El Taco Grill

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I spent five weeks travelling around Mexico in 2019 – diving into blue-jewelled cenotes, lazily sipping smoky mezcal over card games, and gawking at ancient ruins. But mostly I was eating tacos (plus tamales, chilaquiles and tostadas) for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I fell in love with the warm corn tortillas loaded with charred beef or spice-rich chorizo, paired with crunchy white onion, fresh coriander, creamy avo and zingy lime. Or spit-roasted pork with hunks of juicy, sweet pineapple. And crisp, golden, sweet-tasting battered fish with pico de gallo. You get my gist.

The tacos I had at El Taco Grill – a food truck parked at Marrickville Metro, just outside the hustle and bustle, among grocery-shoppers and admin-doers – took me back to the streets of Mexico City quicker than I could say: muy bien!

The vibe

El Taco Grill is a new Mexican food truck by cousins Edson Dominguez Tapia and Miguel Seynos, who hail from Puebla — an incredibly vibrant city southeast of Mexico City, framed by views of Popocatépetl volcano and the birthplace of mole poblano. First firing up the grill this April, it’s located outside Marrickville Metro – a shopping and dining hub in the Inner West – under a big leafy tree, and there’s a handful of makeshift wooden crates to sit on. The guys tell me that when it rains, they put up a tarp, but you can also order takeaway to eat at home. This is a casual affair – really good tacos enjoyed sitting or standing on the street, just like in Mexico.

The food

El Taco Grill’s menu is tight. It’s all about the fresh, handmade corn tortillas served with guac, chopped onion and coriander – and the grilled meat. Choose from chargrilled tender steak, also known as carne asada, or garlicky chorizo. There’s also a flour tortilla option, a big quesadilla filled with melted cheese, and a tostada. The best thing on the menu, in my books, is the volcano – a nod to their home in Puebla. The corn tortillas are baked so they’re crisp and crunchy, then loaded with all the good stuff: melted cheese, avo, onion, coriander and lime. Then choose your salsa – there were four when I visited, all spanning different chilli levels. The salsa verde with jalapeños was creamy and subtle, but I preferred the bright, tangy and fiery la diabla with habaneros. Tacos start from $7 a pop.

The drinks

There’s no booze at El Taco Grill – but you can quench your thirst with a cold soda. Better yet is the house-made horchata, a chilled, creamy Mexican drink made from rice, cinnamon and vanilla. Want something lighter? Go for the hibiscus-flavoured water.

Time Out tip

Starving? Do as I did: order a couple of tacos, including the volcano, and chuck on a quesadilla with mixed meat. Boom. A very good lunch indeed.