The WORST episodes of The Great Food Truck Race
Every episode of The Great Food Truck Race ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of The Great Food Truck Race!
Seven food trucks in a competition to see who earns the most money, with the lowest earning truck kicked off at the end of each episode.
#1 - Fairbanks Finale
Season 13 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/11/2021
The final two teams meet up with Tyler Florence and go head-to-head in rugged Fairbanks, Alaska, where intense challenges and tough sell days test both food trucks like never before. With unparalleled grit and determination, one team will be named the champion and win the grand prize of $50,000, and one team will leave Alaska with only dashed food truck dreams.
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#2 - Big Trouble in the Big Easy
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/5/2010
The final four trucks arrive in New Orleans and meet Tyler at the Louisiana Superdome. The competitors run into shockingly unpredictable weather; one minute it’s clear, and the next it’s a major downpour. Putting even more pressure on the teams, Tyler calls them with the Truck Stop challenge: the teams must close down their trucks for the night and meet him near the Mississippi River at day break to prepare a classic catfish dish for a local legend, Chef Jacques Leonardi (Jaques-Imo and Crabby Jack’s). The winning team earns $500 and the opportunity to immediately open their truck for business, while the three losing teams endure filleting 700 pounds of catfish before returning to their trucks.
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#3 - Where's the Beef?
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/29/2010
The five remaining teams roll into Fort Worth, Texas, the beef capital of the world, and assemble in front of the courthouse. After the weekend’s competition gets underway, Tyler calls the teams with their Truck Stop challenge: butcher a side of beef and incorporate into a special dish. Unaware of the challenge’s steep odds and secret judge “King of Fort Worth” Tim Love (Lonesome Dove), the challenge winner earns $1,000 towards its final tally, an amount equivalent to immunity
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#4 - Even Food Trucks Are Bigger in Texas
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/2/2012
The teams are welcomed to Amarillo, Texas, at the stadium of the Amarillo Sox, a minor league baseball team. Tyler announces this week's Truck Stop: The teams must add a ballpark-inspired special to their menu. Top ballpark concessionaire John Ciarrachi judges the dishes and awards the winner a mystery key. On Sunday, Tyler calls the teams with their Speed Bump -- their trucks are all immobilized by a parking enforcement boot. But the team that won the Truck Stop realizes they've already won the key to unlock their vehicle -- and sell food exclusively at tonight's ballgame!
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#5 - David vs. Goliath: Can They Do That?
Season 16 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/2/2023
A truck shocks the competition by replacing a member of their team with a previously eliminated competitor. One rookie truck strategizes and sets their sights on taking out one of the pros, but their plan backfires in an unexpected way. Then, a pro team that's been on the bottom turns up the steam and scraps their way up the rankings. Plus, acclaimed Chef Antonia Lofaso returns with a unique challenge of her own.
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#7 - Laguna Beach Heat
Season 15 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/5/2022
Tyler Florence welcomes nine food truck teams to Laguna Beach, Calif., where they begin the battle to win the hottest season ever. In their first challenge, Tyler dares the teams to light him up with their hottest dish, but only one team can bring enough heat to make him cry tears of spicy joy. Maybe Cheese Born With It, a mac 'n' cheese food truck team, starts off with stellar sales but gets less than stellar reviews. Meanwhile, Senoreata, a plant-based Cuban truck, instantly forms a rivalry with Mexican food truck Salsa Queen, pitting their head chefs against each other. The team with the lowest sales is sent home.
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#8 - Let's Get Rolling!
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/15/2010
Seven food truck teams embark on a food truck race that could earn them a life-altering prize of $50,000. In the premiere, the teams meet Tyler in Los Angeles, the center of the food truck revolution, and the race begins with the teams’ first Truck Stop challenge, a game-changing twist posed in each episode: Instead of starting in Los Angeles, the race commences in San Diego. To even the playing field, the teams begin with empty trucks and an equal amount of seed money. They have three days to prepare, promote and sell their food by any means necessary. After a weekend of triumphs, teamwork, and tests of character, the totals are tallied and the trucks find out who continues the great race and who goes home.
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#10 - Wagons Ho!
Season 9 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/26/2018
Tyler Florence kicks off the race at a cattle ranch outside of Los Angeles, where he welcomes the seven teams with their first challenge. The ranch's cowhands need something to wash down their breakfast, so each team must hand-squeeze a pitcher of orange juice in order to receive their seed money and keys to their truck. The trucks then head out to shop and prep for their first day selling on the busy streets of Los Angeles, but Tyler calls with another challenge: a beef auction where each team has to create an original dish with the cut they win. The team that sells the least is sent home, while the other six head to the next city.
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#11 - Chile Santa Fe
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/22/2010
With just a few miles before they reach the small art community of Santa Fe, N.M., the six remaining teams make frantic calls to local tastemakers to rally support for their weekend of sales. After meeting Tyler in Santa Fe Square, they receive a stipend and the action begins. The teams are interrupted as Tyler calls with their Truck Stop challenge: the teams must each add a special dish to their menu that includes local red or green chiles. Over the weekend, secret judge Eric DiStefano (Coyote Café) samples each of the dishes, and the winning truck receives immunity from the weekend’s elimination.
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#12 - I Left My Food Cart in San Francisco
Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/18/2013
Season four starts in Los Angeles, under the Hollywood sign, where host and chef Tyler Florence greets the eight teams fighting for their chance to win the grand prize of $50,000 and their own food truck! For the first challenge, the teams must go high class, selling one signature dish in Beverly Hills, Calif., but that dish must be sold for at least $20. The second challenge takes place in San Francisco, where they teams can only sell a NEW signature dish. The team to sell the least amount with their two signature dishes is sent home.
