. Fresh, fast, but never rushed, the truck brings a level of care that makes every order feel like the one they’ve been waiting to serve.

The CJ’s Original taco is a perfect mix of some of the best tacos in Knoxville, TN—smoky, spice-kissed ground beef seared with sweet red peppers and caramelized onions, all wrapped in a lightly crisped tortilla. Cool romaine and diced vine-ripened tomatoes add brightness, fresh cilantro a grassy bite, while crumbled queso fresco lends a soft, salty contrast. But it’s the chipotle cream, thick and smoky, and the tomatillo chili sauce, bright and tangy, that take the whole thing up a notch, balancing the richness with just the right touch of heat.

For those craving fusion, the Korean BBQ tacos in Knoxville don’t disappoint. Chipotle-marinated pork picada, charred at the edges and dripping with sweet and savory Korean BBQ sauce, meets the crunch of citrus-dressed mexi-slaw. The sauce pulls everything together, deep with umami and a touch of heat, while queso fresco smooths out the sharper notes. A final drizzle of chipotle cream cuts through, smoky and lingering, the kind of finish that keeps calling you back for más.

Beyond the tacos, CJ’s delivers in all directions—taco bowls for those skipping the tortilla, Creamy Fresco Corn blended with sweet kernels and velvety queso fresco, and house-made sauces that build heat, depth, and character into everything they touch. Whether you’re catching this taco truck in Knoxville on a street corner or booking them for your next event, one thing’s certain—CJ’s Tacos makes Knoxville’s food scene even better.

Tammy’s Fried Green Tomatoes is a Southern food truck in Knoxville where the fryer never rests. Parked on Holston Drive, it turns out baskets of golden, batter-crusted classics, each one fried to that delicate place between crisp and tender. There’s no rush here—each order comes out fresh, hot enough to make you pause, the scent alone enough to remind you why fried food is an art form all its own.

The fried green tomatoes food truck stays true to its name. Thick-cut and firm, the tomatoes are soaked in buttermilk before getting a cornmeal dredge, creating a crust that shatters with each bite. The tartness of the tomato meets the crunch of the batter, best enjoyed with a creamy dipping sauce. The fried fish follows the same philosophy—thick, flaky white filets tucked inside a golden shell that crackles at the first bite, light but sturdy enough to stand up to a hit of hot sauce. The chicken wings go straight from fryer to tray, their skin blistered and crisp, the meat inside still holding onto its juices, the kind of wing you don’t put down until the bone is picked clean.

Even the sides hold their own. Fried okra snaps between your teeth, salty and herbaceous, the batter barely containing the heat inside. The thick-cut fries come just shy of caramelized at the edges, ready for a shake of salt and maybe a little stolen fish batter. For anyone looking for the best fried green tomatoes in Knoxville, Tammy’s delivers everything fresh, fried, and full of Southern flavor. You’ll find them at 4033 Holston Drive, proving that great Southern cooking is all about patience, heat, and perfect timing.

El Gato Peligroso moves through Knoxville like it’s got stories to tell from literally everywhere, rolling up to Trailhead Beer Market with a menu that skydives from classic Americana to something straight out of a European pub. This best food truck in Knoxville is the kind of place where you order on impulse, realize halfway through the meal that you should’ve gotten more, and then go back anyway. Every item reads like a detour through another place—somewhere familiar but not quite where you thought you’d end up.

The Island Home burger leans into contrast, the buttery crisp of a succulent smashburger in Knoxville adorned with white American cheese, softened by sliced sweet onions, house-made pickles cutting through the richness, arugula bringing a peppery snap, and sriracha aioli tying it all together with just enough heat. On the other side of the spectrum, the Jägerschnitzel food truck favorite lands heavy in the best way—a golden-fried pork cutlet draped in deep, red wine mushroom gravy, plated with silky Dubliner mashed potatoes and sweet-and-sour braised red cabbage that keeps it all from going too far. These dishes shouldn’t exist on the same menu, but somehow, here, they make perfect sense.

The black bean & street corn quesadilla rounds things out with Cuban-style black beans, house-made queso, charred elote, and a jalapeño salsa that gives it a bright, smoky bite. Gato’s Famous Chili, double-fried fries, and a molten spinach con queso fill in the gaps, each one built for drinking hands, late nights, or just the sheer joy of eating something unapologetically good. The truck posts up at Trailhead Beer Market, where cold drinks meet hot plates, and where El Gato keeps doing what it does best—serving up food that refuses to be pinned down.

There’s something about an acai bowl that feels like a small rebellion against the deep-fried, drive-thru rhythm of the South. Hippie Bowls leans into that, setting up shop in Knoxville and making the rounds through Wartburg and Andersonville, blending up bright, fruit-packed bowls that don’t just taste good—they make you feel like you’ve made a responsible decision. Whether they’re parked outside a pharmacy or posted up along Oak Ridge Highway, this healthy food truck in Knoxville brings something refreshing to the table, no matter the weather.

