On Fridays at Big Spring Park, the block buzzes with diverse food trucks, eager patrons, and enticing aromas. Like snowflakes, no two food trucks are the same, each offering its own unique cuisine and story. You’ll find Huntsville’s most daring and intriguing food often rolls through the city on wheels, waiting to be discovered in plain sight.
Teresita Tamales
For Jessica Sanchez, cooking tamales was a way of life. She fondly recalls spending her teenage years helping her mom make tamales every weekend to sell from their apartment. As word spread, their tamales became so popular that lines of cars would wrap around the block. "People thought we were having a party," Sanchez recalls.
Even after they moved into a house, their loyal customers—and new ones—continued to show up every weekend. It was then that Jessica’s mother suggested she and her sister start a food truck. After years of saving up, Teresita’s Tamales finally became a reality in 2020, becoming the first tamale truck in North Alabama. Launching a food truck during COVID, Jessica wasn’t sure what to expect, but the community rallied around her. "The community was good to us; they were just so happy we finally had a food truck," she says. Sanchez also found support from the broader food truck community. "We all want everyone to succeed in this business, and many other food trucks feel the same way about us." Teresita's Tamales is named after Jessica's mother, Teresita, who still cooks all the tamales in the truck to this day. "What makes our food truck special is the love my mother puts into her cooking," Sanchez shares. Naming the truck after her mother felt like the perfect way to honor all the work that she does.
If you find yourself at Teresita’s Tamales, "our tamales are, of course, the highlight," Sanchez says. For first-timers, she recommends the Tamale Combo, which includes pork tamales, corn in a cup, and a drink of agua fresca—all made fresh in their truck.
Southern Wagyu
It was during the first meal that Chef Marko prepared for Jennifer Barksdale that their bond became unbreakable. While not in the food industry herself, Jennifer had a deep love for food as a self-proclaimed “foodie”. Chef Marko, a third-generation restaurant owner, proposed a daring idea: they would open a food truck together. "People called me crazy for wanting to serve steaks off a food truck," Chef Marko recalls. However, Chef Marko quickly proved early critics wrong by making a big impact, especially among Huntsville's booming tech industry lunch crowd. Their food truck offers a refined experience, with dishes that rival a high-end steakhouse rather than your typical barbecue fare. "I always joke that this is a chef-driven truck," said Barksdale.
Running a food truck isn't always glamorous. "When you run a food truck, you're also the plumber, the electrician, and the handyman," Marko says. "But the upside is you can streamline your ideas on a smaller scale while still feeding the masses."
Their signature dish for first-timers? Street fries with chimichurri—a twist on the classic street corn. Bursting with flavor, it's inspired by South American cuisine, particularly Argentinian cuisine, and is perfect for sharing.
Hippea Camper
In 2018, the plant-based and healthy food options in Huntsville were severely lacking. We would go to food truck rallies, and all the trucks were selling burgers or barbecue,” Garrett Hardee recalls. Seeing an opportunity to offer something different, Hardee and his mother launched Hippea Camper that same year.
When Hippea Camper first hit the scene, the response was overwhelming. “People were thrilled to finally have a food truck option that aligned with their lifestyle or diet,” Hardee said. The vibrant pea-green camper truck is easy to spot in a crowd, and its hippie-inspired aesthetic developed naturally. "I thought the trailer had a very hippie vibe, especially since no other food trucks were operating out of trailers. Combined with the plant-based concept, the whole aesthetic and name came together organically,” Hardee explained.
Hippea Camper’s food often sells out quickly, but for first-timers, Hardee recommends the Beats Meat-Ball Sub. It delivers the flavor and texture of a traditional meatball sub but with a plant-based twist. Pair it with a lemonade or fresh-pressed juice, both made in-house with no added sugar.
Peguino Hermanos
Diego Arreola, a Huntsville native and alum of Huntsville City Schools, began working in the shaved ice business at 19. It was during this time that he discovered real fruit syrups—not the artificial, food-dye-laden syrups that are typically associated with snow cones and stained tongues, but syrups made from pureed fruit. "At that time, no one knew what it was," Arreola recalls.
As a child, Arreola fondly remembers buying snow cones from Peguino Hermanos, which originally started in 2008. Years later, he worked there himself, starting as a cashier and eventually becoming the owner of his own truck in 2019. Back then, Peguino Hermanos was unique, even receiving buyout offers from Kona Ice, which they declined to remain a family business. "We wanted to stay a family business, says Arreola.
Many customers approach their window unsure if they're offering ice cream or shaved ice. For first-timers at Peguino Hermanos, Arreola recommends trying the strawberry and cream. It features blended strawberries with tiny chunks of fruit, poured over shaved ice, and topped with sweetened condensed milk. The texture is smooth, like ice cream, making it the perfect dessert.
Vujee Vegan
Nikia Lightfoot always knew she was destined to be an entrepreneur. After college, she had the chance to purchase and franchise her own restaurant, but on the day she and her business partner were supposed to present their portfolio to the bank, she was stood up. "I was devastated," Lightfoot recalls. In 2012, she faced another setback with a breast cancer diagnosis, which led her to start her vegan journey.
During that process, Lightfoot learned to cook vegan food, drawing inspiration from the flavors of her mother and grandmother's kitchen, where she spent countless hours growing up. In the low points of her treatment, she found comfort in recreating her family's dishes to fit her new vegan diet. As she honed her culinary skills, people began asking when she would open a vegan restaurant. That’s when, according to Lightfoot, a "lightbulb" went off. On September 12, 2020, Oakwood Farm farmers allowed her to set up a tent where she started by selling cornbread and chili. On the first day, she sold out. And she continued to sell out. "Huntsville really embraced us," Lightfoot says. "I wasn’t sure if Huntsville was ready for a vegan restaurant, but my team and I were blown away."
For first-time visitors to Vujee Vegan, the choice comes down to one question: "Are you a burger person or a chicken person?" If you’re a burger lover, the bacon cheeseburger with waffle fries is the go-to. If you prefer chicken and can handle some spice, the buffalo chicken sandwich is a must-try.