Des Moines' food truck guide: 6 of our favorites

The best sign of summer is when Des Moines' food trucks come out to play. And we're gearing up for it right now.

• Why we love them: Food trucks are a great opportunity for chefs to experiment with their dishes and offer a curated menu. Ever wanted to try a vegan hot dog made from carrots? Have at it.

Here's some of what you'll find out in the streets.

515 Pi

The 515 Pi food truck is serving up hot, fresh pizzas straight from the oven.

• You'll find classic single-topping pizzas as well as their own creative takes.
• Check out the chicken and bacon pizza — topped with oven-roasted chicken, applewood bacon, red onion, cilantro and BBQ sauce.

Details: Find 515 Pi at The Hall in WDM from 5-9pm Mon & Fri, or follow their schedule here.

Five Minutes 'Til Midnight Food Company

Five Minutes 'Til Midnight gets down and cheesy with its charcuterie truck, where you can order a box of all your favorites — conveniently packaged together.

• Choose your meats and cheese spreads, including pimento, garlic marinated cheese, little smokies, meatballs and mortadella. One meat + one cheese is $12.
• Beyond their cheese spreads, the food truck also showcases sausages, soup and broken eggs.
• We'll be heading here to try the "Dust My Wets" — a macaroni and cheese brat on a toasted bun with tomato butter, and topped with Welsh rarebit mac 'n cheese, jalapeños, Cheeto crumble, and roasted garlic butter.

Details: Find Five Minutes 'Til Midnight by keeping track of them on Facebook.

Hotsy Totsy

Hotsy Totsy specializes in all things loaded tater tots — the peak potato form if we're being honest.

• Order tots topped with truffle oil, parmesan cheese and chives.
• Or go all out with a dish like the Buffalo Chicken Tots, topped with buffalo chicken, celery, sour cream, sriracha and green onions.

Details: Find them typically at The Caboose in Perry on Wednesdays from 5-7 pm. And follow their truck here.

Sook's Korean Kitchen

If you're craving some bulgogi or bimbimbap, Sook's Kitchen has you covered.

The Korean food truck serves rice dishes, like chicken or beef bulgogi with a side of vegetables and rice. But you can also find other variations, like a bulgogi sandwich.

• If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, they have fried cream cheese puffs served in a crab rangoon wrapper or a fried apple dumpling served in an egg roll wrapper.

Details: Find their weekly schedule here.

Street Eats DSM

Street Eats DSM is firing up a wide range of food that will likely satiate whatever you're feeling that day.

• Sandwiches, tacos, poutine — the food truck serves them all, plus philly cheesesteaks and fish and chips.

Details: Find their weekly schedule here.

Veggie Thumper

You can't miss the rainbow bus that houses Vegan Thumper.

• The menu features a long list of vegan options, including veggie burgers, "cheese steaks" and carrot dogs.
• Try the barbecue "chick'n" nachos featuring chicken substitute, white and black beans, a cashew cheese sauce, poblano shishito peppers, jalapeños and verde salsa ($12).

Details: Find Veggie Thumper's weekly schedule here.