Salinas Food Truck Night: Good Eats, Good Vibes and Local Love

June 17, 2025 – Food truck events have been a staple in communities around the Monterey Bay area for the past decade, but one place that didn’t seem to offer much was Salinas, the area’s largest city. Although food trucks have been part of some Salinas festivals and are regulars at farmers markets, there was no celebration devoted to highlighting food truck culture and cuisine.

All that changed this year with the advent of Food Truck Night, held at the city’s spacious train station parking lot at the corner of Main and West Market streets. Put on by What’s Grubbin Salinas, the inaugural event in March attracted an estimated 4,000 people, and many of the trucks sold out hours before closing.

For organizer Orlando Osornio, it was a good problem to have. It proved to him that Salinas was hungry for a sense of community, as well as good and creatively made food.

In addition to Salinas locals, “People were driving from King City, Watsonville, San Jose,” he recalls. “I wanted to give food trucks a platform, and seeing the response made my heart happy.”

Another Food Truck Night in May was equally popular, and now there are monthly events slated through fall, with the next one coming up this Saturday, June 21 from 2 to 9pm. All use the same formula—a curated selection of the area’s favorite food trucks, in addition to live music and performance, a wine and beer garden and a game area that has activities such as cornhole that attendees of all ages can play. 

The hard part, Osornio says, is choosing the vendors—he now has a list of 87 to pick from—so he rotates fresh offerings through each event, making sure that a wide range of cuisines and food styles are included. At this Saturday’s event, for instance, there will be more than 20 trucks offering everything from barbecued tri tip (Cocina 1932 Cali-Mex BBQ), Mediterranean fare (Mr. Falafel), Filipino favorites (McKayla Catering), coffee specialties (Café Con Leche), boba drinks (Tapioca Delight), smash burgers (Gabe’s Grill), to Mexican specialties from numerous trucks, from tacos to birria to seafood.

Osornio works closely with the City of Salinas events department, and requires food trucks to be licensed, provide good customer service, accept several forms of payment, have a robust social media presence, and also to look sharp—well-maintained trucks with bright graphics are a plus. 

Osornio, a former Salinas City Council member who at one time owned a food truck business with his wife, knows the challenges associated with running a mobile restaurant operation. Being able to give these small business owners the chance to reach new customers was one goal of starting What’s Grubbin Salinas.

But the other, equally important goal, is providing a family-friendly, no-admission event that didn’t cost big bucks for locals to enjoy.

What’s Grubbin Salinas clearly states on its website what it’s all about: “Our mission is to create spaces where families, friends, and neighbors can gather, support local entrepreneurs, and enjoy everything our city has to offer—from tacos to tunes. Whether we’re hosting a pop-up street fair or helping power a cultural celebration, we’re here to make sure Salinas stays lit with good eats, good vibes, and local love.”

Osornio, born and raised in East Salinas to hard-working immigrant parents, graduated in 2007 from Salinas High School, where he excelled in bank and finance classes. He worked his way up at local financial institutions, eventually becoming a loan officer. His love of entrepreneurship got him into the food truck business, but his venture was upended by the pandemic. 

Now a liaison for hospice services in Salinas, Osornio juggles his day job with family duties (he and his wife have two little girls) and a variety of community volunteer efforts ranging from Salinas Steinbeck Rotary to Tatum’s Playground, a park designed to be accessible to children with disabilities.

What’s Grubbin Salinas is a passion project for Osornio, and the Food Truck Nights are just the start. What’s Grubbin is partnering with other businesses on the brand-new Tonalli Fest Salinas on Aug. 9, a new event celebrating music, culture and yes—food. Tickets are now on sale for the daylong concert, which will be held at the Salinas Sports Complex and feature artists such as Clave Especial and Pancho Barranza. Also in the works for later this year are collaborations with Classic Car Week on the Monterey Peninsula, a local sports event, and a pumpkin patch, Osornio says.

Other dates for Food Truck Nights, in addition to this Saturday, will be July 12, Aug. 16, Sept. 6 and Oct. 4. 

Creating that sense of connection and community in a diverse city like Salinas can be challenging. But it’s something that Osornio sees as beneficial for everyone: “People stay here on the weekends and spend their money in Salinas. They can come out and see the neighbors, see people that they know. It’s also creating jobs, and giving people nutrition and fun.

“In terms of economic development, every city should be doing this.”

What’s Grubbin Salinas • @whatsgrubbinsalinas on Instagram and What’s Grubbin Salinas on Facebook • whatsgrubbinsalinas.com