The Hippie Bowl is as indulgent as it is balanced, stacking thick acai with sliced strawberries, fresh bananas, crunchy granola, and a Nutella drizzle that blurs the line between breakfast and dessert. Then there’s the Dragon Bowl,where pitaya smoothie bowl lovers get their fix, deep magenta blending with bananas, blueberries, and strawberries, tied together with granola and a finishing swirl of peanut butter and honey. It’s the kind of bowl that eats like a full meal but goes down light, the kind you finish and immediately consider ordering again.

With a menu built around simple, whole-food ingredients,this acai bowl food truck finds its way into unexpected spots, from Hammer’s in Wartburg to Anderson Crossing Pharmacy in Andersonville. Whether you’re grabbing one to cool down in the summer or trying to offset a weekend’s worth of questionable decisions, it’s an easy choice—succulent fruit, nutty granola, and something sweet on top. The kind of thing you don’t need to overthink.

Some trucks come and go, and then there are the ones that people follow, the ones that have true staying power. Enter: Taqueria La Herradura. They started with a single truck, built a following plate by plate, and never let up. The menu reads like a blueprint for what an authentic Mexican food truck should be—tacos stacked on double-layered corn tortillas, burritos packed with fragrant rice, slow-marinated meat, and all the accoutrements, tortas layered with smoky beans and tangy crema, all built to survive the first bite without falling apart. Even now, with a brick-and-mortar anchoring its name, the truck still rolls, bringing al pastor tacos to Knoxville wherever they’re needed.

Speaking of al pastor tacos in Knoxville, at Herradura it turns on a spit until its edges crisp, then shaved off into tacos and mulitas where the marinade lingers, smoky and sweet, sharpened by fresh white onion and cilantro. The lengua is another kind of rich, braised low and slow until the texture is perfectly tender, a cut that rewards those who order it with something deeply beefy, deeply satisfying. Sopitos come thick and sturdy, the kind that hold their toppings with ease, while the nachos take no shortcuts—fresh chips, full portions of seasoned meat, and enough gooey cheese to demand a second napkin.

Taqueria La Herradura’s menu is built for choice, with pollo, barbacoa, and pescado rounding out the options, each cut prepared with the kind of care that turns a simple taco into something personal. The truck parks where it always has, but the reach is wider now—bigger crowds, more people in on the secret. Some places fade as they grow, but this one just keeps getting bigger, cementing its place among the best street tacos in TN.

There’s a certain energy to this truck, something between a roadside trattoria and a rock show, where pasta twirls, flatbreads crisp, and names hit the menu like they belong on an old vinyl sleeve. The scent of garlic and herbs drifts into the night, competing with the hum of vibrant conversation, the clatter of forks against paper plates. Wherever Penne For Your Thoughts parks, people show up hungry, knowing full well they’re leaving satisfied

The Mind Grinder comes stacked with layers of Genoa salami, capicola, and mortadella, all fused together under a blanket of melted provolone, the heat waking up the briny punch of giardiniera. The Chopped Dead Gorgeous turns a salad into something more—a mix of crisp romaine, radicchio, and iceberg, loaded with smoked turkey, pepperoni, shaved parmesan, and garbanzo beans, all tossed in a zesty red wine vinaigrette that ties it together without weighing it down. One’s built for the long haul, the other for a fork in constant motion, but both land exactly where they need to.

The full menu leans into excess where it should and keeps things tight where it matters—flatbreads like Six Meat Under stack pepperoni, crumbled sausage, pancetta, bacon, capicola, and soppressata onto a crisp crust with a foundation of mozzarella and red sauce, making a strong case for some of the best flatbreads in TN. Meanwhile, Livin’ on the Veg keeps things fresh with roasted zucchini, bell peppers, caramelized onions, ricotta, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. For pasta lovers, this Italian food truck in Knoxville delivers gourmet pasta dishes alongside shareables like Unto Caesar with its garlicky dressing and Into The Great Fried Open, a golden heap of mozzarella and herb-battered zucchini fries, round it all out. It’s the kind of food that brings on the happy, lingers long after the last bite, and makes you wish you'd ordered just one more thing.

Hamburger Hill Food Truck rolls through Knoxville with more than just burgers—it carries a name tied to legacy. A nod to Pork Chop Hill, the speakeasy that once stood in Mechanicsville’s historically Black neighborhood, this truck holds onto that history with every order served. Smashburgers in Knoxville come straight off the griddle, patties seared crisp at the edges, cheese melting into the meat, pickles and onions bringing the bite, all tied together with the house Hill sauce. Deluxe versions throw in mushrooms and spinach, stacking layers onto something already hard to resist.

Then there’s That “Damn” Mushroom, a name earned the second you take a bite—portobello rich with smoke, layered with cheese, pickles, spinach, and onion, the kind of meatless sandwich that holds its own in a crowd of beef. Gourmet grilled cheese gets a bold twist with Nacho Mama’s Grilled Cheese, pressing melted cheese, pickles, and Hill sauce between slices of griddled bread before getting the final touch—a layer of crushed Doritos adding crunch and just the right amount of audacity.

