I’ll admit it: I get incredibly jealous when I hear about all of the awesome food trucks that can be found in cities around the country. They sound so fun…so varied…so exciting! Tampa really isn’t much into the food truck scene…yet. I can understand, but it makes me a bit sad.
However, there is a little gem of a “food truck” that can be found in Tampa called the Taco Bus. Now, this bus isn’t exactly mobile; their two locations are permanent. But they DO make all of the food inside a converted school bus. Kind of neat, huh?
You walk up to the side of the bus to place your order, and then you wait for your number to be called. There are a few outdoor tables to sit at, as well as a small, air conditioned building that is now available. When we stopped by for lunch one afternoon, I was shocked at how packed the lot was! Justin and I had to circle the block to find a parking space. In the end, it was worth it. You order your items a la carte, which allows for you to sample a variety of options. I had a really hard time making a selection. There are so many different and interesting options, including vegan, vegetarian, and wheat and gluten free menu items. There’s something for everyone, that is for certain.
Justin opted for the tacos:
He ordered a couple of pork and chicken options: Puerco Asado (grilled, seasoned and diced pork), Cochinita Pibil (pork marinated in achiote and bitter orange then wrapped in banana leaves and slow roasted in a smoker), and Pollo (diced boneless skinless seasoned chicken breast). The Puerco Asado was his favorite of the three, but the unique flavors and textures of each taco were exciting for him.
I decided to sample the tostadas:
I opted for one with chicken and the other with Rajas con Queso (strips of roasted poblano pepper with Mexican cheese, salsa ranchera and sweet corn kernels). The tostadas are crunchy flat tortillas smothered with pinto beans and topped with your choice of filling, taco veggies and cheese. There were so many different flavors going on in both of the tostadas; I really enjoyed them both. One of my favorite aspects included the diced cabbage sprinkled on top. I’ve recently become a big fan of cabbage on tacos; the crunch and texture is really satisfying and a nice contrast to the refried beans/other soft ingredients. In addition, Taco Bus offers homemade red and verde sauces in bottles on each table; the verde was to die for (and quite spicy to boot; my favorite).
So, trip #1 to Taco Bus was definitely a success. I will note that the bus is located kind of a far distance from our home, so I wouldn’t necessarily make the drive all the way out there just for a taco. However, if I find myself in the area again, I will definitely be suggesting that we make a stop!
Are you a big fan of food trucks? What is your favorite truck to hit up when it’s in your area?
There’s a really fancy restaurant here, and the owner also happens to run a food truck so you can get super delicious gourmet food for only like $8. It’s a great deal, and the food is always soooo good.
Yum!! It looks soo good! I love their sign, too!
There are hundreds of food trucks here in LA, I love introducing friends to my favorites! I love Nom Nom (Vietnamese banh mi), Border Grill (Mexican), Kogi (Korean bbq), and Cool Haus (homemade ice cream sandwiches). Your pictures in this post look fantastic!
Oh my, I am SO jealous. I have heard of all of those trucks before, and I’ve wanted to try each of them! Jealous jealous jealous.
I have never been to a food truck, because like you said the Tampa area is kind of lacking and Dunedin is lacking even more! I just came across this article today and immediatly put it on my calendar.
http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/restaurants/south-tampa-food-truck-rally-features-cheap-eats-on-wheels/1188810
I know where I will be Sept 24!
Awesome – thanks for sharing that article! I am totally putting that on my calendar now!
I love the Taco Bus! A couple of weeks ago Orlando had a food truck festival. A couple of my friends went and said it was amazing, I wasn’t able to go 🙁
Yum – those tacos look so fresh and deeeelish!
I saw the Food Truck Rally event for Tampa on Facebook a couple of weeks ago, but I’ll be in the Keys for a bachelorette party, which makes me SAD FACE! I will definitely be on the lookout for food truck events around the area (Orlando, St. Pete, etc) because I just have to attend one.
Also, the Taco Bus is amazing! They were set up at the St. Pete Gay Pride Parade that I worked with the radio station and I ate there during my break. SO GOOD. The salsa is amazing.
Oh my goodness! I miss tacos and these look delish!
I was going to recommend the rally too! I am looking forward to some of the other trucks, having only been to Taco Bus. I have heard good things about the Hawaiian one and Wicked Witches. I read they were already planning another event. I am excited for Tampa finally jumping this bandwagon 🙂
Awesome! I am glad that someone gave me the heads up on the rally because I’m psyched to see what it’s all about!