This North Carolina food truck ranks among the nation’s best. Why it’s a fan favorite
A North Carolina food truck boasts some of the “best meals served from restaurants on wheels,” new ranking show.
Merkato Cafe Ethiopian Food Truck in Cary earned a spot on a list of the top 30 food trucks in the United States and Canada.
To create the best-of list, the review website Yelp said it studied food trucks across the two countries. The website “ranked those spots using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews” left over time, focusing on “no more than two businesses per state for geographic diversity.”
“These mobile eateries serve up amazing flavors right in your neighborhood,” Yelp wrote in its Aug. 5 report. “And it’s not just about the food — these trucks often park in fantastic spots, from beachside vistas to convenient city streets.”
Why is the NC food truck a fan favorite?
Merkato Cafe was the only food truck in North Carolina to make it onto the list. The restaurant based in Cary, just west of Raleigh, has received online praise for its customer service.
Yelp users also raved about the food truck’s Ethiopian dishes, which many said had the right spice level. Several loved the injera, a bread the restaurant makes with grains from the teff plant, which is native to parts of East Africa.
Merkato Cafe calls itself a family-owned business that serves vegetarian and marinated meat dishes in neighborhoods across the Triangle, according to its website and social media pages.
Though Yelp didn’t say whether the food trucks were listed in ranking order, Merkato Cafe was in the No. 11 spot. Landing at No. 1 was Tony’s Catch in Kapaʻa, Hawaii, on the island of Kauai.
