The Great Food Truck Race is a reality TV staple on the Food Network, captivating audiences since 2010. This thrilling competition sees food truck teams battle it out across the country, showcasing their culinary prowess and business acumen for a grand cash prize. Over the years, many talented teams have emerged victorious, each with a unique story and delicious cuisine. So, Who Won Food Truck Race in previous seasons? Let’s take a look at all the winners of The Great Food Truck Race:
Since its debut on The Food Network, the popular reality competition series The Great Food Truck Race has endured 14 seasons with no finish line in sight. The show features several teams per season that either own or want to own a professional food truck, vying for culinary supremacy as they hit the road and sell as much of their unique cuisine as possible. Beyond having superior cooking skills, winners have to demonstrate patience, teamwork, business strategy, savvy driving in all types of weather, as well as a slew of in-game roadblocks, speedbumps, and challenges that host Tyler Florence throws at players at the most unexpected times.
Grill ‘Em All (Season 1)
The first-ever winners of The Great Food Truck Race were Grill ‘Em All. This trio of metalheads, Ryan, Matt, and Joel, started their journey in San Diego and finished in New York. Their specialty? Monster hamburgers like “The Hatchet” and “The Behemoth.” They excelled in Texas, winning a butcher challenge, and impressed in Tennessee with a top-notch five-course meal.
Despite stiff competition from Nom Nom Truck, who consistently earned the most money each week, Grill ‘Em All delivered their best performance during the New York finale, finally outselling their rivals.
The Lime Truck (Season 2 & All-Stars Season 15)
The Lime Truck, comprised of Daniel, Jason, and Jesse, is arguably one of the most successful teams in the show’s history. This versatile team focused on using fresh, local ingredients specific to each location as they traveled from Las Vegas to Miami, creating a dynamic menu that adapted to each city.
The Lime Truck’s seamless operation and entrepreneurial spirit helped them earn the most money during the first and third weeks of the race. They also won a truck stop challenge in Denver by foraging for mushrooms and crafting a unique dish, and clinched the final truck stop challenge in Miami by catching a fish and preparing it within an hour. After winning season 2, The Lime Truck also won the All-Stars season (season 15).
Seoul Sausage (Season 3)
Seoul Sausage dominated Season 3 with their delectable Korean-style cuisine, including kimchi-fried rice balls and flavorful sausages. Ted, Yong, and Chris started in Los Angeles and finished in Maine, earning more money than their competitors for five out of seven weeks, including three consecutive victories at the beginning of the season.
Their shrewd marketing plan and efficient operation, including winning a truck stop challenge in Texas with their baseball park cuisine, cemented Seoul Sausage as one of the most dominant winners in The Great Food Truck Race history.
Aloha Plate (Season 4)
Hawaiian brothers Adam and Lanai, along with their friend Shawn, created Aloha Plate, a food truck dedicated to serving authentic Hawaiian cuisine. After a rocky start involving an illegal parking ticket in Idaho, the team found their stride and finished strong, securing first-place earnings in four of the final five weeks of the race.
Spanning from California to Washington, D.C., Aloha Plate didn’t win a single challenge until the final week, where their successful crab-catching and dish-creation effort off the coast of Maryland added a crucial $1,500 to their earnings, propelling them to victory.
The Middle Feast (Season 5)
Tommy, his sister Hilla, and their friend Arkadi, Israeli transplants, named their truck The Middle Feast, offering classic falafel and shawarma dishes. After a slow start, the truck rallied and consistently placed as runner-up in three consecutive truck stop challenges. Their standout moment came in Oklahoma when they outsold the other trucks with their beef onion burgers.
The Middle Feast truly excelled once they reached the Deep South. They earned an impressive $10,000 in Alabama during the penultimate week before serving award-winning alligator and frog legs in Key West during the finale.
Pho-Nomenal Dumplings (Season 6)
With a clever name and an innovative menu, Pho-Nomenal Dumplings offered Asian fusion cuisine, including corndog Bahn mi and Taiwanese pork dumplings. Chefs Becca, Sunny, and Sophia faced initial challenges, often outpaced by the formidable Waffle Love truck.
The team found their footing in Texas, showcasing their versatility and winning a steakhouse truck stop challenge. This boost of confidence led them to victory in Chicago, where they won the final truck stop challenge by serving three winning dishes of chicken, beef, and pork.
Grilled Cheese All-Stars (Season 7)
Brothers Michael and Charlie, joined by their friend Bryce, combined their French cheesemaking skills to achieve success in the family feud edition of the show. After a slow start, the dairy enthusiasts picked up the pace in the final two weeks to secure the win.