Sides lean into the truck’s personality: fries crisped to order, house-made pudding that stays under the radar until someone takes a bite and suddenly won’t stop talking about it, hot pickles that do exactly what they promise, and Hill tea that pulls it all together.Every order from this best food truck in TN comes with a little bit of history, a little bit of Mechanicsville’s past packed into something meant to be enjoyed in the moment, savored slow, and remembered long after the last bite.

Dia De Foods serves food that moves with the rhythm of New Mexico. The Green Chili Cheeseburger is raw simplicity—beef and cheese soaked in earthy, fire-kissed green chile, the kind that runs through the veins of the Southwest, layering flavor that unfolds bite by bite, unhurried and sure. The heat’s not loud but satisfyingly persistent, curling its fingers around the edges of your senses until you’re caught in its current, like cattle in a roundup.

The Birria Tacos in Knoxville are rich and tender, with the beef soaking in the deep, slow-cooked spices, absorbing them like the desert cactus drinks in rare rain, flavors swelling with each bite until you’re pretty sure this is the actual taco that cut you off in traffic last Tuesday and it's so damn good you. No. Longer. Care. The rest of the alluring menu runs deep—green chili mac, smashed potatoes, ranchero beans, and fresh pork rinds alongside the mainstays, each dish carrying the same bold, intentional flavors.

One truck holds steady at Southside Garage, slinging plates to locals nursing a pint, while the other moves through festivals, private events, and, occasionally, full-scale gator roasts. No matter where it parks, this New Mexican food truck serves with the kind of quiet confidence that comes from knowing their food stands up to anyone, anywhere. There’s no gimmick, no need for explanation—just a crew that knows their way around a griddle, and a menu that proves why people keep coming back.

Clean Smoke BBQ runs low and slow, but there’s nothing subtle about what comes off the pit. The scent of smoked brisket in Knoxville and spice-crusted ribs drifts through the lot, settling into the air like the best gang invitation you ever got. The menu moves between Texas tradition and West Coast indulgence—pork spare ribs and dino beef ribs for the purists, loaded fries and smoked mac for those who want their barbecue with a little excess. Smoked jalapeño cheddar sausage snaps at the bite, while pulled pork grilled cheese gives comfort food a backyard firepit upgrade. It’s the kind of barbecue that makes you rethink whatever plans you had before catching that first whiff.

The tacos hold their own against any taqueria in town, folded with prime rib carne asada, brisket, or rich, slow-braised BBQ quesa birria, each cut of meat touched by the smoker before hitting the griddle. The nachos follow suit, stacked with layers of meat, cheese, and heat until they’re less a side and more a meal waiting to happen. And then there are the smoked wings—deeply burnished from the pit, crisped at the edges, tossed in sauces that catch just enough smoke to remind you where they’ve been.

Set up for pop-ups and private events, this BBQ food truck in Knoxville moves where it’s needed, whether that’s a festival, a brewery lot, or a late-night gathering where the only thing left to do is eat. Brisket by the pound, potato salad rich with barbecue drippings, street corn dusted in smoke and spice—it’s barbecue built to travel, but good enough to make you stop whatever you’re doing and stay awhile.

There’s a gravity to real barbecue, the kind that moves slow, smokes deep, and settles into the bones of a place. Smoked Pickle Barbecue burns steady, never in a hurry, running low and slow out of Ebenezer Road, where the scent of mesquite and post oak lingers long after the fire’s been banked. The menu reads like a tour of American barbecue’s greatest hits:thick-cut brisket BBQ in Knoxville, smoked until the bark turns black and the fat runs clear; Carolina pulled pork food truck specialties, rich with vinegar and slow-cooked patience; Tennessee ribs, lacquered in sauce that clings to your fingers before it ever hits your tongue; and smoked turkey in Knoxville, kissed by spice and packed with juice. Sides don’t sit quietly on the plate either—jalapeño creamed corn, thick and velvety with just the right snap of heat; loaded potato salad, dense with smoky bacon and cheddar; and cheesy grits, buttery, slow-stirred, and rich enough to linger long after the last bite.

The brisket burger makes its case with weight alone—a half-pound of hand-ground prime brisket, seared hard, soaked in barbecue sauce, capped with molten queso, pickles, and crunchy-sweet red onion, all stacked onto a Martin’s potato roll soft enough to absorb every last bit of juice. And then there’s The Lawson—a pulled pork sandwich that plays with contrast, the slaw snapping cold against the heat of slow-cooked pork, the sauce landing somewhere between tangy and sweet before the pickles cut straight through. It’s barbecue as a deeply satisfying balancing act, smoke and spice, heat and cool, all working toward the same delicious conclusion.

They sell it by the pound, for those who know better than to stop at a single plate—brisket, ribs, pork belly burnt ends, Texas turkey, and house-smoked sausage links meant to be piled high and shared. Whether it’s served from the truck or carried home in butcher paper and grease-stained bags, Smoked Pickle Barbecue is proof that when it comes to doing things right, slow is the only way forward.