The BEST episodes of The Great Food Truck Race

#1 - Showdown in Chi-Town

Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/27/2015

The two remaining teams arrive in St. Louis, ready for their final big sell. Tyler Florence challenges the teams to create three different dishes in 30 minutes to serve to two of the most renowned grill chefs in St. Louis, with the winner getting a valuable head start on the finale weekend. On their way to the Chicago showdown, they hit Springfield, Ill., for a Lincoln-themed sale. Once in Chicago, the teams have to hit three different ethnic neighborhoods with three different ethnic dishes. The team that first sells 50 dishes in each location will be crowned the champion of the Great Food Truck Race and drive away $50,000 richer.

#2 - High Steaks in Texas

Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/13/2015

In Amarillo, Texas, the final four teams are in for a steak-filled day: The seed money is determined by a steak-eating contest, and all the teams must add a steak dish to their menu. The team to sell the most of their steak dishes earns $500, as will the team with the best tasting dish. Prior to elimination, Tyler Florence makes each team send two members to pick up essentials, leaving their chances at the top three in the hands of their remaining teammate.

#3 - Spicy Showdown in Santa Fe

Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/6/2015

In Santa Fe, N.M., Tyler Florence challenges the five teams to use peppers to create the ultimate spicy Sante Fe meal. The hot challenge comes with a hot $1,000 prize. Then, the teams must put their planning skills to the test, as they only have one hour to shop for the entire weekend. Selling head-to-head at the farmers' market, some teams discover their best laid plans are their worst enemies.

#4 - Off-Road Eats in Arizona

Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/30/2015

Before the six remaining teams make it to Flagstaff, Ariz., Tyler Florence calls them up to let them know that their first challenge is underway: The team who sells the most in Flagstaff will get a one-hour head start to their next stop, Sedona, Ariz. In Sedona, the teams must make a dish incorporating the local delicacy, rattlesnake/rabbit sausage, and leave the comfort of their trucks to sell from Pink Jeeps.

#5 - Gold Rush

Season 13 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/28/2021

The four remaining teams pan for gold to earn their seed money, and some teams gain a clear head start on shopping and selling. Meanwhile, extreme cold and winds continue to challenge everyone. Tyler Florence issues a challenge to the teams to use a quintessential Alaskan ingredient -- crab -- to create a special dish for their menu, and the team that sells the most will win an extra $500 in their till.

#6 - Where in the World is Lubec?

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/30/2012

#7 - Alaskan Alliance

Season 13 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/21/2021

The five food truck teams are tested as they go deep-sea fishing in order to earn their seed money from Tyler Florence. The Alaskan elements are taking their toll not just on the teams but also on the trucks. One truck breaks down on the side of the road, and several teams underestimate the huge demand for their food in Homer, struggling to meet demand and keep their kitchens stocked. A surprise judge visits all the teams and tastes their dishes, and his favorite dish will win its creators a huge advantage -- immunity from elimination!

#8 - Delivery Nightmare

Season 14 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/4/2021

At the iconic Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors, the three remaining food trucks teams have to shoot hoops in order to earn their choice of proteins. On day one, host Tyler Florence makes the trucks remain stationary while the teams become delivery services. The inability to sell on their trucks pushes the teams to their limit, and a tense elimination reveals the final two teams.

#9 - Route 66: All-American Road Trip

Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/23/2015

Seven teams of food truck owners start The Great Food Truck Race selling their signature dishes on the Santa Monica Pier. They then embark down historic Route 66, stopping in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., for their first Truck Stop Cooking Challenge: The first team to sell 20 orders of their twist on Fish and Chips will get a bonus that might be enough to keep them safe from elimination.

#10 - Beach Bite Battle

Season 14 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/27/2021

The four remaining food truck teams meet host Tyler Florence on the beach to create their own signature beachside snack. Judges award $300 to the team with the most-delicious beach bite, and the team that sells the most treats earns $300 as well. Rivalries grow, and the sales competition is fierce among the final four teams, but a mistake in strategy leads one all-star team to give up its dreams of winning the title.

#11 - Hot Season, Cold Location

Season 15 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/12/2022

Although eight teams arrive to compete, it's the Los Angeles heat that leads the race -- and not in a good way. Special guest and all-star season winner Lime Truck challenges the teams to an eye-opening, head-to-head selling competition. As if that weren't tough enough, all the teams struggle with finding good spots with enough crowds to sell in the City of Angels. Tensions come to a boiling point when one team's home field advantage adds fuel to the already smoldering rivalries.

#12 - About Face in South Dakota

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/8/2013

The five remaining teams meet Tyler at the Crazy Horse Memorial, where they’re given their seed money before heading out to shop in Rapid City, S.D. How will they manage when their follow car is taken during the Speed Bump? On day two, they race to the Wild Idea Buffalo Co., where they find a side of bison that they must butcher for use in all menu items. After selling $1,500 worth of their bison menu, they rush to be one of the first three teams to reach a vista and win a reward, and the next day the losing team is eliminated.

