I’ve lived within five minutes of the Taconazo taco truck on Fulton for about 13 years before I visited, which is sad. Because after going for the first time in July 2021, I have probably been back ten times in the last year. It is great.
The tacos are delicious and made while you wait. Every time I have been, there have been other customers waiting. On weekend nights, I have stood in a line maybe twenty deep; it doesn’t take too long, but the line’s presence guarantees you aren’t getting food that has been sitting around. The line also contributes to a collective anticipation of the food and maybe the evening. People are in good moods in this line.
The official name is Taqueria Taco Nazo Veracruz. Importantly, it’s cash only. I’ve seen another truck with the same logo of a sunglasses-wearing jalapeño lounging beside a palm tree while driving north on S. Sgt. Macario Garcia Drive after returning from golf at Gus Wortham. I haven’t been to the East End one yet.
Taconazo, 4003 Fulton Street
- Go-to order: 2 barbacoa tacos, 1 container of charro beans
- Cash-only taco truck
The Fulton Street truck is right across from the light rail. On my visits, street parking off Fulton has been easy, and there is a small lot across the street. There is a steady flow of people each time. The truck is more or less permanently parked, and there is a tidy covered porch next to it.
You can barely see inside the truck, but you hear the tap, tap, tap of spatulas pushing meat around the flattop. I’ve had all the tacos. Trompo (pork) (though there’s no visible trompo or spit from which they are carving), beef, barbacoa, and lengua. They are $2.25 each, except for the lengua at $2.75. The barbacoa is the standout. It contains silky, tender beef that when dressed with the avocado green sauce, lime, onion, and cilantro is outstanding. The charro beans are smoky, with a tinge of heat from the jalapeño slices within, and served in a satisfying salty broth that contains hints of tomato.
Last year, I googled it before going. The word taconazo seems to mean kick or stamp of the heel. A Texas Monthly hit also came up, and J.C. Reid, who now writes a weekly barbecue column for the Chronicle, identified it as a place to go. He singled out the lengua, which isn’t something I have ever had or something I would be drawn to, but I tried it. The lengua was okay, but you’ve got to get the barbacoa.
Be sure to ask for onion/lime/cilantro, which are cleverly packaged in foil packets. Ask for pico de gallo, too. The pico has been my only complaint–more than once the ingredients have been limp and faded.
Overall, though, Taconazo is now firmly planted in our family’s regular rotation, and I recommend it.