By Julian Higuera | Reporter
The Texas Food Truck Showdown celebrated its 10th anniversary this Saturday at Heritage Square. The festivities kicked off at 10 a.m., with 37 food trucks with offerings ranging from sweet treats to birria.
Rebecca Sheehy, manager of signature events for the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, said this year’s showdown was unique.
“We’re calling it ’10 Tasty Years of Food Truck Showdown,'” Sheehy said. “We’ve got a competition part of the event, from 10 to 4. You’ll get a ‘tasty ticket,’ which is available for $6 a piece. Go to any truck and put your tasty ticket in there and they’ll give you their signature dish.”
Sheehy announced the winners around 4:30 p.m., with trucks opening their full menu around 5 p.m. Sweet Sugar High Craft Burger Co.’s award-winning “Fire AF” burger claimed the title of grand champion for its combo of spicy, savory and sweet in one bite.
Other notable achievements for this year’s showdown included the people’s choice award and the best between the buns award, both going to Monkeyshines. Its signature dish, the “Maple Bacon Shines,” had a unique sweet twist on a burger, with its 100% grade A maple syrup-infused crispy bacon.
McGregor sophomore Susannah Sanders said she can’t wait to try out all the options, especially her favorite food truck dish, an American burger.
While the showdown featured a variety of burger trucks, the best international dish went to The Taco Station, which serves birria-ramen.
The event had tons of desserts, with the best being the berry cheesecake croffle from You Need a Treat, a mixture of a buttery croissant and a Belgian-style waffle.
Last but not least, the best Southern style went to Lulamae’s Cajun Cuisine. Their signature dish, crawfish fries, drew in lines of customers excited to get their Cajun on.
In addition to food trucks, a variety of events filled the streets. With a beer and wine garden for the adults and a KidsZone with tons of activities for the little ones.
A crowd favorite was the Doggy Derby, where a variety of dogs raced around a small course.
The Waco Axe Company had a variety of activities for the whole family. 30 other vendors were on the premises selling tons of goodies; it was a packed marketplace.
The event also featured five local bands and artists who played throughout the day.
“We’ve got Sami Brown starting out the day, she’s a great up and coming local artist,” Sheehy said, “The Rewind Party Band is kind of your ’80s and ’70s rewind hits, they’ll be closing out the night as our lead.”
Other artists who performed included country groups liked Chris Low Band and The Booger Boiles Band, and Zamora County Line, a local Tejano band.
With the showdown concluded, more info can be learned on their website or Instagram.
