If you’ve noticed more food stands popping up around town you’re not alone. It seems like there are more taco stands and fruit stands in Palm Springs than ever before.
Driving the news: Charles Drabkin, a Palm Springs resident and food writer for the Coachella Valley Independent, says he started noticing taco vendors a few months ago. He posted his findings on social media, drawing approving nods from others who had been pleasantly surprised to see them set up on vacant lots.
- One of the taco stands is mostly open during the day; the others appear in the evening. They’ve been spotted along North Indian Canyon Drive and near Sunrise and Vista Chino. A fruit stand — a rare sighting in Palm Springs — has been reported in South Palm Springs.
- The vendors are old school, depending simply on word of mouth and passersby to drum up business. None of them have any identifying name or social media handles on their vehicles or equipment, making it harder to know where they’ll be, and when they’ll be there.
Official position: Food stands are allowed in the city as long as they’re on private property, conform to zoning requirements, and have the appropriate land use permit, according to officials we spoke with at City Hall.
- Contrary to popular opinion, food trucks are allowed in the city (with multiple regulations). You just don’t see them much.
But why: Those in the know say most of the food truck vendors only come for Thursday evening’s VillageFest, where there’s guaranteed to be a crowd and many of the requirements for their presence are already in place.
The verdict: Drabkin has tried several of the taco stands. He says to keep an eye out for the one that sells Tacos de Canasta (or “Basket Tacos”). He said he’s never seen them anywhere else in Palm Springs.
