Slide Food Cart

The best food cart in Madison--hands down. No matter how long the line is, I'm standing in it…read more Every. Time. always go for the medium-spice avocado chicken spring roll (no cabbage)--fresh, flavorful, and made to order. Pair it with the mango + papaya smoothie, and it's a whole experience. The ingredients? Always fresh. The service? Always fantastic. And the ambience? Chill, upbeat, and full of community vibes--music playing, people chatting, and that happy buzz of folks who know they're about to eat something amazing. No matter where they pop up in Madison, I will find them. Because yes--they're just that good.

Everyday in Library Mall, this food truck had the longest queue. Finally I decided to take time,…read morestand in a long queue and get lunch from here. I was in queue for 30 minutes. I got a strawberry banana avocado shake, and got it super sized to jumbo. After all it was just an extra dollar to super size it. Jumbo was a really big size drink. And it was an excellent drink. For entree I went for an avocado chicken spring roll and requested it be made spicy. The spring roll was tasty and was really big. For the price, food is a bargain here.

Avocado chicken spring roll spicy

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Menu ~ best spring roll deal in town!

Toast

4.1(31 reviews)

0.3 mi•Capitol

These guys have been at the CrossFit Games all week and their grub is so great. We've been grabbing…read morethe bacon and egg panini with a smoothie every morning and it's great fuel to start the day. Pretty bummed this will be the last day having this food truck until we venture back to Wisconsin. Absolutely recommend if you spot this anywhere.

A decent panini at jacked-up food truck prices. Clean, fresh food if you're in a pinch, but only…read moregood for convenience. Skip the lemonade.

The cart

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The menu

Luang Prabang

4.6(46 reviews)

I visited Luang Prabang, a Lao-Thai cart on Library Mall, a few times earlier this year. They had a…read moreregular menu that included curries, noodles, and salads, but also a rotating daily menu, all at very affordable prices. The people working at the cart were really nice and accommodating, and were happy to modify any dish they could for ingredients that you can't or don't eat. The first thing I tried was the squash curry, which was a really generous portion size for $7, consisting of rice topped with a rich coconut milk-based curry filled with chicken, kabocha, and zucchini. It was really filling and tasty. But the real winner from the cart after a few visits was the avocado spring roll, which was $3.50 and the size of a burrito. It was basically a giant fresh roll filled with avocado, lettuce, cabbage, mint, rice noodles, cucumber, carrot, and peanut sauce. We got the medium spicy sauce, and it had a fantastic kick to it. Still can't believe something so large was only a few dollars, as it was such a great deal. Definitely worth trying this cart if you're looking for something to eat on campus.

Spring rolls the size of a full grown guinea pig!…read more Ask for it spicy. If that not enough, you can choose from their all encompassing menu of curry, papaya salad, or pad Thai! I love seeing the sweet owner every time I visit.

Mmm avocado spring roll always hits the spot

The glorious insides of the avocado spring roll

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Avocado springroll

Kakilima Food Cart

4.2(17 reviews)

0.3 mi•Capitol

After a study session in the Historical Society, I strolled up to this food cart and wasn't sure…read morewhat to expect, so I asked the owner what he recommended. I asked for something with tofu, to which she responded that the number 4 is good. With an empty stomach, I accepted and was impressed. Upon a fluffy bed of white rice, there was a pile of firm tofu in a creamy, peanut sauce with vegetables and a side of lightly pickled vegetables and some chips that reminded me of some shrimp chips I had as a kid. Definitely use the sauces offered on the side, one of them is sambal and I'm not sure what the other is, but they add some medium spice to the meal. Truly, a filling, but not too heavy meal that makes me want to come back for more to try the other dishes!

