Mobile restaurants are the new norm.

Owner Mikey Reisenberg of Mashita was one of the Best of Virginia winners for food trucks.
Food trucks have become deeply ingrained in the American culinary scene. You see them everywhere from farmers’ markets to college campuses, and there are entire festivals dedicated to them—including the annual Virginia Food Truck Battle (usally each September).
Selling food street-side dates back to the late 1600s, when vendors sold food from small carts or street kitchens. Modern food trucks took off after the 2008 recession, when many future restaurateurs launched low-cost mobile businesses, offering menu options from simple dishes to locally sourced gourmet food. Best of Virginia winners Mashita and Grilled Cheese Mania both followed this trajectory, beginning as food trucks and then adding permanent locations. They still use their trucks for festivals and private catering.
However, Collin Donnelly of LexMex Tacos in Lexington says his business began “as a pop-up with a Crock-Pot and a fryer, then we bought a whole tent set up, finally the current trailer.”. Crowd favorites include a smoked brisket taco with chipotle salsa, a Thai-style shrimp taco, and a “big ole chicken burrito.” He notes that a taco-inspired dessert (“Nutella is involved”) is coming soon. “I’m just having a blast serving up some cool food to awesome people!”