2/10: Tacos Gallo

Food trucks have always seemed like a good idea to me. You have a cute truck, cook a few interesting specials, and park where the business seems best. Everyone throngs to you when you tweet the daily menu and you work when you feel like it. Trucks have fewer of the brick-and-mortar problems of a real restaurant at a fraction of the cost. I even thought of doing a soup truck at one time, until I was reminded by my best friend that I don’t like to drive, I don’t like small spaces, and I cannot survive without air conditioning. The fantasy of a food truck is nothing like the reality of one. It would take exactly one hot day in August for me to come completely unglued.

Old Town finally has a bona fide food truck, Tacos Gallo. It is permanently stationed across from Quiktrip at Douglas and Wabash. I was so excited when I heard this I ran over and got one of everything. They have a small permanent menu of soft corn tacos, burritos, tortas, and quesadillas, filled with the usual stuff—chicken, pork al pastor, carne asada, tongue, and a mixture called discada, which is pork, beef, bacon and smoked sausage. They have specials posted as well and serve tamales on Saturday. I have heard the tamales are great, so I’ll be back to try those tomorrow.

All of my food was good, but all the meats except the tongue were a bit dry and needed a lot of sauce. The super hot torta was an enormous, messy sandwich filled with meat, hot chile sauce, lettuce, guacamole, and sour cream. It would be perfect after a late night at the bars…and I’m sure it is, because this little truck is open until 2 a.m. on weekend nights. My only real complaint was that the husband and wife team in the truck were very impatient and snappy with each other while I placed my order… but I can’t blame them, I’d be grouchy too, if I had to spend my life in a 6-by-10 foot box with just my husband, a grill, and a refrigerator all day.