The best food trucks in Nelson are mostly gathered in one place. Kirby Lane, an open-air space at 105 Bridge Street in the middle of town, is home to a permanent group of carts covering Argentinean, Japanese, Thai, Middle Eastern and Japanese ramen cooking, open Monday to Saturday for lunch. Several of them also work markets and cater events when they are not at the lane.
1Viva la Vaca
Viva la Vaca has been at Kirby Lane since 2018, cooking Argentinean food with a New Zealand accent. The centrepiece is parilla, meat cooked slowly over wood fire, served alongside hand-made empanadas. Meat is sourced locally and the cart uses free-range and sustainably raised suppliers. When it is not at the lane it works markets around the region and caters larger events, including weddings, which it now runs as a separate catering arm. Weekly whereabouts are posted on its social channels.
Services
- Wood-fired parilla meats
- Hand-made empanadas
- Market and festival trading
- Wedding and event catering
- Corporate and private catering
Highlights
- Trading at Kirby Lane since 2018
- Parilla cooking over wood fire rather than a griddle or fryer
- Locally sourced free-range and sustainable meat
- Vegetarian, gluten-free and keto options on the menu
- Grew from the cart into a separate catering business for weddings and corporate events
Location & Contact
Name: Viva la Vaca
Address: Kirby Lane, 105 Bridge Street, Nelson 7010
Phone: 021 155 6948
Website: vivalavaca.co.nz
2Mister Karaage
Mister Karaage has been at Kirby Lane since 2019, cooking Japanese fried chicken to order. The menu runs from plain karaage through a range of sauces to fuller plates, and it is one of the carts at the lane set up for delivery as well as walk-up trade. It opens Tuesday to Saturday for a tight lunch window.
Services
- Japanese karaage fried chicken
- Rice bowls and bento
- Miso soup and sides
- Takeaway and delivery
Highlights
- Five sauces to choose from, including teriyaki, sweet chilli, hot sauce and jalapeño mayo
- Bento box includes vegetable korokke and takoyaki alongside the karaage
- Karaage Don served with rice and salad for a fuller meal
- Available on delivery apps as well as at the lane
Location & Contact
Name: Mister Karaage
Address: Kirby Lane, 105 Bridge Street, Nelson 7010
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm to 2.30pm
3Nikki’s Thai Food
Nikki’s Thai Food Cart arrived at Kirby Lane with a long Nelson history behind it. Nikki traded on Hardy Street for 12 years before moving the cart to the lane in late 2022, and brought the same menu with her. It covers the Thai standards, cooked to whatever heat you ask for, with a Thai-hot level for anyone who wants it. It runs a longer lunch service than most of the carts, through to 3pm on weekdays.
Services
- Thai stir-fries and noodle dishes
- Thai soups
- Rice plates
- Adjustable spice levels to order
Highlights
- Twelve years trading on Hardy Street before moving to Kirby Lane in late 2022
- Pad Thai, Pad Kraprao, Tom Yum and chicken with peanut sauce on the regular menu
- Any spice level on request, up to a Thai-hot setting
- Opens until 3pm on weekdays, later than most carts at the lane
Location & Contact
Name: Nikki’s Thai Food
Address: Kirby Lane, 105 Bridge Street, Nelson 7010
Hours: Monday to Friday, 11.30am to 3pm
4Saed’s Falafel & Grill
Saed’s has been at Kirby Lane since 2020, cooking Middle Eastern food over charcoal. Souvlakis are the core of it, filled with Saed’s own falafel, Palestinian-style lamb or Levantine marinated chicken. There are larger grill plates for a fuller meal and a properly made baklava for afterwards. The operation is due to move into a larger shipping-container space at the lane, which will give it more grill capacity.
