Oakland - Mi Grullense Taco Trucks in Goodwill Lot and Tamales Colma cart on corner?
Last Oakland taco truck question.
So my take on these trucks is that they are pretty average trucks. One is better than the other … the one near the door which seemed busier?
Recommended: Tripitas, lengua
OK: horchata
Skip: al pastor
And what about that tamale cart on the nearby corner … anything good there?
Slightly modified to fit this post … previous reports …
Standard menu, standard tacos - a little heftier than most, and slightly pricier, these were quite generous on the meat, a good size taco. The soft corn tortillas were good with strong corn flavor.
Condiments that came on the side were pickled jalapeno, radishes, and lime.
The lengua (tongue) was good, its soft, buttery texture, a quality of good tongue It's better if the tongue is skinned. The diced pieces of this tongue taco still had skin on it but that wasn't a detractor. It was quite nice.
Their tripitas were really tasty - crackly but still chewy and packed with lots of seasoning
Al pastor tasted as if the meat had been roasted/grilled with a smoky barbecue sauce and didn't knock anyone's socks off. The meat was astringent. The salsas were unremarkable.
Horchata had a nice rice note, not overly cinnamony, but not rich and creamy either.
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Mi Grullense Taco Truck
International Blvd and 30th Ave, Oakland, CA 94601
Tamales Colma Cart
International Blvd and 30th Ave, Oakland, CA 94601
By rworange
on Oct 12, 2007 09:22 PM
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Hey, rw! Drop me a line sometime when you're going to be in the nabe and maybe we can sample some of the tamale carts, which I've been neglecting. On a weekend afternoon there are at least half a dozen in that area.
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I should have done my research before I ordered the al pastor burrito for lunch on Thursday. The meat was tough and stringy, not very good. I saw most of the locals ordering carne asada. FYI, I tried the truck close to the door.
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Well that was my motivation exactly in putting this together. If someone else has already taken the bullet on something, I don't need to. That's not to say that things don't change and if suddenly everyone was ordering al pastor or whatever and it looked good I wouldn't give it a try.
Sounds like you've been eating in the area lately. Have you tried Pipirin yet? It's the barbacoa stall near the church on 34th and International. There was a SF Chronicle mention of it last year and I keep meaning to get over there.
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No I haven't tried Pipirin but it does sound interesting. I'll give it a shot.
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I've planned on doing a review of catering trucks for some time now. There are some excellent ones, especially in the East Bay. Just as an aside I usually try the carne asada before I try anthing else. I believe that carne asada is a the most simple fare to prepare and if they blow that then I'm outta there. If the carne asada is good then I usually try a chicken product. I love meats al Pastor and I also particuarly enjoy carnitas but I hate to be disappointed and unfortunately I have been, frequently. Another indicator of quality of the venue is the salsa fresca, if its from a can I pass. Aprovecho!
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How can salsa fresca be from a can? By definition, it's raw and made fresh, no?
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