#13 - Welcome Back, Winners

Season 14 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/6/2021

Seven incredible food truck teams assemble at Fisherman's Wharf in the food capital of the United States, San Francisco, to do battle as Great Food Truck Race All-Stars. Host Tyler Florence challenges the food trucks -- Aloha Plate, The Middle Feast, Seoul Sausage, The Lime Truck, Waffle Love, NOLA Creations and Mystikka Masala -- to complete a special bread bowl challenge to uncover the keys to their trucks. The teams head out to shop and sell for the first day of the intense competition. When these best-of-the-best teams face off, a small decision has huge consequences and sends one all-star team home.

#14 - Old-School Selling

Season 14 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/13/2021

In Napa Valley, Calif., the six remaining food truck teams go head-to-head in a grape-stomping competition with a unique prize. Host Tyler Florence challenges them to incorporate red wine in a dish for a taste test he judges, and he forces the teams to get back to their roots and compete for sales the old-fashioned way. After two days of selling, one team has a stellar sales total, and one truck must close its doors for good.

#15 - Hog Wild in Memphis

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/11/2011

#16 - Lost in the Redwoods

Season 14 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/20/2021

As they gather in a forest of California redwoods, host Tyler Florence tells the five remaining food truck teams that they need to forage for ingredients to make a tasty treat. Surprise judges determine whose creation wins the prize. Using the ingredients from the challenge, the teams must make a dish with the power to keep them in the race, but for one team, it's the end of the road.

#17 - Blizzard Brawl

Season 11 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/27/2019

Five aspiring food truck teams kick off the season in snowy Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Tyler Florence challenges the contestants with naughty and nice holiday ingredients, and they compete for sales while battling the elements in a winter wonderland.

#18 - Finale at Mile 0 - Winning Keys in Key West

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/28/2014

Tyler lays down the final gauntlet, as the teams must revisit each of the six lessons learned throughout the race, on an epic Florida road trip. They finalize their menu in Tampa, create a radio spot on the beach, partner up in Naples, take airboats into the Everglades for fresh alligator and then battle head to head in a cooking challenge to double their till, all before arriving in Key West. The teams sell on Duvall Street before being called to the White Street Pier for the final tally announcement, where one team will be crowned the winner of the Great Food Truck Race, driving away with $50,000 and the keys to their very own food truck.

#19 - 3,559 Miles to a Dream

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/19/2012

Eight teams of aspiring Food Truck owners arrive in Long Beach, Calif., to kick off this season's Great Food Truck Race: Lighthouse to Lighthouse. Host Tyler Florence welcomes the teams and presents them with the food trucks of their dreams and matching cars. The teams are then sent directly to the toughest, most cutthroat place in the food truck universe: the place where it all started, Los Angeles. These rookies learn quickly that running a food truck is much harder than it looks, and the seven surviving teams realize that they are in for the ride of their lives.

#20 - St. Louis Upsell

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/14/2014

When the final four teams hit the streets of St. Louis, Tyler is there to give them a challenge illustrating how a premium product is as good as money in bank. The next morning, Tyler gives them a truck stop challenge with the ultimate prize — the winning team will see their week's till doubled. Emotions are high at elimination as only three teams will get to head southward on the next leg of the Great Food Truck Race.

#21 - Food Trucks Ahoy!

Season 12 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/26/2020

The six remaining teams roll into San Diego, where Tyler Florence makes them pair up for a taxing team challenge involving a slimy sea creature. At elimination, one team has a shocking announcement that changes the rest of the competition.

#22 - Tampa 911

Season 10 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/30/2019

Six food truck teams meet up with Tyler Florence in Tampa, Fla., and are shocked to see a squadron of police officers arrive with sirens blaring. The officers are there to judge a contest based on Tampa's gift to the culinary world: the Cuban sandwich. After the challenge, the teams struggle with stormy weather and finding a good location to sell in the city, leading to one truck's elimination.

#23 - The Whole Enchilada

Season 9 - Episode 6 - Aired 8/30/2018

The final two teams head back to Los Angeles, where Tyler Florence welcomes them to the historic Pueblo de Los Angeles, the epicenter of LA's Mexican heritage and culture. He introduces Bricia Lopez, co-owner of James Beard-award winning restaurant Guelaguetza, and they explain the Mexican ingredients and flavors the trucks will be using in their final challenge: chayote and habanero peppers. Both trucks pull out all the stops for the win, but only one team is awarded the $50,000 grand prize.

#24 - Dinner Dates, Austin Style

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/31/2014

This week, Tyler tests each team on their partnership skills in Austin, Texas. The teams are first paired up to sell together all weekend long, and are then sent for a Match.com event, feeding the hungriest singles in Austin. The next day, the teams must switch trucks and sell their partners' food. Then, the elimination comes down to a six dollar deficit.

#25 - Miami Meltdown

Season 10 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/21/2019

Tyler Florence finds out what makes the final three teams tick when he spends time with each food truck in Miami, Fla. Challenges to make a crowd-pleasing pork dish and an innovative coffee creation keep all the cooks on their toes, and with the $50,000 prize so close, tensions flare like never before.