There are a few staples in the lives of most UofT students – a passionate loathing for Robarts and its general atmosphere of soul crushing anxiety during midterms, finding joy in memes on the UofT facebook page, un-ironically using the term UofTears when talking to friends who exist beyond the figurative walls of this university, and generally being broke most of the time.

(Toronto is an expensive city, okay)

Now this general lack of money often makes life difficult if one is a burgeoning culinary connoisseur (or if one has to shop at the disappointingly stocked Metro on Bloor). It is regular to encounter a student who openly whines about their meal plan/the need to cook/that one retro diner that serves 24 hr breakfast but they can’t go to because a milkshake there is 15 dollars. And to all these students I say – never fear, for I am here to give you a breakdown of some of the cheaper mobile food joints readily available around campus that still remain hipster chic – food trucks.

And in true buzzfeed fashion, here are the top 5 food trucks present around campus.

5. Blue Chip Truck

Usually found by the Koffler building, the Blue Chip Truck pays homage to the very best of North American cuisine. Hot dogs, fries, hamburgers – all the things your mom wouldn’t let you have as a kid now readily available every day of the week . The fries might not consistently crunchy, and occasionally too greasy (thereby earning them the lowest rating on this very subjective personal scale), but their hot dogs are reminiscent of the very best from the streets of New York. With an average price range of $4-8, the hot dogs are totally worth the long arduous trek from Innis to the Bookstore. Ps- the guys at the food truck are extremely friendly and make up for the sub par fries (I mean the name of the truck raises your hopes, you’d expect it to be their signature dish…it’s really quite anticlimactic)

4. Sushi Burrito

The latest hipster trend to come to toronto, alongside Rainbow bagels, and unnecessarily complicated milkshakes and ice creams – and we get the privilege of having a food truck right on campus. With a myriad of delicious options, that will satisfy your daily Japanese food craving in compact portions that can be consumed on the go, the sushi burrito truck can be found at various points across campus. In fact, it’s difficult to predict where exactly it’s going to be any given day, making it an exciting event when you spot it on your way to class (side effect includes a form of classical conditioning where the excitement of finding the truck near your class results in you immediately craving said burrito). Personally would recommend either the Spicy Salmon or the Spicy Crab burritos, that are so good that they let you successfully ignore the fact that you just spent $11 dollars on a glorified hand roll. It loses points for being a cash only point (who always has 10 bucks on their person, I am not Richie rich) and for the generally mainstream hipster vibe that damages the reputation of genuine hipsters (like myself)

3. Wokking on wheels

Found in front of Robarts, and always having a large group of hungry students swarming around it, I genuinely couldn’t think of anything snarky to say about this particular truck. With generous portions that last you for more than one meal, and general deliciousness this place is perfect for all ravenous students with a taste for authentic Asian cuisine. Personally recommend their fried rice –it’s made fresh and tastes that way. Most items range on average between $6 – $8, and you more than get your money’s worth.

2. Brown Chip Truck/Ideal Catering

This is perhaps the most trustworthy and well-known food truck on the list. Parked outside Sid Smith, the brown chip truck is literally always mobbed by students, and yet the service is almost always extremely fast. With a surprisingly diverse menu offering everything from potato burgers to hot dogs (both of which are excellent by the way), the best thing about this food truck is undoubtedly their poutine. I would argue that this is some of the best poutine I have had since the time I landed in Toronto as a clueless international student a year ago –and I don’t even like poutine all that much (pls don’t deport me). Extremely reasonably priced with a range of $4- $7 dollars depending on your order, most of the students have grown rather attached to this food truck and its Turkish owner. Every student is greeted with a “Anything to drink for you”, in fact one enthusiastic friend told me they would like to record her saying this so that they can hear it over and over again, and this is a direct quote –“It soothes me”

1. Pita Express/ Yellow Green Shawarma Truck

Usually found outside Robarts, this food truck gets the crowning position at the top of the list, for no reason other than the fact that it is my favorite and this was a completely subjective list. With a price range between $3 – $10 (depending on your order) and offering everything from poutine, to shawarma platters to middle eastern samosas – you definitely get value for your money. Personal recommendation – the chicken shawarma wrap combo at $7. Now their shawarmas are great, and so are other items on the menu – but the reason they are my absolute favorite place to eat on campus is that they serve the best darn fries I have had in this city (in the normal potato category, sweet potatoes have their own category). Seriously. I cannot stress this enough. Best.Fries.

Images courtesy of Yiqun Zhang