Back in the day a hot dog from a street-side vendor was the popular option for a meal on the run. Today gourmet food trucks are challenging that old standby, churning out varied, flavourful fare on city streets that is fast and affordable.

In Toronto alone, more than 300 food trucks are now licensed to operate in this city. A rising number of gourmet food truck businesses are among that group and have sprung up in the past two years.

“This is the next generation of street food,” said Toronto’s Suresh Doss, the organizer of the Food Truck Eats events told CTV’s Canada AM on Wednesday.

“What we’re doing is globally inspired food that is something different,” said Doss.

From fish tacos to barbecue brisket and piping hot maple bacon doughnuts, specialty food trucks have been popping up in urban centres all across North America.

That rise has been credited, in large part, to social media.

“We rely entirely on social media to get the word out,” said Doss, who is raising the profile of street food in Ontario with Food Truck Eats.

In Toronto alone, gourmet food trucks have become a regular sight at local festivals and other outdoor city events.

Best known for its location at Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market, foodies have lined up at the Buster’s Sea Cove food truck, where tasty dishes such a lobster rolls and fish tacos are enjoyed in mere minutes.

El Gastronomo Vagabundo is another food truck that has been satisfying locales with its mix of tapas and southeast Asian dishes.

“El Gastro,” as it’s known by its fans, has also brought a sense of social responsibility to the concept of gourmet meals on wheels.

This food truck’s chefs use ingredients sourced from local organic and free range farms. They also use eco-friendly and biodegradable products in their mobile kitchen.

Slovenian food with a twist has become the starring attraction at Dobro Jesti, Canada’s first schnitzel food truck.

Foodies have also been tempted by the mile-high “Gladiator” sandwiches at Rome’n Chariot, as well as the porchetta sandwiches and raw sugar-cane lemonade served at Per Se Mobile.

Toronto’s food truck boom has faced certain obstacles, of course.

Municipal codes prohibit trucks from doing business on city streets. They also limit parking on licensed locations, such as parking lots, to 10 minutes.

Despite these hurdles, these gourmet food trucks are raising the bar for traditional street eats across the country, according to Doss.

These fast-food options are also giving consumers the chance to eat well at a good price, and that’s a pleasant boon in today’s tough economy.

“The average price point at a food truck is between $7 and $8 dollars, and that’s all inclusive,” said Doss.

“That’s competitive to what you would pay in a restaurant, where they would also hit you with taxes and tips,” he said.