Based in Irvine since 2010
Food Truck Catering in Irvine, CA
Office lunches, neighborhood parties, campus events, and weddings, cooked to order on the truck by Irvine's own two-time Food Network champions.
Looking for food truck catering in Irvine? You're in our backyard. The Lime Truck started in Irvine in 2010, and our kitchen, crew, and trucks still roll out of 16211 Construction Circle West. We cook California-Mexican food to order on the truck for Irvine office lunches, neighborhood parties, school and campus events, weddings, and holiday parties, and we handle setup, service, and cleanup so you can enjoy your own event.
A year after we opened, we won Food Network's Great Food Truck Race. We won it again on the All-Stars season in 2021. Our Irvine Google profile has a 4.5 star rating from more than 600 reviews.
Why it helps to book a truck that's based in Irvine
Most food trucks you find online will happily drive to Irvine. The difference with us is that we don't have to. Our kitchen and trucks are based in Irvine, so most of the city is a short drive. That has a few practical upsides:
- Easier midweek lunches. An office lunch in the Irvine Business Complex or the Spectrum is a short drive for us, so local weekday dates are often easier to fit than events across the county.
- Travel is rarely a big part of the quote. Irvine is in our home county, so you're mostly paying for food, crew, and service time, not a long haul.
- We know how Irvine works. Office parks with loading-zone rules, villages with HOA guidelines, and campus lots with their own check-in process are all normal for us.
What we cater in Irvine
Office lunches and company events
Irvine has a lot of office parks and tech campuses, and a truck in the lot gets people out of their chairs in a way a tray of sandwiches never will. We do one-off team lunches, recurring monthly lunches, all-hands meetings, client appreciation days, and product launches. See our corporate catering page, or read our guide to booking a corporate event food truck in Irvine for lead times and building logistics.
Neighborhood, HOA, and backyard parties
Birthday parties in Woodbridge, block parties in Northwood, pool parties in Quail Hill, and community events in the Great Park neighborhoods all work well with a truck. Guests order for themselves, so kids, vegans, and the uncle who only eats steak are all covered from one window. Our private party catering and birthday party catering pages cover what most hosts ask about.
School, campus, and graduation events
Student events, club nights, staff appreciation days, and graduation parties are a good fit for a truck because the line moves fast and the food is made to order. Graduation season in Irvine runs from late May through June, and those weekends fill early. Our graduation catering page has the details.
Weddings and rehearsal dinners
We serve full receptions, cocktail hours, and late-night snacks. Event venues, family homes, and private estates all work as long as there's room for the truck. Visit our wedding catering page for menus and planning tips.
Holiday parties and breakfast events
November and December are our busiest months for Irvine office parties, so send your date early. See holiday catering for ideas. For early kickoffs, trainings, and morning meetings, we also have a full breakfast catering menu with breakfast tacos and burritos.
What's included when you book us in Irvine
- The truck, our cooks, and service staff to run the line
- Food cooked to order on site, so the last guest eats as well as the first
- Setup before your service window and cleanup after
- Plates, utensils, and napkins, using compostable materials
- Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options on every menu, plus planning for other dietary needs
- Cooking with zero seed oils through our partnership with Zero Acre Farms
- Insurance paperwork for your venue or property manager when they ask for it
Most packages include a two-hour service window. You can pick a set package or build your own from the menu. The full list is on our catering packages page, and our plant-based menu covers the vegan side.
Menu favorites at Irvine events
Tacos move a line fast, so most Irvine bookings build around them. Popular picks include the Rojo Chicken Taco, the Sweet and Spicy Steak Taco, and the Seared Ahi Tuna Taco, with the Trippy Mushroom Taco for plant-based guests. On the side, Mexican Street Corn, Legendary Brussels, Zesty Guacamole, and house chips with pico show up at almost every event. Churros are a common way to end it.
What changes the price of an Irvine event
We quote every event custom instead of publishing one flat rate. These are the things that move the number:
- Guest count. This drives most of the plan, including how much food and how many people we bring.
- Package or menu. An unlimited package costs more per guest than a one-trip taco package.
- Service time. Most packages include two hours. Longer service can be added.
- Day and season. Weekday lunches and off-peak months tend to be more flexible than Saturday weddings and December dates.
- Location. Irvine is local for us, so travel usually isn't a big factor here.
Minimums vary by day, season, and location. Smaller parties of 30 to 50 guests can often be booked, especially midweek, though the per-guest cost runs higher. Our private party catering cost guide walks through how the pieces add up.
Parking, HOA rules, and permits in Irvine
The truck needs a flat, level spot about 30 feet long and 12 feet wide, with around 14 feet of overhead clearance so the service window can open. We need a standard outlet, or we can run a quiet generator. Driveways, office lots, and park-adjacent streets usually work. Low parking structures often don't, so tell us if your building only has garage parking.
A lot of Irvine is managed property. Many villages have HOA rules about vendors and street parking, and many office parks and shopping centers are run by property management companies with their own rules for food trucks. Check with your HOA or property manager before the event. If they want a certificate of insurance or a vendor form, we'll send what they need.
For private events on private property, the property owner's OK is usually all you need from your side. Public events on city property, like a park event open to the community, can need a special event permit from the City of Irvine, and food trucks in Orange County operate under the county's environmental health rules. If your event is public, mention it in your request and we'll walk through what applies.
No room for the truck at all? We can sometimes set up a serving station inside while the truck parks nearby, and drop-off catering is available throughout Orange County for conference rooms and smaller office meetings.
How to book The Lime Truck in Irvine
- Send your date, a rough guest count, the address, and the kind of event through our catering request form. You can also call our Irvine line at (949) 232-0690.
- We reply within 24 hours with availability and a custom proposal covering menu, timing, and price.
- A 50% non-refundable deposit holds your date. We book first come, first served, so the first deposit on a date gets it.
- We confirm the parking spot and timing with you or your venue, then show up, cook, serve, and clean up.
Two to four weeks of notice is enough for most Irvine events. Weddings and large company events usually book two to three months out, and December holiday dates go fastest.
Nearby cities we cater from Irvine
The same Irvine crew covers Tustin, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Laguna Beach, Santa Ana, and the rest of the county. Our Orange County catering page has the full rundown. For events up north or down south, see our Los Angeles catering and San Diego catering pages, or learn how food truck rental works with us.
Irvine Food Truck Catering FAQ
Planning an Irvine event?
Send us the date, the address, and a rough guest count. We'll reply within 24 hours with availability and a custom quote.