Jorge Camacho and his food truck arrived an hour early to the Chicago Food Truck Festival on Friday.
It was his first time his first bringing his truck, Delicia Tacos, to the event at Daley Plaza. He said he was the first one there because he wanted to make sure he was ready to go.
“I’m really excited,” Camacho said. “It’s like a new adventure.”
Jorge Camacho, who owns Delicia Tacos, said he is “really excited” for his food truck to serve customers at the Chicago Food Truck Festival this year.
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Friday was the first food truck festival of the season. The event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays through Oct. 6, is in its eighth year, said Kenneth Meyer, the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection commissioner.
Meyer said this has been particularly important to the downtown area following the pandemic.
“The Loop — it’s still slowly coming back,” Meyer said. “We still are missing a few of our restaurants, so this is just a nice alternative to dining downtown for the visitor or the worker.”
Today's the day, friends - the #ChiFoodTruckFest is back!!
— ChicagoBACP (@ChicagoBACP) May 19, 2023
????Date: Friday, May 19, 2023
⌚Time: 11am to 3pm
????Forecast: 68°, chance of light showers.
❓Question: What truck are you visiting today? pic.twitter.com/LLCv1PazaQ
The festival can host between eight and 12 food trucks each Friday, Meyer said. These trucks serve snacks including grilled cheese, Polish sausage to empanadas. Last year, around 40 food trucks participated in total.
A perennial favorite is Harold’s Chicken Shack. Mahde Ashkar, who owns the Loop location of Harold’s, said they have been bringing a truck to this event for about five years.
Customers line up for Harold’s Chicken’s food truck on the first day of the Chicago Food Truck Festival at Daley Plaza on Friday.
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Despite Friday’s rainy weather, a small crowd formed, waiting for Harold’s. Dana Ford and Kimberly Edwards, both clerks at City Hall, said they often eat Harold’s for lunch at work, either ordering it from the brick-and-mortar location or visiting the food truck in Daley Plaza.
Ford said she likes the convenient location and the “wonderful atmosphere.”
Another festival staple is Argentine empanada vendor 5411. Jacob Woisin, who serves customers and operates the truck, said he enjoys meeting workers at other trucks and swapping food.
Woisin said 5411 has been operating food trucks for about 15 years and now has multiple brick-and-mortar locations. He said he thinks the restaurant has built a loyal customer base by offering people a new cuisine.
He said his favorite empanada they sell is the Malbec beef, a ground beef marinated in Argentine wine.
Seth Feldman, 28, eats an empanada from 5411 at the Chicago Food Truck Festival. The empanada vendor has been in business for about 15 years.
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Aisha Haire, who owns Haire’s Gulf Shrimp, said she is continuing her husband’s business after he died from COVID-19.
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People look at a menu on the first day of the Chicago Food Truck Festival at Daley Plaza. The festival included trucks selling foods including Polish sausage, tacos and fried chicken.
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Nilsa Gonzalez eats tacos on the first day of the Chicago Food Truck Festival at Daley Plaza. The festival is in its eighth year.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times