(GH: Here’s an expanded version of the taco truck review I wrote for the Idaho Statesman last week — due to contractual agreements, I now have to wait a week to post my reviews on Northwest Food News.  In the Statesman article, there was no room to get specific about individual tacos, so at the bottom of this entry I’ve added a list of my favorite tacos of the twelve trucks I tried.)
Tacos at Basilio's
By taco truck number seven, even Jonathan Sadler’s dog Diego was tired of tacos. Sadler loves taco truck tacos, has a taco truck blog and agreed, perhaps rashly, to guide me through the Treasure Valley’s mobile taco world. Thing is, there are tons of trucks out there. Diego, a tiny chijuajua who couldn’t cast a shadow over a bowl of salsa, started losing interest at about taco truck number five.
Now that’s not to say those tacos aren’t good. Our marathon tour of curbside tacos taught me that a truck’s advanced age and vacant-lot ambiance didn’t preclude a tasty taco. Sadler frequently declared them delicious. I’d say nearly all were better than the gringo-fied facsimiles you find in many brick and mortar Mexican restaurants.
Jonathan Sadler, taco truck blogger
Of course, it depends on the style of taco you like. These are taqueria tacos, minimalist tacos, the kind of tacos you’d buy on the streets of Tijuana or East L.A., tacos made with small, pliable corn tortillas, a variety of chopped meats and not much else. OK, maybe some diced onion, a dash of cilantro and a side of radish and lime, but that’s it. These are tacos unadulterated by excess. And they’re only about a buck.
“I like tongue” Sadler said in a confessional tone way back at taco truck number one. “The trucks all tend to have lengua [tongue] and lengua is the one I find to be the most consistent.”
Biting into his tongue taco, Sadler continued: “It took me a while to get used to the idea of eating tongue, but it’s really delicious.” Diego, in apparent agreement, munched on the bits that hit the pavement.
Tacos at Tacos La Piedad
That was one more lesson Jonathan and Diego taught me about taco trucks: They offer choices that Taco Bell, for instance, would not. Along with lengua, most trucks offer cabeza (head), birria (goat) and tripita (tripe). Some have ceviche. And if you’re a conventional carne asada, carnitas or pollo person, there’s plenty of that too.
After several days of truck tacos, I grew especially fond of adobada and al pastor. Both tacos are made with pork marinated in adobo seasoning (usually a slightly sweet, but earthy ancho chili based mixture). They tend to range from brick red to bright orange and have a tangy, mildly spicy taste. The al pastor often has bits of pineapple on top (which, for no logical reason, I find fitting for tacos and just wrong on pizza).
But which taco truck was best? That’s a tough one. Twelve trucks and thirty-two tacos later, differences melded together like spices in a Oaxacan mole. From Boise to Caldwell, every truck used the same type of smallish tortillas, always two per taco, stuffed with surprisingly similar fillings and nearly identical garnishments. I’d searched for the holy grail of taco trucks, but didn’t find it.
What I did find were subtle variations in amenities and menu.
Tacos Mobile Primo on a rainy May day
Some trucks had tables, chairs and tents and some reached beyond the core taco choices to burritos, combination plates, tostadas, tortas and great little Mexican treats like sopes (thick tortilla-like mini pie shells turned up at the edges and stuffed with beans, meat, cheese and lettuce).
If you held a tongue taco to my head, though, I’d choose Tacos Mobile Primo at Curtis and Franklin in Boise. It has two tables, a varied menu and tacos ($1.20/each) that are just a little bigger and a bit more vibrant than the rest.
Thankfully, our over-indulgent taco tour didn’t lead to health problems or seem to slacken Jonathan Sadler’s enthusiasm for taco trucks. As if struck by a tortilla-wrapped epiphany at truck number nine, he turned heroically toward the horizon and whispered “I need to get out there. There’s taco trucks in Emmett; there’s taco trucks in Weiser; and just the other day someone told me about one at a business park in Boise . . .”
About then, Diego waddled under a table and fell asleep.
The dog Diego
Taco Truck Details
Tacos Mobile Primo: Curtis Rd. & Franklin Rd., Boise (on Southwest corner)
Open: Mon.-Thurs. 11a.m. to 11p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11a.m. to 1a.m. Call: 284-8640
Tacos La Reyna: 6700 block of State St., Boise (across from Merritt’s Country Cafe)
Tacos at Tacos Aquililla
Basilio’s: 5300 block of State St., Boise (across from the Idaho Athletic Club)
Open: Mon.-Sat. 11a.m. to 4p.m. Call: 830-3772
Taco Veloz: 6700 block of Fairview, Boise (near Jerry’s State Court Cafe)
Tacos El Rey #2: Chinden & 42nd Street, Garden City (on North side of street)
Open: Tues.-Sun. 11a.m. to 10p.m.
El Torito: Chinden & 46th Street, Garden City (Behind El Torito Market)
Call: 283-7703
El Taconazo: 21st & Arthur St., Caldwell
Call: 280-2221 / 697-1116
Tacos La Piedad: 34th & Cleveland, Caldwell (next to Meineke Car Care Center)
Open: 10:30a.m. to 7:30p.m. Call: 919-9485
Tacos Colima: Middleton Road & Nampa-Caldwell Blvd., Nampa
Taqueria Mexicochiquito: 452 Caldwell Blvd., Nampa (next to Whiskey River)
Tacos Aguililla: 324 11th Ave at 1st St., Nampa
Call: 283-6915
Los Portales Taqueria: 4008 Garrity Blvd., Nampa (across from Jalopy Jungle)
Call: 461-2223
My Favorite Truck Tacos
• The adobada and el pastor tacos ($1.20 each) at Tacos Mobile Primo: Bright and flavorful with nice chunks of pineapple on the el pastor.  Generous portion size too.
Tacos and sope at Tacos La Reyna
• The barbacoa ($1.00) at Tacos La Piedad
• The sope carnitas ($2.50) at Tacos Colima.  Not a taco, but a tasty little tostada like treat with a thick, handmade tortilla base with beans, pork, lettuce, tomato, avocado and a dusting of hard Mexican cheese.
• The adobada ($1.25) at Taqueria Mexicochiquito.  Tangy, spicy and a little smokey.
• The pollo taco ($1.00) at Taco Aquililla.  Very juicy, grilled, white meat chicken, like rotisserie chicken.
• The adobada ($1.00) at Tacos La Reyna
• The el pastor ($1.00) at Basilio’s
Although all the trucks I tried serve traditional tacos, there’s a gourmet taco truck trend that’s sweeping the country. Â It hasn’t hit Idaho yet, but you can begin to prepare yourself with this article, “Not Your Father’s Taco Truck.”
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Guy Hand is a writer, public radio producer and photographer specializing in food and agriculture. |
Three tacos pastor at Taco Veloz: $3.00
Table conversation when you, the only woman, pull up a chair: None
Reliving a previous life working in Mexico: Priceless