Victoria Food Truck Up at Centennial Square

Line up for Dog Nation

OK, I feel like a shit but I have been looking forward to this event for weeks and Sheila and I went today and I was disappointed and to say so feels like I am being disloyal to a great addition to this city - the food trucks.

The event was organized by VicFest and Tectoria as the Victoria Street Food Festival and is a great way to highlight all these new food trucks in town.

So why am I disappointed?   First off many of the trucks listed as coming a week ago were not there.  The following were listed as coming:

The ones that showed:
Discovery Coffee with Yonni's Doughnuts
The Reef
Puerto Vallarta Amigos
wannawafel
Pig BBQ Joint
L'Authentique poutine and burger
Victoria Greek Community
Hoyne Brewing

Here are the ones that did not show - and nothing was said why they were not there (update apparently they are next week)
Sugar Rush Mini Donuts
SnoMoose Ice Cream
Deadbeetz Food Truck
Stir It Up

Puerto Vallarata Amigos - one of favorites

Big Dog Burgers aka Burger Bus
Grilled To The Mac
Diablos Vegan Tacos
Wild west Salmon Grill
Melt Truck
Tacofino Victoria
Lighthouse Brewing Company

I really wanted to try Deadbeetx Food Truck, Tacofino, Grilled to the Mac and Diablos

There were a couple not on the list that were there
Baron Burgers
Jackson Ice Cream
Dog Nation
Bonterra Pizza

Next, the event was said to start at 2 pm and go to 8 pm, but at some point in the last few days it was changed to 11 am as the start.  I ma not sure why the 11 am start at the last minute but it meant that there was a huge rush at lunch that more or less overwhelmed the trucks that were there.   We got there at about 1:45 and several trucks were sold out of some of their food.  As an example, Puerto Vallarta Amigos were out of many of their fillings.  By the time we left there were some that were sold out period.

Burger Bus all the way over from Vancouver

I am half tempted to go down there this evening and see how it is all doing and see if they are still able to see food. (update - seems some of them closed for the afternoon to restock)

Finally, the prices for some of the stuff seemed at a gouging level, $2 for a can of coke is a bit much.

As for the food, Sheila and I shared our lunch. So we could try two different things.   When we first got there the lines for several of the stalls were very long. I would have gone to the Burger Bus, all the way over from Vancouver but the line up was very, very long.   Their food stand has to be seen in person to admire the brilliance of how they use the old VW bus.

Dog Nation had a very long line up for their 16 or so different hot dogs you could order.  I would have joined the line if I was interested in a hot dog but that was not what I really wanted today.   I honestly was in the mood for street tacos and I had expected to see several taco trucks there but they were among the no shows.  I am fan of PV Amigos but they are the food truck I have eaten at the most in town.

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We had a Baron burger from Baron Burgers of Sidney.  The price of $8 was a bit steep for a basic concession stand hamburger.  It was a good one but nothing out of the ordinary.  They also seemed to have been overwhelmed by the volume of business because even though they had a short line up it did not move fast.   They were also already our of something but I could not quite see what it was under the tape.  I expect in Sidney they do a nice steady business and do not see the sort of mass influx they did today.   I wish I had bit the bullet and joined the long line up for either L'Authentique poutine and burger or the Burger Bus.

We also had a jerk chicken wrap from The Reef.  The chicken was cooked well but the jerk seasoning was more of a "hint of" jerk, it really had almost no heat at all.   We also got an order of Johnny cakes from them - I think they may have had trouble keeping up with the demand because ours were a bit doughy and not properly sugared.  I hate to be too critical because the food I have had at the reef has been good.

We finished with a doughnut from Yonni's doughnuts, a part of Discovery Coffee.   We had the creme brule doughnut and it was a well done.   I think the idea of bruleeing sugar onto a doughnut is inspired.


I was surprised to see that wannawafel was not all that busy.  Normally when I see them around town they have a long line up for stuff.  All I can think is that their food is not really a summer sort of dish.

Bonterra Pizza from Shawnigan Lake looked closed when we were there, I did not walk up and ask what was going on, but there was no line up and no sense of cooking going on.  I do not know if they were setting up for later or had run out.   Sheila said she thought she saw someone with one of their pizzas.  My problem is I am now spoiled for street pizza by the stuff Prima Strada makes.