Meet the Teams from The Great Food Truck Race: Hottest Season Ever

Get to know the nine teams rolling around America on a mission to take home the $50,000 grand prize!

Photo By: MATT HARBICHT

Photo By: Matt Harbicht/Getty Images

The Hottest Season EVER!

Tyler Florence hosts an all-new season of The Great Food Truck Race and the competitors are stronger than ever. Let's meet this year's food truck teams.

Amawele’s — San Francisco

Born and raised in South Africa, twin sisters Pamela and Wendy Drew moved to the U.S. seventeen years ago and have always loved the South African dishes from their childhood. After searching high and low for food that reminded them of home, they decided to prepare and cook it themselves and create Amawele’s South African Kitchen. Their best-selling signature dishes are Durban Chicken Curry and Peri Peri Chicken, marinated in Pam’s secret sauce, grilled and served with their artisanal handmade South African flatbread "Roti." Joined by their friend and roommate Emma Januarie, this team is ready to take their menu on the road.

Eso Artisanal Pasta — Morristown, NJ

AJ Sankofa fell in love with the culinary scene as a teenager and went on to study in Italy and work in Michelin-starred restaurants. He met his fiancée Kristina Gambarian while working at an NYC restaurant, and when the pandemic hit, they started their pasta business Eso Artisinal Pasta. Joined by AJ’s childhood friend Matt McFadden, their concept is unlike any other — they want to build a food truck business that is a "show on wheels" where customers can see them crafting their handmade pastas and sauces.

Food Flight — Atlanta

Sisters Kate Schulz and Betsy Wallace host a podcast called "Dinner Sisters" and chef Grant Stevens has been their on-air guest — but now they are bringing their culinary talents on the road with a "small sandwiches with global flavors" concept. With Grant, a trained chef who entered the corporate world but longs to be back in the kitchen, creating the menus; Kate as sous chef and Betsy pulling in customers, Food Flight is ready for their next chapter and, in Kate’s words, "live a bigger life."

Girl’s Got Balls — Fox River Grove, IL

Culinary-school trained Shauna Fetterman has always been fascinated by food, and after spending a few years home with her kids, is ready to re-enter the food world. Her concept for non-traditional arancini balls with flavors like mac and cheese stuffed with pulled pork came together during the pandemic, when her hilarious friend Lizzy Scudder joined the business. With Shauna cooking, Lizzy as hype-woman and their friend Carrie Jones rounding out the trio, this team is determined to cross the finish line.

Maybe Cheese Born With It — Toledo

David Gedert, also known by his drag name Sugar Vermont, purchased a run-down 1960s RV and painted it pink to start his dream food business — but he knows the rinky-dink trailer needs to be replaced with a professional food truck. Fellow drag performer Mahogany Reign is the team’s head chef, creating the loaded mac and cheese with gourmet toppings menu. Joined by David’s lifelong friend Keith Logue as a jack-of-all-trades, Maybe Cheese Born With It serves up fun, creative comfort food with personality.

Salsa Queen — Salt Lake City

SalsaQueen (yes, that’s her legal name) started her salsa business eight years ago to provide for her seven kids as a single mom. SalsaQueen has a big personality and even bigger dreams — she is the face of this business and will do whatever it takes to succeed. With her friend Missy Workman, a private chef and caterer, making the Mexican-fusion dishes and Jim Birch, her husband, as sous chef, SalsaQueen will be using her all her charm and energy to bring in customers and prove to her kids anything is possible.

Sauté Kingz — Daytona Beach

Chef Count has a strong culinary background and authority in the kitchen, specializing in international soul food dishes with an elevated twist. Joined by his energetic wife Jessica and son Jesshuan, Count’s business is known for more than their crowd-pleasing food — he is also dedicated to reaching out to his community and expand their culinary experiences. He knows customers will be drawn in by his comfort food menu based on traditional dishes and then be blown away by the quality and unique flavors his food delivers.

SEÑOREATA — Los Angeles

SENOREATA’s fearless leader Evanice Holz started her food business five years ago out of her Prius — and she is ready for an upgrade. As a first-generation Cuban Brazilian American, her food reflects her Cuban heritage with a twist — all the dishes are plant-based, including their Cuban Sandwich made with her signature mojo-marinated jackfruit lechon. Chely Saludado has been with Evanice since the beginning and is a rock of stability working in the ever-changing LA food scene. Joined by their friend Adri Law, this team is ready to take their unique food concept to the next level.

Southern Pride Asian Fusion — Colorado Springs

DJ Williams, Houston Greenlee and Gio Palacio met in culinary school and bonded over their military background, having served in Afghanistan and Iraq. DJ’s specialty is Southern food, while married couple Houston and Philippines-born Gio bring the Asian Fusion to this talented trio. Their vibrant mix of Southern comfort food and Asian cuisine is sweet, savory and one-of-a-kind. DJ dreams of owning his own food truck, while Houston and Gio have plans to open their own restaurant — and winning the race will set them on the path to achieving their goals.