Begin at the beginning with a breakfast at Big Blue Cafe (846 G St., Arcata; 707-840-6111) that keeps you tanked up all day. The crowd-pleasing Karen’s Potatoes come under a blanket of eggs of your choice or tofu scramble to savor with guacamole. Colorful veg mingled with jack and cheddar cheeses conspire to make this bowl. There’s no need to choose if you order the sampler that comes with home fries smothered in house gravy (vegan available). Be warned that your dining partner may reach over because that gravy must be shared. Did I mention they have biscuits? Maybe it’s best to order your own gravy.
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The solution to your party’s disparate lunch needs waits for you at Tasty Hub (935 Fifth St., Eureka). This sweet spot hosts a variety of food trucks so you always know where to find your favorites. Carne asada street tacos sprinkled with cilantro and onion from Happy Taco can please one while the other heads over to Spring Chicken for some crispy tofu spring rolls. You might choose the Queen of Pupusas, aka Mi Riconcito Salvador. For a great taste of El Salvador, try the loroco (a tasty Central American flower) and cheese pupusa. Then there is the yum of YumYum Kitchen, serving up Hmong sausages and Mekong ribs. Tasty Hub feeds Humboldt lunch and dinner. Check out its social media for rotating truck schedules and the menus.
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Auntie Hao’s (1642 Holly St., McKinleyville; 707-834-0425; Thursday-Saturday) knows how to take care of you. Her pork and lotus root dumplings always hit the spot. The lamb buns are a nice treat with their neat packaging. Dishes like gingery huang men chicken come heaped on beds of rice. Auntie Hao’s food truck is located in front of Auto Spa Car Wash with spaces for you to pull up and wait on the east end of the lot. Which will be hard after you smell the order of the lucky person who got there before you did. Like all good aunties, she has comfort food waiting to tame that after-work hunger. A hot bowl of ramen or udon noodles soothes, or you can burn it off with spicy kung pau Chicken. Either way you don’t have to cook.
This article appears in Humboldt Insider Spring/Summer 2026.