El Puesto Review

                                            

The food truck trend is a beloved concept embraced around the country. It seems like all major cities in Texas: San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas, have had this trend going on for quite some time and with great success. Laredo on the other hand, has always been a late bloomer when it comes to trends. While we do have food trucks, the only type that we've seen around are taco trucks. Nothing innovative or creative has really struck a chord in Laredo's growing food truck community. Because people in Laredo love their tacos and it is a big seller, tacos is a way of playing it safe. Walking down 6th street in Austin you will find a variety of food trucks ranging from comfort foods all the way to ethnic food. These food trucks sell pizza, gyros, brats, sushi, Indian food, cupcakes, as well as fusions of two cultures. So while Laredo just isn't quite there yet when it comes to food truck cuisine, we sure look forward to the future days of sweets and sliders.

We visited a local food truck vendor who is doing tacos in an inspired and not-so-traditional way. Out of the many taco trucks in Laredo, El Puesto really caught our eye with their creative takes on traditional tacos and impressive garnishments. Not only did the fresh ingredients catch our eye, but it was the fresh, homemade tortilla that really made this taco come to life.

Korean Carnitas

The slow-roasted pork carnitas were soft and tender while the garnishments of carrot, cilantro and scallions added a nice crunch and freshness to the taco. The drizzle of the sweet and spicy glaze gave this dish an unexpected sweetness with a subtle hint of spice. This dish could be a hit or miss depending on your flavor palette and mood that day. The Korean carnitas is a very sweet taco, more sweet than savory.

Barbacoa de Brisket (pictured center)

This slow-roasted brisket was shredded very evenly. Just as barbacoa has large amounts of fat so does brisket which gives it its juicy and added flavor. The thick and homemade corn tortilla gives this taco a nice bite and creates a contrast in texture to the tender meat with its firm chew. The taco was finished with an array of cilantro and scallions which added a delicate zest of flavor and drizzled with a spicy chimichurri which did not overpower or change the flavor profile of the overall taco. The food truck vendor did offer extra salsa if desired. A little more couldn't hurt, being that it was in fact delicious, though people tend to drown their tacos in salsa which masks the protein's potential flavor.

Skirt (bottom)

The Skirt taco is seared beef fajita on a warm, yellow oiled tortilla. Its garnishments include grilled onions and serranos (which I felt were lost in the taco), cilantro, radish, queso fresco and lime. Maybe the lack of those first two ingredients is the reason why they were lost on me. The taco lacked texture due to the similar garnishments that gave it a uniform mouthfeel. The radish gave a pop of color, and the only textural component to this dish. I didn't taste any spiciness from the serranos or the acidity of the lime. Overall the flavor profile was boring and bland. The Skirt taco is very basic, ordinary and traditional. If you're not into trying new innovative tacos, this one's for you.

Poblanas (top)

 This taco is a good vegetarian option. It contains poblano rajas, roasted corn and melted Oaxacan cheese, served on a corn tortilla topped with serrano and créma de arbol. This was my least favorite taco. There was too much going on. It sounded appealing but when ordered, it was an awkwardly colored and smelling quesadilla--hence why it's not pictured. This dish could do without the créma de arbol which when eaten, just masked all the other ingredients. Maybe on our next trip to El Puesto we'll request to try this one without créma.


Unfortunately, we didn't get to try the Sweetbreads taco because it was a hot seller that day. If you don't know what a sweetbread is, in Laredo it's most commonly known as molleja. This taco contains sweetbread confít (no patas included). Confít is a protein marinated in its own fat or liquid. It is thinly sliced and pan-fried, served on a corn tortilla, topped with a strawberry habanero pico. This taco sounds inviting, interesting and creative. Due to the fact we did not get to try it, it makes us want it even more.



The tacos were priced extraordinarily. For $2 a taco and such great quality, you really are getting a killer deal. In all fairness, these tacos could easily go for $4 or more apiece. Not only are they exceptional quality, they are a generous size. 

El Puesto has tacos for the traditional taco eater and for those of us adventurous thrill-seeking foodies. What really stole the show were El Puesto's tortillas. These are hands-down the best homemade tortillas in town. They're sturdy, colorful, have a nice bite and are lightly oiled. The chef was very hospitable, friendly and generous. He greeted us with a smile, fast and friendly service, and even let us try his charro black beans. Although the truck does not have a logo or sign on the outside, you can recognize it because it's the only solid black food truck in town. They're usually parked at the new Pan American Hotel Food Truck Park. They really get around though, so look for them on Facebook and follow @elpuestotx on Instagram for up-to-date locations.

Tasting Spoon Grade for this Experience: A-

Other Reviews:
Cosmos Bar & Grill
Posh Sushi
Loncheria El Popo

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