Yahoo Movies Here is where you can find the best taco trucks Lexington has to offer
The beloved taco is undeniably one of the most popular street foods in existence today.
In addition, taco trucks began appearing on the culinary scene parked across California as far back as the ’60s and ’70s. They arrived in Lexington much more recently, but you basically cannot turn a street corner these days without seeing one (or maybe two.)
Each year, October 4 is National Taco Day — and there’s also a day of the week devoted to the mouth-watering food. (No other food item enjoys such a designation.) There’s even a Netflix TV series devoted to the delicious taco, ”Taco Chronicles.”
According to the website NationalTacoDay.com, Americans consumed an astonishing 4.5 billion tacos last year. Clearly, we love them.
That in part, along with prices that generally won’t break the bank, helps explain the popularity of the growing number of taco trucks in Lexington.
According to Luke Mathis, an Environmental Health and Preparedness Team Leader with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, the operators are required to register with the health department a minimum of 48 hours prior to setting up in Lexington and must follow the same general sanitary and health requirements as local brick and mortar restaurants. In addition, they are inspected twice annually.
Taco and Mexican food lovers are flocking to these no-frills mobile food wagons for a variety of tasty taco flavors like carne asada (seasoned beef), pastor (pork), pollo (chicken), barbacoa (barbeque) — and for the more adventurous ... lengua (tongue), cabeza (head), and tripas (intestine). Each served up in an inviting soft, warm, corn tortilla, often with onions and cilantro and choice of red or green sauce.
Some spots are open for lunch and dinner and stay open until the wee hours of the morning. Several offer picnic tables or basic tables and chairs for seating, while others do not. If not — for many of us — it doesn’t get much better than simply sitting in our car, enjoying a sack of freshly made hot tacos and a cold bottle of our favorite fruit-flavored Jarritos soda. After all, it is “street food.”
The next time you are ready for some carefree cheap eats, here are 10 local independent taco vendors, listed in alphabetical order along with their standing location, that are worth a visit.
This is a list and guide to find some of the tastiest and best street food and taco trucks Lexington has to offer.
A friendly tip: Cash works best, but a few may take credit cards. Note: Some operators simply do not speak English. Be ready to point to your selection on the menu if you don’t speak Spanish.
Want great food on the go? We scoured Lexington for the top food trucks.
El Buen Taco
Location: Imperial Liquors parking lot, 1445 Village Drive. (859) 213-3762.
Hours: Sun.-Tue., 10 a.m.-2 a.m.; Wed.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 a.m.
Look for the small red trailer and order at the door. El Buen Taco will bring the food to your vehicle. Tacos are $3 ea. in choice of beef, chicken, barbeque, pork, cow head, cow tongue, or cow intestine. Other menu items include quesadillas, tortas, and more.
La Fiesta Tacos
Location: Marathon parking lot. 1201 South Broadway. (859) 797-5877.
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Dinner: Mon., Tue., Wed. 5 p.m.-1 a.m.; Thu. 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Fri. 5 p.m.-3 a.m. Sun. 3 p.m.-11 p.m.
La Fiesta Tacos is available by DoorDash. One of my go-to spots. Owner Emilia Guzman’s menu is inspired by her hometown, Oaxaca, Mexico. Tacos are $3. Birria Tacos are $3.50. Shrimp tacos are $5. Choice of steak, chicken, shrimp, pastor, chorizo, or barbacoa. Other interesting menu items include a California Burrito and Shrimp Burrito. Don’t miss her homemade Pan de Yema egg yolk sweet bread that is delicious enough to simply pull apart and eat like a pastry.
Los Compadres Tako Truck
Location: Shell Gas Station parking lot, 6400 Polo Club Blvd. (859) 368-4109.
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Los Compadres Tako Truck tacos are $3 ea. in choice of steak, chicken, marinated or shredded pork, or spicy Mexican sausage. Other menu items include quesadillas, tortas, burritos, and sopes.
Pepes Tacos
Location: BP parking lot. 2221 Richmond Road.
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Billed as “authentic street tacos.” Located there since 2016. Operator Daniel Acosta notes that the simple menu of tacos, tortas, and burritos are recipes created by his mother and geared towards a lunch-time audience. Tacos are $3 ea. in choice of steak, chicken, or pork, Vegetarian options also available.
