Food trucks have become a big deal in Columbia this year. From the South Carolina Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival in April to the Food Truck Wars Festival earlier this month, the Columbia community has quickly discovered the appeal of portable restaurants.
On Sunday, First Baptist Church got in on the food truck trend with its Food Truck Rodeo, a church event open to the public featuring seven food trucks, serving all kinds of food, from waffles to Asian pork. The church had part of Washington Street blocked off to make room for the trucks and for the crowd. The lines were long, but the cooler weather made the wait enjoyable.
Food Truck Rodeo was one of several promotional events for First Baptist, all of which made up what the church called “BIG Day.” BIG Day included a big breakfast, with photo booths for anyone to use, as well as the premiere of a musical called “BIG: The Musical,” put on by the children’s classes.
Some of the food highlights included the Belgian Waffle Truck, which serves both sweet and savory waffles, and Queenie’s Always Fresh, which is known for its fish tacos. Other food trucks were offshoots of traditional restaurants like San Jose and Scottie’s Café and Grill.
Columbia now boasts over 20 local food trucks, and the trend seems to be growing. Food trucks provide great, affordable lunch options for college students and workers alike, so with luck, the increase will continue.
Where else can you get fresh air and cheap, restaurant-quality food at the same time?