Taco Cart Crawl
Category: Food
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4/27/2009
janelle "the word 'hubby' is not a proper noun" p. says:
I've been talking to a couple of other Yelpers, and we think a taco cart crawl is in order. We want to hit as many of the city's taco carts/trucks as possible in an afternoon. I'm thinking a Friday or Saturday afternoon in May--my preference would be for May 16, 22, or 23. But, I'm totally open to other ideas.
So, who's in? What days are best for you?
And where should we go? A few months ago, I remember Lorna posted some info about various taco carts. I think two of them might have been El Rey (
http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and Arandas (at Livernois and Vernor). Any other places come to mind?
I think many of the actual carts/trucks might move around, so the best plan of attack might be to just drive along Vernor and stop whenever we see one.
4/27/2009
Eric P. says:
There's one on Springwells, down the street from El Paraiso.
4/27/2009
Sarah G. says:
Taco carts exist in Michigan??? I had no idea! Sounds like a good time to me!
4/28/2009
Lorna "needs a Ghostwriter" E. says:
I was out that way cruisin around a bit yesterday. Result? The discovery of yet more taco trucks/trailers! Yes they do move around a bit-- strategically posted near churches on Sundays, for examples. The ones that are trailers rather than trucks don't move so much, though.
I expect many to most of the Mobile Taco Dispersaries will be in evidence in the Clark Park area this weekend, since that is the site of the Cinco de Mayo Festival-- which I will get into "Events" sometime today.
@Eric P-- El Paraiso, complete with outdoor grill, just moved from the former Hungarian Village location at 1001 Springwells to the former Dona Lola's location at 1312 Springwells.
I am okay with a Friday or a Saturday, so long as I have a bit of advance notice for a Friday off work.
4/28/2009
Eric P. says:
@ Sarah - Idk about "carts" but I have def seen trucks. Southwest Detroit is basically like Mexico
@ Lorna - King Taco (the truck on Springwells) was always at the same spot, but it seemed like it didn't get started until later in the evening. El Paraiso was great. The smell of that chicken as I drove past was intoxicating. Dona Lola's sounded interesting - Ecuadorian seafood, if I remember correctly - but once word started to spread in the Latino community that they had "cucarachas" they were done for.
I haven't been down in that area in a little while. Once I decided to go back to school, I had to use time I spent going to the barrio every other night after work in the library studying. :(
4/28/2009
Eric P. says:
Maybe that should be the next tour - pollo al carbon en al aire libre
4/28/2009
Erin "100 Reviews, Baby!" G. says:
Oh, I didn't see that the links you posted earlier were actually from kitchen chick. Well I feel stupid.
4/29/2009
Lorna "needs a Ghostwriter" E. says:
@Janelle - I will try to put together a list or an annotated map of likely locations prior to May 16. Just cruising Vernor won't get even half of them, probably.
@Eric - pollo al carbon en al aire libre sounds great! Having you along, with some command of Spanish, sounds even better! Bagley & 23rd seems to be the center of English-speaking in Mexicantown-- beyond that one had better know some Spanish, though alas I do not. It's been an adventure though, and I've learned a few words and had some pronounciation corrected along the way. I've also gained a new appreciation for those glossy photo menus, cause I can still point and guess.
4/29/2009
Christine R. says:
I had no idea that these things existed... I AM IN
4/29/2009
Sandra B. says:
That sounds really cool!
4/29/2009
Greg R. says:
I have not done one of these. Does everyone meet at an appointed place at a set time and roam looking for the stands? I would love to do this.
4/29/2009
Lorna "needs a Ghostwriter" E. says:
@Greg - I assume going forth as a group from a single meeting point is what Janelle had in mind-- but we could just as well turn this into a Taco Truck scavenger hunt ...
4/29/2009
janelle "the word 'hubby' is not a proper noun" p. says:
Greg, I don't think any of us have done a "taco cart crawl" before either! But, like you said, I think we'll end up meeting at an appointed place, and then proceed from one stand to the next. This will be a fun new adventure for us all! :-)
If Lorna can pull a list together of potential stops, that would be spectacular! As you can tell, I'm not too familiar with the taco carts' locations. I didn't realize there were SO MANY taco stands in the city!
It seems like there are a lot of interested Yelpers, and no one objecting to the dates I proposed. So, I've set the date for May 16, we'll meet at noon. Meeting place T.B.D., based on the list of stops we decide upon. I just created an "Event" for this, so click "I'm in!" if you want to join us!
http://www.yelp.com/ev...
4/29/2009
mariah "pimp cup" c. says:
Man, I think the 16th is the date that will be hardest for me to make, but lemmee see what I can do. I don't want to miss out! :)
4/29/2009
Matthew D. says:
Eff... girlfriend's friend's wedding is that weekend. This sounds like an awesome time too. There's a taco stand in Standish right off of US23 as you're heading towards Tawas/Oscoda/Alpena that is just amazing!That's my only experience w/ taco stands, I'd love to try out the D's. Maybe I'll have my own little UYE!
