Tucked behind UF’s Library West, the food truck plaza at 1542 West University Avenue is home to some of the most flavorful food in Gainesville. As students settle back into town for the Fall semester, here are three Latin food trucks worth seeking out.
Bowls Delicious Food
Located in front of Baptist Collegiate Ministries beside the plaza on University Avenue, Bowls Delicious Food combines three cultures into a variation of taste.
Owner Andreina Carolina Cabello, born in Venezuela, runs the truck with her Colombian mother. Growing up between the two cultures gave her a deeper appreciation and cooking skills for both.
The idea for the truck came from Cabello's American stepfather, who encouraged the family to sell the food they made at home.
"My stepdad, who is American, tried our Latin food — from Venezuelan and Colombian roots — and gave us the idea: ‘You all should sell your food because it's too delicious,’” Cabello said.
The truck's signature item is a modern take on pabellón criollo, Venezuela's national dish, layered with rice, black beans and skirt steak. Cabello said she wanted a format that felt current and appealing to young customers while still tasting like home.
"We wanted to give that feeling of being at home … inspired by the feeling of being with family," she said. “We want a single bite to remind them of their mom.”
The menu also includes arepas, a versatile Latin food consisting of a stuffed cornmeal cake; salchipapas, a South American street dish made with French fries and sliced sausage; empanadas, a stuffed and fried pastry snack; pinchos, similar to kebabs; and homestyle burgers.
For students trying Venezuelan or Colombian food for the first time, Cabello recommends the arepas or a bowl for bigger appetites.
Bowls Delicious Food has planned weekly promotions for the new semester, including discounted hot dog combos on Tuesdays.
Coma y Punto Latin Kitchen
Owned by Venezuelan barbers Brayan Saavedra and Ender Javier, Coma y Punto Latin Kitchen is one of the busiest late-night food stops in the area.
The idea for the truck started as a joke between friends rather than a business plan, said Karen Ortega, the food truck’s manager.
"Honestly, it was a crazy idea,” Ortega said. “One night, we just put it out there. We said, ‘What if we do this?’ There's no other place where we can go at 2 a.m. and get a burger like that — all special, all loaded.”
Ortega, who grew up in the United States in a Cuban family, said she adds her own Cuban influence to the truck's otherwise Venezuelan menu.
The menu includes arepas, salchipapas topped with shredded beef, hamburgers and hot dogs, including a loaded specialty hot dog Ortega called one of the truck's best sellers. The truck is also adding natural fruit shakes and milkshakes.
For students who have never tried Venezuelan food, Ortega recommends both a safe and adventurous pick.
"The arepas are definitely the most popular item here among the young people, [but] whenever they come to try something new, I always recommend our hot dogs, since it’s a flavor adventure they’re about to experience,” she said.
The business is looking forward to its grand reopening Aug. 21, Ortega said.
Miskie Peruvian Cuisine
One of the newest additions to the plaza, Miskie Peruvian Cuisine is a family-run truck operated by Mayerlyn Ríos Contreras, her mother Susan Contreras Silvera and her aunt Rossy Contreras Silvera.
They moved from Peru to Gainesville three years ago and opened the truck roughly three months ago, near the end of the Spring semester.
Ríos Contreras said the idea grew out of wanting a space in Gainesville where Peruvian culture and food could have a home.
"We wanted there to be a little Latin corner in Gainesville that could express our culture and our Peruvian roots, a place to socialize, a place where students would feel welcomed," Ríos Contreras said.
The truck currently serves three dishes considered the most representative of Peru: lomo saltado, white rice and french fries topped with stir-fried tenderloin meat and vegetables; arroz chaufa, a Peruvian-Chinese fried rice fusion; and anticuchos, skewered beef heart.
Along with chicha morada, a sweetened purple corn drink and Inca Kola soda offer ways for customers to quench their thirst.
Ríos Contreras said the menu is intentionally small for now.
"Instead of stretching ourselves with a super long menu, we wanted to first focus on perfecting our seasoning,” she said.
The most popular dish, she said, is the lomo saltado, a favorite among first-time international food novices because it blends high-quality meat with yummy carbs.
"The mix of everything makes it a very powerful flavor that stays with you,” she said. “I've heard that for the vast majority of people who've tried it, it's without a doubt one of their favorite dishes."
Beyond the food itself, sharing a meal carries deeper meaning in Peruvian culture, Ríos Contreras said.
“For us, sharing a meal with someone isn't just about eating food,” she said. “It's about strengthening the relationship between us.”
For students who have never tried Peruvian food, Ríos Contreras recommends the lomo saltado as a starting point. She encourages students to be open to trying something new.
"Give yourself the chance to be open to new cultures,” she said. “In diversity, you find a lot of richness and incredible experiences you never imagined.”
Contact Aaron Zagal Yaji at azagal@alligator.org. Follow him on X @azagalyaji.
Aaron Zagal Yaji is a Public Relations and Economics freshman in his first semester at The Alligator. He covers El Caimán's metro beat. In his free time, he enjoys going to the beach (or reminiscing about it), cooking Peruvian food, and squandering his money on golden shiny things.