Traveling throughout California, the All-Stars initially lagged behind, finishing in 4th and 3rd place in weeks 2 and 3. However, their luck turned in Palm Springs when they won a desert challenge by purchasing chocolate, leading to an epic showdown on Catalina Island with Carretto Siciliano. Grilled Cheese All-Stars won by a narrow margin of $227.
Braised In The South (Season 8)
With Cajun-infused dishes like BBQ shrimp tacos and chicken “tatchos,” Nick, Brandon, and Steven dominated with their food truck, Braised in the South. During the six-week race, the team achieved four first-place and one second-place finish. Even during their lowest finish (5th place), they were the only team to win the till money.
The team consistently performed well throughout the season, but they ramped up their efforts in the final week, winning both challenges in Georgia. The final triumph involved cooking dishes using shrimp, scallops, and clams, ingredients they were highly skilled with.
Just Wing It (Season 9)
In a surprising twist, Worst Cooks in America contestants Kevin, Sharon, and Steven created a food truck called Just Wing It and actually won Season 9. After three consecutive 4th-place finishes, some last-minute heroics were necessary in the Wild West-themed season.
Despite specializing in chicken wings, Just Wing It found their greatest success in a challenge that required them to peel dates and create a dish. Winning that challenge was followed by winning a habanero dish challenge in the final week, resulting in two first-place finishes and securing the win.
NOLA Creations (Season 10)
NOLA Creations, specializing in authentic Creole and Cajun cuisine like gumbo, jambalaya, and fried catfish, started strong, experienced a rough patch mid-race, and ultimately rebounded to win the grand prize. Darrell, his wife Anna, and sous chef Terrell led the team.
After winning the first two weeks of the race impressively, NOLA fell back to Earth in Florida, finishing 6th and 4th. However, by serving exceptional “Risky Road Trip” burgers in week 6, and spiny lobster and key lime pie in the finale, NOLA sealed the victory by just 9 total orders over their rival truck, Brunch Babes.
Big Stuff (Season 11)
The four-week Holiday edition of Season 11 saw Big Stuff, a Colorado food truck specializing in stuffed foods, claim the ultimate prize over four other competitors. Brad, Eddie, and Mike initially struggled, but they went on to win four of the five overall challenges, narrowly defeating Lia’s Lumpia.
Big Stuff excelled at selling fig pudding, creating a holiday-inspired sweet potato dish, and finally, making a holiday-themed lobster dish that pushed them beyond their comfort zone of stuffing food.
Mystikka Masala (Season 12)
Mystikka Masala made history as the first drag queen food truck on The Great Food Truck Race. This Dallas-based team, with their Indian Tex-Mex fusion cuisine, was a strong contender every week, ultimately besting the Lunch Ladies in the end. Andrew, Sarah, and Navin led the team.
With three second-place finishes and two first-place finishes over six weeks, Mystikka Masala’s biggest moments came in the finale. They won three consecutive challenges by creating sweet and savory wine dishes, swapping trucks with Lunch Ladies to make their signature chicken wraps, and crafting two desserts out of tiramisu.
Tasty Balls (Season 14)
Houston-based food truck Tasty Balls, serving spherical-shaped foods with various ingredients, seemed like a gimmick team with little chance of winning for the first three weeks. However, Nadia, Misti, and D’Ambria turned their fortunes around by mid-season.
Facing harsh winter weather in Alaska, Tasty Balls triumphed in Seward during week 4, earning the most money and securing first place with a winning dish made from Dungeness crab. In the end, Tasty Balls served a hearty moose meat dish that secured their victory.
The Easy Vegan (Season 16)
The Easy Vegan secured the Season 16 title with their plant-based dishes. This win marked another milestone for vegan cuisine on the show.
During The Great Food Truck Race season 16, The Easy Vegan impressed with pink tacos. In a previous challenge, they created their own version of a competitor’s Butter Chicken, turning it into a vegan dish. The team consists of Taylor Herbert, Alexi Mandolini, and Matt Heikkila. Taylor and Alexi are romantic partners.
The Great Food Truck Race Season 17: Who Will Win?
The newest season of The Great Food Truck Race is currently underway, set in the Gulf Coast. Nine teams are competing for the grand prize:
- Argentina’s Empanadas – Wichita, Kansas
- Bao Bei – Washington DC
- Cooks with Passion – Atlanta, Georgia
- Down to Get Tacos – Gilbert, Arizona
- Fishnet – Baltimore, Maryland
- Kalye – New York, New York
- Plates on Deck – Lakeland, Florida
- SOLA Po’Boys – Los Angeles, California
- Wally’s Waffles – Chicago, Illinois
The winner of season 17 is yet to be determined, so stay tuned to find out who will be the next champion of The Great Food Truck Race!
