Man In A Can: El Rey Del Taco
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If you are anything like me, you love Mexican food, but there are barely any places in Manhattan that (in my opinion) are worth going. It”s the ONE thing that L.A. has over us. You have those Tex-mex places, which are neither here nor there. You have Chipotle, but ladies and gentlemen remember it”s owned by McDonald”s, which says a lot in itself. And, of course you have “Mexican” restaurants, which pander to god knows who”s bland taste buds. I always find myself asking, where”s the salsa? Where”s the spice? It tastes like Ragu with Polly-O cheese. Do you ever see anybody Mexican eating there? I didn”t think so; thus it can”t be good.
But, cross over the river and you have El Rey del Taco. Apparently, they aren”t too modest, huh? Anyway, you can”t miss it, it”s a sizable silver truck adorned in the colors of the Mexican flag (green, white and red for any of you who were wondering). Parked on the corner of 33rd St and 30th Avenue, it”s conveniently located just two blocks from the N/R stop. I call them as soon as my train gets out of the tunnel and reaches Queensboro Plaza and when I get off at 30th Avenue, dinner is ready.
I know, I know so you”re skeptical. You”re thinking, “Food and enclosed vehicle are like oil and water.” But, I assure you what”s on the menu at this truck is gourmet, well…at least authentic. It”s no hot dog/pretzel man, that”s for sure.
With nothing on the menu costing more than 6 bucks, you can have a completely authentic Mexican meal, and at that price you can afford to eat out often. (That”s something I love about Queens, you can always eat like a Queen on a budget of a pauper.) From platters to burritos to quesadillas to tacos, this truck has it all. The cooking is done all before your eyes, sometimes I feel like I”m watching Iron Chef. Best of all, this truck delivers! Well, the truck stays put, but they have a delivery boy on bike standby.
Ask for Juan. I even have him on speed-dial.
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May 14, 2008 9:03am
I’m not a big fan of Chipotle but just wanted to point out that McDonald’s sold its stake in the company back in 2006.
May 14, 2008 9:51am
Taco trucks are hugely popular on the west coast and have been in NYC for years. The ignorance displayed in your third paragraph suggests that there is good reason to suspect your authority on Mexican food.
May 14, 2008 9:57am
I live in Astoria at the moment and they’re my favorite late night snack joint, though Pita Pan’s a close second…
May 14, 2008 10:35am
I’ve been to this Place “El Rey del Taco” and oh boy the food is amazing delicious…love it!! the price is reasonable and the food very tasty!! I highly recommend it!
It’s reasons like this that are why I try to waste an hour everyday towards exploring some hole-in-the-wall instead of checking out some readily established restaurant everyone knows about. I rarely have an excuse to visit Queens these days, but maybe I’ll make an exception for a place like this.
May 14, 2008 12:24pm
Oh yes, The King of Tacos can’t be beat. The guys who work there are real cool too, and the truck is usually open from 7 PM til about 4 AM and 7 Am on weekends. Just in case. Just a detail… thats actually an N and W stop on 30th Ave. If you get on the R, the closest you’ll get to El Rey is Northern BLVD in which case you might as well just go t0 Mama’s Empanadas.
I’m so glad that no posts go unflamed on this blog. Thanks jasmurph, your input is really valuable.
All this talk over tacos. You are right about LA topping NYC in the world of Mexican food. I miss it.
May 14, 2008 8:31pm
The ONE thing? Really?
May 14, 2008 10:11pm
jasmurph, I would greatly disagree with your claim that the chewess exemplified an ignorance in her post. I don\’t believe she was touting her own horn on discovering mobile food vendors. Sure men in cans have been around forever but so have tacos. I\’m surprised you didn\’t criticize her for writing about them. It\’s this kind of snarkyness that really makes me hate blogs and people like you. I for one will be checking out this food joint in the near future.
May 14, 2008 11:26pm
As a Chilango (native of Mexico City) living in New York, I thought I would not find Mexican food worthy of my memories of home. However, there are plenty of places in Manhattan and Brooklyn that are worth the trip. Two taco vans in Manhattan come to mind: Super Taco on Wheels (corner of 96th and Broadway, after 5PM M-F and all day on weekends) and another taco van on Lex and 110th (don’t remember the name or sched of this gem, sorry). Look to Barrio Chino, Mama Mexico and Los Dados in Manhattan, and Bonita (a personal favorite), Pequena and Hecho en Dumbo in Brooklyn for a step above street food (by this I mean a place to sit).
May 15, 2008 4:03pm
I second barrio chino. Simply fantastic, although more of a place to go for margaritas and a little bite, rather than a mexican feast