street food

noun

plural street foods

: prepared food of a kind that is typically sold to customers on a street or sidewalk and that is often designed to be carried and eaten while walking

Pizza is quintessentially a street food: a quick lunch or a quick snack often eaten standing up or on the go.

—Don Lesser

Traditionally eaten as street food, empanadas are ideal for snacking on the go but are just as satisfying to sit down to for a simple dinner.

—Melissa Roberts and Maggie Ruggiero

Satays, which are skewered and grilled morsels of beef, fish, chicken, pork, or vegetables, are street food in Southeast Asia, devoured day and night with gusto.

—Karen MacNeil

Examples of street food in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From Hawaii to Helsinki, from Mumbai to Marrakesh, Rosenthal has sampled street food, tasting menus, and bizarre foodstuffs from around the globe—and from some of the world’s top chefs. —Bydave Smith, Fortune, 22 May 2024

In classic seaside fashion, the Carolina Beach Boardwalk is populated with carnival games, amusement rides, and street food vendors. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2024

In fact, other than perhaps one street food stand in Bangkok, El Califa de León is probably the smallest restaurant ever to get a Michelin star: Half of the 100 square-foot space is taken up by a solid steel plate grill that’s hotter than the salsa. —Mark Stevenson, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2024

In fact, other than perhaps one street food stand in Bangkok, Thailand, El Califa de León is probably the smallest restaurant ever to get a Michelin star: Half of the 100 square-foot space is taken up by a solid steel plate grill that’s hotter than the salsa. —Mark Stevenson, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2024

There’s also the Long Bien Market, filled with street food and local vendors, great for getting a real taste of Vietnam. —Christopher Murray, Fox News, 16 May 2024

Attendees can refuel from all the music and dancing by sampling tasty Indian street food and delicious drinks of all kinds, and take in the assortment of vendors plying their wares. —Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 8 May 2024

Today, cicadas are a popular street food and ingredient in countries like Thailand and Mexico, among others. —Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2024

Kung Fu Noodle For banh mi sandwiches, street food bites, stir fry noodles, sushi, rice bowls and bubble tea, head to Kung Fu Noodle in Birkdale Village. —Alexandra Maloney, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

street food

noun

: prepared food of a kind that is typically sold to customers on a street or sidewalk and that is often designed to be carried and eaten while walking