Services
- Souvlakis with falafel, lamb or chicken
- Charcoal mixed grill on rice
- Vegetarian grill with halloumi skewers
- Arabic salads and sides
- Homemade baklava
Highlights
- Everything cooked over charcoal rather than on a flat top
- Falafel made in-house rather than bought in
- Palestinian-style lamb and Levantine marinated chicken as separate fillings
- Baklava made on site with pistachios and floral syrup
- Moving into a larger shipping-container site at the lane for more grill capacity
Location & Contact
Name: Saed’s Falafel & Grill
Address: Kirby Lane, 105 Bridge Street, Nelson 7010
5Slurp
Slurp is the ramen cart at Kirby Lane, working a weekday lunch service. Bowls come with pork, chicken or vegan broth, and there are Japanese snacks and sides if you want something lighter or something to share. It is the option to head for on a cold Nelson day, and the vegan broth means it is not a token vegetarian menu bolted onto a meat one.
Services
- Ramen with pork, chicken or vegan broth
- Japanese snacks and sides
- Loaded fries
Highlights
- Vegan ramen broth made as its own option, not a substitution
- Edamame, kakiage sticks and loaded fries for sharing
- Weekday lunch service from 11.30am
Location & Contact
Name: Slurp
Address: Kirby Lane, 105 Bridge Street, Nelson 7010
Hours: Monday to Friday, 11.30am to 2.30pm
Food Trucks in Nelson at a Glance
| Business | Based in | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Viva la Vaca | Nelson | Trading at Kirby Lane since 2018 |
| Mister Karaage | Nelson | Five sauces to choose from |
| Nikki's Thai Food | Nelson | Twelve years trading on Hardy Street before moving to Kirby Lane in l... |
| Saed's Falafel & Grill | Nelson | Everything cooked over charcoal rather than on a flat top |
| Slurp | Nelson | Vegan ramen broth made as its own option, not a substitution |
How to Choose the Right Food Truck in Nelson
- Check the hours before you walk down, as the carts at Kirby Lane keep different lunch windows and not all of them open on the same days.
- If you want to sit down with a group, the lane itself is the draw, since everyone can order from a different cart and eat together.
- For an event or wedding, look for an operator with a self-contained commercial kitchen rather than a service cart, because that changes what they can cook on site.
- Ask about dietary options directly, as several carts run genuine vegan and gluten-free menus rather than substitutions.
- Follow the carts on social media if you want them outside the lane, since market and festival dates are posted weekly rather than fixed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Food Trucks in Nelson
Where are the food trucks in Nelson?
Most of them are at Kirby Lane, an open-air space at 105 Bridge Street in the city centre, open Monday to Saturday. Individual carts also work markets and festivals around the Nelson and Tasman region.
What days is Kirby Lane open?
Kirby Lane opens Monday to Saturday, though each cart sets its own hours within that. Most run a lunch service between about 11.30am and 3pm. It also runs Kirby Fridays seasonally, with live music, street food and a pop-up bar.
Can you hire a food truck for a wedding in Nelson?
Yes. Viva la Vaca caters weddings and corporate events alongside its cart. Beat Kitchen operates a converted Japanese library bus fitted out as a self-contained commercial kitchen for weddings and large events, and Italian Pizza Garage runs a mobile wood-fired pizza cart for festivals, weddings and events.
Are there vegan food trucks in Nelson?
None of the carts are exclusively vegan, but several run proper vegan options. Slurp makes a vegan ramen broth as its own item, Saed’s has a vegetarian grill with halloumi skewers and vegan-friendly sides, and Viva la Vaca lists vegetarian, gluten-free and keto choices.
Do Nelson food trucks deliver?
Some do. Mister Karaage is listed on the main delivery apps as well as trading at the lane. Most of the other carts are walk-up only.
What kind of food do the Nelson food trucks serve?
The carts at Kirby Lane cover Argentinean parilla and empanadas, Japanese fried chicken, Thai, Palestinian and Levantine charcoal grill, ramen, and Italian gnocchi and pizza.
How long have the Kirby Lane food trucks been trading?
Viva la Vaca has been at the lane since 2018, Mister Karaage since 2019 and Saed’s Falafel since 2020. Nikki’s Thai Food traded on Hardy Street for 12 years before moving its cart to the lane in late 2022.
Is there parking near Kirby Lane?
Kirby Lane sits on Bridge Street in central Nelson, within the main city parking area, so the usual central-city parking applies. It is an easy walk from most of the CBD.
How We Chose the Best Food Trucks in Nelson
Every business in this guide was found by searching for food trucks in Nelson, 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 Nelson, 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.