Rancho Bravo

Whenever I’m in the mood for taco truck style cooking I always head to Rancho Bravo. Their prices are low, there food is fairly authentic, almost everything I’ve tastes great, their staff is friendly and quick, they appear to be clean, and they’re open late.
Here’s are some of my favorites:
Pozole– A corn and pork stew. Piping hot, spicy, and fatty. Perfect for a rainy day.
El Doratos (sp?) — Little crunchy tacos. Cheap and delicious.
Tacos– Cheap and authentic although I wasn’t too impressed with the veggie ones.
Tamales– While I hear that the veggie ones are the best, the pork ones are quite tasty as well.
Horchata — Like a cool glass of Cinnamon Toast Crunch milk. One of the best libations ever fashioned by mankind.
And like many places in Cap Hill, there are always some characters to watch in morbid wonder while savoring your hot food.

The authentic mexican food you get from the meager truck parked next to the Winchell’s doughnut shop on 45^th in Wallingford is amazing. The prices are great and they are pretty quick to serve you. Go there… NOW.

The best mexican food I’ve ever eaten has come from this taco truck! El Cotixan (
) in San Diego was my favorite Mexican spot for a number of years until I came across this place while in college. I still remember when they first moved to Wallingford in the parking lot of Winchell’s. It was their Rancho Bravo Chicken Burrito that got me! Good stuff I tell you! Even GQ Magazine is saying that this place has some good eats (
).

The only downside to Rancho Bravo (Or «The Taco Truck,» as it is fondly called in our neighborhood) is that it is too close to my house and so I eat there way too often. These days it is located next to Dick’s in Wallingford (45^th and 1^st.) A new, 3-​window trailer has been pulled into the lot and soon it will be the new Rancho Bravo while the old truck will be moving to Greenwood. (Location to come!)
The veggie black bean burrito? Satisfying, delicious, and CHEAP! Quesadillas? Also delicious, especially when you’re on your way home from a bar late at night. Rice and bean bowl? One of my favorite menu items. I don’t eat meat but the veggie mix — eggplant, radishes, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc — is delicious and filling and my roommates swear by the chicken, beef and chorizo. (Hint: chorizo isn’t on the menu so you have to know to ask for it.)
They have a range of salsas and sauces and aren’t stingy — if you say you want 2 of everything they have, they will give you 2 of everything they have.
The hours are flex — they open whenever and close whenever business trickles out or the staff gets bored and wants to go home. Some Saturday nights I have gone by at 3am and seen a line out front!

Nothing better than a taco truck esp one that i feel is some what clean. and its a taco truck with its own salsa bar
7 $ can get you 3 tacos and a drink which is more than enough for me its way better than the taco time up the street.

Yes it’s a truck set up at a gas station, but who cares.
I stop here frequently and have even brought out of town guests looking for a quick bite. They frequently run out of tamales, but I get them if I can. Burritos and tacos are great and they’ll even take credit cards.

EDIT: 4.26.2007
These guys moved to Wallingford on 45^th (next to Dicks) and I am PISSED! Oh well, more $$$ for them.
Pros: Authentic. Authentic. Need I say more? Their salsas are amazing, and the cilantro based salsa is delicious.
Cons: It’s a taco truck. Some of your friends will be put off eating cafeteria style outdoors, especially when it is cold.
These guys rock. Enough said.
Seriously, having been born and raised in Los Angeles and living here for the past 3 years, it doesn’t get any better than this. These guys are so authentic, they are the best. I haven’t had Mexican food this good, even in Los Angeles. Their menu is pretty standard, but they also have cabeza (brain), lengua (tongue), and tripa (tripe) for the adventurous. Their bebidas (drinks) are great, as their watermelon and pineapple juices are all natural and use real fruits. Just stay away from the Horchata (rice drink) as it’s the powdered concentrate sweet stuff.
Overall, I am amazed this place hasn’t been discovered yet. They are growing, slowly but surely in popularity. Mark my words. One day this place will be an icon of sorts.

This is actually a taco truck parked near the Kingsgate Park and Ride at 13 001 116^th Way NE, next to a McDonalds. I was nervous to try it because I didn’t want to get sick, but I finally did because I figured I could deal with it if I did. The food is actually very good, very authentic, and cheap. They do a pretty good business with local Mexican folks. They make a very good vegetarian burrito. I hear the tacos are really excellent, too. They can definitely compete with Gorditos, which is too busy and crazy for me. Rancho Bravo has a couple of tables and a tent set up but if you don’t go for that atmosphere, they can package everything to go just as easily.