4/29/2009
janelle "the word 'hubby' is not a proper noun" p. says:
@ Matthew D. -- Standish?!?! WTF?!?! That's way the eff in the middle of nowhere! :-) Weird place for there to be a taco cart!
If the 23rd is better for people, I have no objection with switching the date. I know that might make it easier for Mariah C. and Matthew D. to attend... would we lose anyone who can come on the 16th and not on the 23rd?
4/30/2009
TJ W. says:
Mexican food? Yuck!
Stop wasting your time with garbage like taco carts and try something like a Coney Crawl. Let's see who's got the best chilidog!
4/30/2009
TJ W. says:
It's not fair for you to bring up Chi-Chi's. You know I mourn the loss of Chi-Chi's more than any of my now-expired grandparents. Oh, the day I realized you could sit in the bar area and still get food while being able to go and get all the refills of chips and that wonderful fresh "hot" salsa without waiting for your waitress.
Oh Chi-Chi's. I've never known a love like you before.
They say it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved before, but the person who coined that phrase isn't tormented by the memory of Chi-Chi's perfect mix of butter, lemon and blackened seasoning on their blackened chicken fajitas.
I've had sopapillas elsewhere since then, but I remember my first bite of Chi-Chi's sopapillas like I remember the first boob I ever squeezed.
I think I need to either get some tacos or some booty.
4/30/2009
Lorna "needs a Ghostwriter" E. says:
Hey, there are coney places along W Vernor! He can tag along and munch on local coneys if he doesn't want the tacos ... They also sell sacks of those orange wagon-wheel shaped candies (??) on the streets here and there, if those might be of any interest.
4/30/2009
Eric P. says:
@ TJ W. - I think a search for the best chilidog would literally take decades. Google maps turns up ~3,000 results for coney islands in Detroit. At least, real Mexican food is confined to one quadrant in the city.
@ Lorna - My Spanish is far from perfect, but usually its good enough to get by. And, you are definitely right about the diff btwn the tourist strip and the rest of SW Detroit. The most extreme example was when I went to El Rincon Taraxco. The staff probably had a combined English vocabulary of about 5-10 words, and while there were English translations on the menu, they were printed in yellow ink on white paper. So, I had to translate back and forth for my friends, and talk to the drunk Mexican when we pulled up who wanted me to pay him to "watch" our car while we were inside. There were a few glitches along the way, but we survived.
4/30/2009
TJ W. says:
Real Mexican food doesn't exist in Detroit.
4/30/2009
Eric P. says:
Trust me, we have more than out share of illegals here, too. I've been places where people acted like they had never seen a white person before.
4/30/2009
TJ W. says:
Yeah, but our illegals aren't hispanic. And they certainly don't open restaurants.
The lack of any quality authentic Mexican food in Detroit has actually reshaped my view on illegal immigration. I'm being totally serial.
5/3/2009
dea "explosive" a. says:
I got corrected on how to say "no cebollas" today, brain... elsewhere. Loco gringa came out instead. But if I can manager to order a taco at Lupita's in Spanish semi-correctly today, then I think I can step up for some HORRIFIC Spanish for the taco cart crawl. I can only roll my Rs after 4 margaritas.
Should we try to downsize the cars traveling? My Buick seats 5 comfortably. Where are we even going?
@TJ Coney places, chili dogs made with Cincinatti style poop brown chili, are thumbs down. I am not in on this adventure. Coney dogs are an insult to my inner Chicagoan. They hurt me so bad.
@Janelle -- either weekend is fine with me. I am in denial I am still in school... for the rest of my life. Shhh.
5/4/2009
Lorna "needs a Ghostwriter" E. says:
Still working on list of universe of Detroit taco trucks, so "where" will be your choice. I did find one over the weekend with a nice sturdy stainless steel blender onboard. Uses it to make fruit smoothies or milkshakes, he said. I think. I speak no Spanish. The guy was friendly, and tried to communicate with me. Anyway I wonder if he might be willing to make whatever blended fruit drink including Dea's secret ingredient ...
6/8/2009
erin p. says:
Did this happen already? Is it still on? WANT IN!
6/8/2009
Lorna "needs a Ghostwriter" E. says:
Yes it happened already. Here's a review and some photos.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...Turned out all those carts meant too many tacos/tostadas to eat in one day, so there's another date being planned to finish up. Maybe finish up, since open air chargrills seems to have found their way into the mix. And now a popcorn & cotton candy wagon has been discovered-- plus more Mexican ice, fruit & chips carts have surfaced.
You can follow along here:
http://www.yelp.com/to...
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