The best food trucks in Gisborne are a genuine part of how the town eats rather than a summer novelty. Several trade from settled pitches with regular hours, which makes them easier to find than the touring model, and Grey Street in particular has become a place to walk to rather than search for. Food trucks in Gisborne also do a lot of the district’s event catering, so the same kitchen you queue at on a Friday is often the one feeding a wedding or a work function the following weekend.
1Food Cartel
Food Cartel operates from 151 Grey Street and has built a following of over fifteen thousand, which is a striking number for a mobile kitchen in a district this size and says something about how consistently it posts what is on. The menu changes rather than staying fixed, with fresh fish tacos and a house made golden kiwi chilli sauce among the things it is known for. Alongside the walk up trade it works as a caterer with on site service, so the truck travels to events.
Services
- Street food and tacos
- Fresh fish dishes
- Event catering
- On site service at events
- House made sauces
Highlights
- Following of over fifteen thousand on social media
- Rotating menu posted daily rather than a fixed board
- Makes its own sauces, including a golden kiwi chilli
- Trades from 151 Grey Street and travels for catering
Location & Contact
Name: Food Cartel
Address: 151 Grey Street, Gisborne
Phone: 022 602 2185
2Good Day Dumpling
Good Day Dumpling works from 202 Grey Street, a few doors from Food Cartel, and is the town’s dumpling caravan. It was taken over in 2019 by Toru, who moved to New Zealand in 2010 and spent the years before that working in restaurants and a sake bar, and that background shows in the cooking. It trades as takeaway with a 5.0 rating across its reviews, and the dumpling format suits eating standing up on Grey Street as much as taking a box home.
Services
- Handmade dumplings
- Japanese influenced street food
- Takeaway
Highlights
- Rated 5.0 across its reviews
- Run by a chef with restaurant and sake bar experience
- Settled pitch on Grey Street, so no need to track it down
Location & Contact
Name: Good Day Dumpling
Address: 202 Grey Street, Gisborne
Phone: 021 349 204
3Biki’s Gyoza
Biki’s Gyoza makes homemade Japanese dumplings and works three ways: as a food stand, as a food truck for events, and as a caterer. The detail worth knowing is how much is made from scratch, including its own miso paste and miso soup using New Zealand seaweed, which is unusual for a mobile operation where most kitchens buy that in. If you are booking for an event rather than eating on the street, this is one to approach directly about a menu.
Services
- Homemade gyoza and dumplings
- Miso soup made with house miso paste
- Food truck hire for events
- Catering
- Food stand trading
Highlights
- Makes its own miso paste rather than buying it in
- Uses New Zealand seaweed in the miso soup
- Available as a stand, a truck or a caterer depending on the job
Location & Contact
Name: Biki’s Gyoza
Address: Gisborne, mobile and events
Website: bikisgyoza.wordpress.com
4The Mussel Pot
The Mussel Pot is a Gisborne food truck built around New Zealand seafood, with locally sourced mussels as the centre of the menu. A single ingredient focus is a deliberate choice in a mobile kitchen, where a short menu cooked properly beats a long one, and mussels suit the format because they cook fast to order. Being on the coast, sourcing is the point of difference rather than a marketing line.
Services
- Mussels and shellfish
- New Zealand seafood dishes
- Street food trading
Highlights
- Menu built around locally sourced mussels
- Short focused menu cooked to order
- Seafood specialist rather than a general street food menu
Location & Contact
Name: The Mussel Pot
Address: Gisborne
How to Find and Book a Food Truck in Gisborne
- Check social media for the day’s location and menu. Several of these post what they are cooking that morning, and menus rotate rather than staying fixed.
- Grey Street is the simplest starting point, with more than one operator trading on the same stretch, so you can see the options before deciding.
- For an event, contact the operator directly rather than through a booking site. Most here cater as well as trade, and menus for events are put together case by case.
- Ask about power and water when hiring for a private site. Some trucks are self contained and some need a supply, and a rural Tairawhiti address is where this bites.
- Book early for the summer season. Gisborne fills up over New Year and the trucks are committed to events well ahead.
- Ask about dietary options when you book rather than on the day. A small kitchen with a short menu has less room to improvise.
Food Trucks in Gisborne at a Glance
| Business | Based in | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Food Cartel | Gisborne | Following of over fifteen thousand on social media |
| Good Day Dumpling | Gisborne | Rated 5.0 across its reviews |
| Biki's Gyoza | mobile and events | Makes its own miso paste rather than buying it in |
| The Mussel Pot | Gisborne | Menu built around locally sourced mussels |
Frequently Asked Questions About Food Trucks in Gisborne
Where are the food trucks in Gisborne?
Grey Street is the main concentration, with operators trading from settled pitches there. Others move between events, markets and venues around the district. Because pitches and hours vary, checking a truck’s social media on the day is more reliable than turning up on spec.
Can I hire a food truck for a wedding or event in Gisborne?
Yes. Most of the operators here cater as well as trade publicly, and a truck suits venues with no kitchen, which covers a lot of vineyard, beach and rural sites around Tairawhiti. Contact the operator directly with your date, guest numbers and location.
How much does food truck catering cost?
Usually quoted per head with a minimum spend rather than a flat hire fee, and it moves with guest numbers, menu and travel. Get travel included in the written quote if your venue is outside town, since that is the variable that catches people out.
Do Gisborne food trucks operate year round?
The ones with settled pitches generally trade through the year, while event based operators follow a calendar that peaks over summer. Gisborne’s summer is busy enough that trucks commit to events months ahead, so the choice narrows considerably from December.
Is the food made fresh?
In several cases more of it is made from scratch than you would expect, including house made sauces and, in one kitchen here, its own miso paste. If provenance matters to you, ask, because operators who go to that trouble are usually happy to talk about it.
Can I get vegetarian or dietary options?
Often yes, but a small mobile kitchen has limited space and a short menu, so options may be fewer than at a restaurant. Ask ahead rather than at the window, particularly for allergies, since shared fryers and preparation areas are a real consideration in a truck.
How We Chose the Best Food Trucks in Gisborne
Every business in this guide was found by searching for food trucks in Gisborne, then checked against its own website. Names, addresses and phone numbers are taken from the business’s own site rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what they publish themselves. We also check that each one is actually based in or genuinely serving Gisborne, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business with no website of its own is not listed, because there is no primary source to verify it against.