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

Lois Alter Mark has traveled to all seven continents and writes about everything from luxury spas, cruises and hotels to quirky museums, street food and her favorite travel products. —Lois Alter Mark, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

Zoom out: Kayu is among a new wave of hot openings along H Street, including tiny new bar Providencia and Indian street food Tapori (coming soon). —Anna Spiegel, Axios, 17 Oct. 2024

The street food menu includes a variety of sandwiches (reindeer included), and the bistro offers traditional Finnish salmon soup, salad, steak, and a couple of different desserts. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 15 Oct. 2024

The small chops were tasty too—the Polo Club Suya stands out as a must-try, featuring expertly marinated steak skewers that are served alongside a vibrant Yaji pepper spice, truly capturing the essence of one of Nigeria’s delicious street foods. —Shelby Stewart, Essence, 1 Oct. 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