Every Tuesday and Thursday, a small, empty lot in Richmond transforms into one of the Bay Area’s most vibrant street food markets. About 15 or 20 food tents line up at any given time, the smell of fish sauce, Thai basil, smoked meat and fried plantains wafting in the air.
Welcome to The Lot.
Open since October 2024, when it launched with the more literal (if somewhat unsexy) name, “Mobile Vendor Plaza Market,” the outdoor food court grew out of a city initiative meant to deter unlicensed street vending in Richmond. It offers those food vendors a pathway to legitimacy, along with a central location, just a short walk from the BART station, where they can peddle their wares…