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

The musical acts’ varying genres didn’t coalesce in a consistent audience, and full-service dining would have worked better than Chando’s Cantina’s elevated street food, Madrigal said. —Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 6 Feb. 2025

Neri's Tacos Ask any local where to grab a budget-friendly bite in San Pedro, and they're bound to recommend Neri's Tacos, where authentic Mexican street food reminds you the border is just a stone's throw away. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 2 Feb. 2025

The candy's simplicity—made with just sugar and baking soda—reflects the ingenuity of street food culture. —Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

In December 2023, staff gathered at Old Trafford, enjoying a fully complimentary bar, live band, and street food. —Adam Crafton, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 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