This is my favorite food cart in Madison. It is very delicious and it's filling but you don't feel…read moregross after eating it. I have had a few menu items in the past, but at this point I only order the Oseng Tahu because it is so good! I'm not vegetarian, so I usually opt for meat dishes, but here, the tofu is too delicious to resist! Every dish comes with a side of acar, which is a salad made of carrots and cucumber. It's very refreshing and nicely contrasts the warm curries of the entrees. Every dish also comes with krupuk, which are tapioca chips. I need to find a place to buy these, because they're a great snack! Kakilima is cash only, so make sure you have cash on you when you go!

Number four, delicious tofu dish!

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Library Mall

4.8(8 reviews)

0.3 mi•Capitol

I could eat lunch here everyday for the rest of my life, and I am probably well on my way to doing…read morejust that. I was not sure to just review the carts individually, but like the Madison Farmers Market, I believe the whole collection of vendors is part of the experience. The food carts are all placed on the space between the Library and the University Bookstore. Lunch in an outdoor setting and fantastic people watching, occasionally even music. One of the best days I had last summer was accidentally coming across a mariachi band while hunting for lunch. And I never tire of the food. I can sample a new meal each day without trouble. By the time I go through everything available, a new cart is usually up and running and testing out the waters. The longest lines are always at Buraka, Jamerica, and Sukhothai (when they are there). Which is fine, because I can get lunch quickly at my favorites the Local Stanley or FIB's. FIB's used to serve a meatball sandwich with balls the size of oranges. They've reduced them to the size of golf balls, which makes lunch slightly disappointing but is probably better for my arteries. Be warned, currently the Library Mall has gaping hole across most of it where water main work is being done. And campus construction projects always last a long time, making a crowded space far more crowded.

The new Library Mall isn't all that different from when I was a student, but I'm excited for all…read morethe kids who finally know what the mystery object under the metal cone is - it's a fountain! Classes of UW students have graduated without ever seeing it, and when the weather warms up they can finally enjoy food cart heaven with a lovely water feature view. Lighting is significantly brighter at night now, and the little standing tables they've installed are great for when you want to enjoy your food cart fare without having to balance it on your own lap. In the evenings you might happen across a drum circle, fire dancers, or passionate students gathering for their cause of choice. It's a convenient way to cut through campus, connecting the Memorial Union to Memorial Library and out through to the southeast dorms and State Street. If you've spent any significant amount of time on campus, you've also likely spent a significant amount of time walking through library mall. Looking forward to the grass regrowing as the lawn is a nice spot for catching some midday sunshine!

A beautiful morning view of the Wisconsin State Capitol building from Library Mall.

Boom Box Parade, Leon Varjian on far right. This parade ended at Library Mall. Photo by Tom Brody.

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Boom Box Parade on State Street. This parade ended at Library Mall. --Tom Brody

El Grito Taqueria

4.9(37 reviews)

0.6 mi•Capitol

A friend got this food truck for a private function and it was amazing. The pork tacos and the corn…read morewere highlights. I wish this was a brick and mortar restaurant I could visit more often. Guys were friendly and fast with the service. Yum!

Seriously good food, and one of my favorite carts in Madison!!…read more They usually feature three types of tacos on their menu: two different meats and one vegetable taco. I love their meat (brisket, pork and chicken) tacos but be sure to NOT EXCLUDE that vegetable (sweet potato, roasted carrot, and cauliflower) taco! Sounds strange, but they've got me hooked on that veggie taco. I always order one of each, no matter what's featured that day. They use fresh, farm ingredients, with bold and spicy flavors. Their habanero sauce is homemade and definitely brings the heat. If they ever decide to bottle that sauce, I'd be the first to pre-order a case of datt!!!! Sometimes they have house-made drinks, like horchata or watermelon agua. Both will quench your thirst and satisfy your taste buds!

Homemade ice cream taco

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Caracas Empanadas

4.8(64 reviews)

0.5 mi•Capitol

Oh, Caracas, how we love you!…read more We used to come here every time we went to the farmer's market. My kid was 10 years old when we left WI. We drove from Portland, OR, to drop my kid off at college in Chicago. We made a stop in Madison. Why? Because he wanted to go to Caracas, of course! Yes, they are that good! Easily the best empanadas we've had and Portland has good food. And your cilantro sauce is sooo tasty! We miss you and wish we lived closer

I was roaming around in the Dane County Farmers market and decided to try empanadas. Pabello…read moreempanada was my favorite here. Beef and cheese empanada was just ok. Actually I ordered vegetarian empanada, ended up getting beef and cheese empanada.

