Mobile Munchies Mess
Unshackle the food trucks: Houston's grub mobiles need more freedom
There's not much I want more after a night out than a late-night snack. Unfortunately, in Houston, that means waiting an eternal half-hour for the pizza guy or convincing a cabby or a friend (or a cabby friend) to transport you to one of our many drive-thrus — something I almost always regret immediately.
In other cities, (Austin comes to mind) the schlep home takes you past countless mobile food carts offering everything from the usual pizza, hot dog, or pretzel fare to international treats like Indian food and pad thai.
And when lunch hour rolls around at the office, our choices are inhibited first and foremost by what's within geographical range for our hour-long break, not to mention the crowds at most brick-and-mortar establishments. What I wouldn't give to walk up to a window and walk off with lunch.
So why is Houston — a city that's been lauded on this site and nationwide for its delicious and diverse food, so lacking in the mobile food vendor department?
Well, because of our city's strict regulations and the cost of meeting them.
Dictums include:
- Street vendors must be 100 feet from any seating area
- BUT provide notarized proof of a usable restroom within 500 feet
- They can, under no circumstances, be on a sidewalk
- Propane-powered businesses cannot sell anywhere downtown or in the Medical Center. Sorry, pedestrians.
But there are some successes: Although taco trucks dominate the market, newbies like Oh MY! Pocket Pies are making strides and filling bellies. You can find these treats — something akin to a gourmet hot pocket — at a truck parked near Warehouse Live in EaDO. When they're not on the move, that is.
[via Eating Our Words]