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#13 - Battle for the South: Sweet Home Alabama
Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/3/2017
The remaining five trucks arrive in Tuscaloosa, Ala. to find Tyler Florence and pastry chef Jan Moon waiting for them with a challenge: to crack the most pecans in just 15 minutes. The teams must then use their pecans in a dessert dish to sell on their trucks, with the winner receiving valuable mentoring time with Jan and the team that makes the most profits winning $200. On the second day in Tuscaloosa, Tyler challenges the cooks to a happy hour: for one hour, the pecan dishes will be sold for $1 only, and the team with the overall lowest sales will be out of the competition.
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#14 - Family Face-Off: An Egg-cellent Adventure
Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/11/2016
The four remaining family food truck teams head inland to the Santa Barbara Wine County, where they must face a challenge involving ostriches. Beginning to gel as food trucks, the teams sell in the Danish town of Solvang, Calif., where they're given a challenge steeped in the local culture that causes some setbacks. After a busy weekend of selling, one team is sent home after a very close elimination.
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#15 - Hollywood Homecoming
Season 12 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/23/2020
In the season finale, the final two food truck teams return to the competition's starting point for an ultimate face-off in the City of Angels. Tyler Florence brings the trucks to an upscale winery, and they're forced to pull out all the stops, knowing that one team will have to close its doors forever and one will walk away with the grand prize of $50,000.
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#16 - Battle for the South: The Big 'Not So Easy'
Season 8 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/20/2017
Seven teams with dreams of running their own food trucks arrive in the streets of the French Quarter in New Orleans where they meet host Tyler Florence. For their first challenge, the teams must create their own version of a beignet and sell it in the French Market in a challenge called "Dough for Dough." Whatever money they earn, they get to add to their seed money. Next, the teams shop and hit the streets to sell, and find out that running a food truck is harder than they thought! In the second challenge, the teams must impress New Orleans Celebrity Chef Susan by creating a dish inspired by the popular Hurricane drink. One team is eliminated and six make it closer to the finish line and the grand prize of $50,000.
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#17 - David vs. Goliath: This Is Food Truck Heaven?
Season 16 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/18/2023
For the first time in The Great Food Truck Race's history, Tyler Florence pits four food truck pros against five food truck rookies in an epic David vs. Goliath battle to win $50,000. The nine teams arrive in Los Angeles ready to fight, but no one is prepared for the twists and turns Tyler has in store. With over 4,000 licensed food trucks already on streets, the competition in Los Angeles proves to be one of the toughest challenges.
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#18 - Battle for the South: Fresh Off the Farm
Season 8 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/17/2017
The remaining three food truck teams arrive at a peach farm in Athens, GA, where they meet Tyler Florence and Athens chef Mimi Maumus. In the first challenge, the teams make a savory dish using the provided ingredients and peaches. The winning team gets to shut down the other two trucks for one hour at any time during the sell. Then, Tyler throws them a curveball while shopping and asks them for a completely fresh menu. The team that with the lowest sales is sent home.
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#19 - Hot Doggin' It in Tucson
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/24/2014
Tyler greets the teams in Tucson, Ariz., where they must come up with a creative marketing campaign. Later, they must put their twists on a local hot dog favorite, with the top sellers winning bonus cash. The next day, the teams must create and perform a catchy jingle at the Tucson Folk Music Festival.
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#21 - Battle for the South: Hot Chicken in the City
Season 8 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/10/2017
Tyler Florence has a surprise for the four remaining food truck teams: a taste of the Nashville's famous hot chicken, prepared by Nashville native and owner of restaurant 400 Degrees, Aqui Hines. The teams sample and see if they can take the heat, then Tyler challenges them to make their own versions of hot dishes -- but without chicken. Aqui tastes the dishes, awarding the winner $500 in their till. On the second day in Nashville, Tyler has the teams to create their own self-promotion, much like the many artists in the city. Country singer Craig Wayne Boyd judges their promotions, rewarding the winning team with immunity.
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#22 - Attitude at High Altitude
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/26/2012
The seven remaining teams roll into Flagstaff, Ariz., determined to get the hang of the food truck game. Just when things start to settle down, Tyler springs a Truck Stop cooking challenge on them: Create a dish featuring the local delicacy prickly pear cactus. Celebrity Chef Beau MacMillan judges the dishes and delivers a game-changing prize -- but Tyler is not done. On Sunday, he tells the teams to go vegan, and the teams scramble again to stay above water.
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#23 - Battle for the South: New Marching Orders
Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/27/2017
The remaining six teams arrive at the Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida to receive their next marching orders. For this challenge, the highest grossing teams from the first leg of the race get to pick teams to work with to feed 50 service members. The teams pair up and have one hour to cook before the hungry service members arrive. The teams with the favorite dish get $200 added to their final till. Next, they hit the streets of Pensacola to sell their dishes. But the teams get a chance at a life vest when Tyler offers immunity to the next round to the team that can make the most profits off a dish featuring the special of the day, a full fresh Red Snapper.
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#24 - Family Face-Off: Things Get Berry Interesting
Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/4/2016
The five remaining food truck teams head up the Pacific Coast Highway to Ventura County, where they're the main attraction at the California Strawberry Festival. The teams take on a challenge where they must create one sweet and one savory dish featuring locally-grown strawberries. One team uses their family network to attract customers, tension develops when another team can't get organized, and rivalries form as all the trucks jockey for selling turf.
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#25 - First-Class Food Fight
Season 12 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/19/2020
Tyler Florence kicks off the race in Los Angeles, the food truck capital of the world. Seven teams of food truck owners are challenged to make and sell luxe versions of traditional food truck fare. From private plane hors d'oeuvres to champagne-infused main dishes, the teams have to elevate their skills to the next level to win a shot at the $50,000 prize.
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