Tasty Tacos To-Go

The latest Mexican restaurant in Hoboken isn't a restaurant at all: it's a truck.

And not just any truck.  The Taco Truck is an environmentally sound, 18-foot Ford
E 450 step van. The truck's generator runs on propane and all of the packaging and utensils provided to the customer are either 100% biodegradable or recyclable.

So, don't worry: indulging in tacos is not bad for the environment.

I visited the truck, which is big and orange and hard-to-miss,  on a recent evening in Hoboken, on the corner of River and First Streets.  I ordered a few different types of tacos and a bowl of soup from friendly truck manager Steve Ostroth.

With still a little daylight available, my companion and I made our way to the benches overlooking the Hudson River to eat our food.

The first tacos we sampled were the Carnitas Michoacan ($4.50 for 2), which were slow-braised sweet pork tacos with cilantro and onions doubled-wrapped in delicious corn tortillas. The meat was very tender and flavorful, albeit, a bit too salty for my taste. 

Next up, were the Barbacoa de Costilla tacos ($5.00 for 2).  These were my favorite tacos and they featured shredded beef short ribs with onions and cilantro, also double wrapped in corn tortillas.  I had these with the green salsa, a winning combination of tomatillo, cilantro and avocado.

My least favorite of the tacos was the Pescado ($4.50).  These fish tacos comprised of breaded fish, Mexican tartar sauce, cole slaw and pico de gallo in a large flour tortilla, tasted more like a fried fish sandwich.

Unexpectedly, the absolute best item I sampled at the Taco Truck was the Capital Chicken and Rice Soup.  The soup was a delicious, tangy concoction composed of chicken, rice, vegetables, cilantro, lime and garbanzo beans.  It can be ordered mild or spicy and I highly recommend the spicy variety.

The Taco Truck is a great place to grab a quick and inexpensive bite on the run.  The staff is extremely helpful and pleasant and its eco-friendly business practices make it an establishment you can feel good about patronizing.

The Taco Truck splits its time between various locations in Hoboken and Jersey City.  Customers can track the daily locations of the truck on Twitter and Facebook. 

In addition to roaming the streets of Hoboken and Jersey City, The Taco Truck will soon open a permanent, non-mobile location on Newark Street.  They are shooting for a June 1 opening date.