Pabellon empanada

Store front

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Bombay Fast Cafe

4.4(8 reviews)

Bombay Fast Cafe is the BEST!! Tried it for the first time this week and had to go back the very…read morenext day to try again. I will be a regular here. The food truck is located on the Library Mall. They have four items on their menu. Pav Bhaji, Misal Pav, Vada Pav and Bombay Falafel. I have tried the Vada Pav and Pav bhaji and both were delicious and full of flavors. Authentic Indian street food available in Madison, WI. You cannot miss out on this. The couple who own the food truck are super sweet and friendly. They are other ones preparing the food. Go check it out today and thank me later! Highly Recommend!

My friend and I had our lunch at Bombay cafe food truck at the Farmers Market, Madison capital…read moresquare location. We were very tired after lots of walking at the market. Owners Milind & Rama Ranade were extremely very friendly during our conversation while placing the order. We both ordered Bombay Falafal, and it was very scrumptious with perfect spice level along with rice & lentils, salad and two kind of chutney hot and sweet. Looking forward to visit this eatery again. Only suggestion I would like to give for Bombay Falafel order, was instead of two chutneys I would rather have Tahini sauce and olive oil & instead of rice and lentils I would have enjoyed pita bread to make the dish very authentic. Cutting one star for this issue. Nonetheless food was fantastic.

Food truck

Misal Pav

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Umami Buns

4.1(21 reviews)

Can't get enough of your love, babe…read more And there is certainly lotsa love to be had with an Umami pork bun. Oven roasted pork belly, scallions, hoisin sauce, and pickled cucumbers. Yep, it's love. The steamed bun is warm, fluffy and scrumptious, the meat tender. Flavorfully wonderful.

I finally, finally tracked down the Umami cart at the farmers market!! My friend and I split 3 buns…read moreplus a side (edamame or wonton chips) for $10; pretty pricey for a food cart, but not so bad when you are splitting with another person. We got the pork belly bun, the bulgogi bun, and the spicy tofu bun. Of the three, I was only very impressed with the pork belly and bulgogi buns. The meats are marinated well and cooked even better. I thought the additional condiments (hoisin sauce, cucumbers, etc.) were a nice touch that helped add a different flavor dimension (and crunchiness!) to the buns. I, however, did not like the spicy tofu bun. I'll give them credit for offering a vegetarian option, but the slices of tofu are way too thick and way too bland for the spicy sauce (which is really just mayo + sriracha) to counteract. Nice try, but I'll pass. I was also not very impressed by the buns themselves - they were way over steamed, which made them difficult to chew. My biggest gripe was with the slow, slow service. I understand that they make each bun to order, which is great, but if that is the case, there really needs to be more than one person in the cart. One person taking orders and one person putting the buns together would make the process go much more smoothly and quickly! Five stars for the bulgogi and pork belly buns and three stars for the service averages to a nice, even four stars for Umami Buns.

Menu!

Too: pork belly. Bottom: beef.

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Pulled pork

Bulgogi Korean Taco

3.1(27 reviews)

We were in town for a business trip and while I was in class, my husband stumbled upon this food…read moretruck and a bunch of others over on State Street, so he was excited to bring me over there for lunch. Out of all the yummy looking food truck eats, we chose the Korean Taco Truck. He has the bulgogi steak tacos, and I had the chicken bulgogi rice bowl - both were delish. He really loved the gochujang sauce, so I will have to get him some for home. It was a yummy quick lunch and we loved it.

I took out lunch from this truck. Bulgogi mix rice with beef was my entree. I would say, it had…read moregood flavors. Korean and mexican type of food getting mixed is an interesting fusion to try.