Que Taco
Location: Clean Sweep Car Wash parking lot. 550 South Broadway. (859) 221-2309.
Hours: Mon.-Wed. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-midnight; Fri. 11:30 a.m.-midnight.; Saturday 4 p.m.-1 a.m.; Closed Sun.
Que Taco owner Alex Ruiz says that it is a crowd-sourced Tex-Mex menu. Tacos range from $2.50-$3.50 (basic taco, Que-Taco or Quesa Taco) in asada, barbacoa, pastor, chorizo, or campechano (steak and chorizo), with choice of medium or hot salsa. Burritos are the most popular menu item. There’s also a burrito bowl, quesadilla, torta, que burger, and cheesecake on the menu.
Tacos el Potro
Location: Mattress Firm parking lot, 2399 Nicholasville Rd. (859) 619-5989.
Hours: Mon.- Thu. 5 p.m.-1 a.m.; Fri.-Sat. 5 p.m.-2 a.m.
Tacos are $3 ea. in choice of steak, chicken, marinated pork, barbacoa, Mexican sausage, beef cheek, beef tongue, or cow intestine. Other Tacos el Potro menu items include fajita nachos, sopes, hurache, quesabirria, empandas, and more.
Tacos El Campesino
Location: Marathon parking lot, 2001 Versailles Road at Oxford Circle. (859) 202-4031.
Hours: 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m., Mon.-Sun.
Tacos are $3 in choice of steak, beef, chicken, pork stomach, chorizo, cow tongue, cow cheek, and cow intestine. Other menu items include enchiladas, gorditas, empanadas, sopes and more.
Tacos Juquilita
Location: BP Station parking lot, 2312 Versailles Road at Parkers Mill Road. (859) 913-4592.
Tacos are $2.50 ea. in choice of beef, chicken, marinated pork, carne enchilada, barbecue, chorizo, cow tongue, or cow intestine. Other Tacos Juquilita menu items include quesadillas, gorditas, tortas, burritos, carnitas, pizza birria, and more.
Taqueria el sabor Oaxaqueño
Location: Located in the rear of the Marathon parking lot, 3527 Lansdowne Dr. (859) 787-4263.
Hours: 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Mon.-Sun.
Most tacos (beef, BBQ, pork, chorizo, chicken, etc.) are $2.50 ea. Tripa and lengua are $3.50 ea. Other Taqueria el sabor Oaxaqueño menu items include pizza birria, tortas, burritos, gorditas, quesadillas, sopes, enchiladas, and more.
Taqueria Luna
Location: Marathon parking lot, 781 E. New Circle Road at Eastland Pkwy. (859) 382-7357.
Hours: 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Mon.-Sun.
There is always a steady flow of customers here. Tacos are $3 in choice of beef, chicken, barbeque, pork, cow intestine, pork stomach, carne enchilada, and nopal (cactus leaf). Other Taqueria Luna menu items include gorditas, sopes, picaditas, quesadillas, burritos, tortas, huaraches, nachos, and more.
As an added bonus, here is one more food truck that does not consider themselves a taco truck, and for good reason but definitely worth a visit.
Camacho’s Kitchen
Location: 1743 Alexandria Drive in Gardenside Shopping Center in front of Manny’s Supermarket. (859) 421-1181.
Hours: Tue.-Sat.: 8 a.m.-10 p.m. “or until the last customer leaves.”
At Camacho’s Kitchen you will find a menu direct from Honduras in Central America. “100% de la Costa!” (of the coast.) They do not have a taco on the menu but trust me, try the “Mega.” It is sort of like a giant meaty taco, or perhaps a wannabe burrito. Either way, it is delicious. Made with beans, sour cream, cheese, eggs, avocado, and lots of steak, all wrapped up in a giant warm flour tortilla. Price: $10, plus tax. It certainly lives up to its name. It’s big. Many other interesting items are also on the menu.
Rob Bolson is a freelance writer residing in Lexington, Kentucky, who writes about food and culture. Follow him on Instagram at @robbiebolson .
