Meals on Wheels: More Carts and Trucks in Yuma

Kirk has survived Mexico City and enjoyed Guatemala. Cathy is traveling all over San Diego looking for food. But ed (from Yuma) is focused on a different kind of moveable feasting.

One of the best parts about living in Yuma are the mobile dining options -- no, not eating in your car, but eating at one of the numerous informal semi-portable carts, trucks, or movable kitchens that dot parking lots and empty fields around town.

To begin with, I want to share a couple of photos of a campechana at Tio Juan's on 8th St (previous post). Their version tends to be the funkiest and fishiest around, which I think is a good thing.  On my last visit, I found an unusual clam hiding in the clamato lime shrimp water:

This Mexican black clam combined a nice fresh flavor with a perfect texture, firm but not rubbery.  The shrimps in the cocktail were, as always, perfectly cooked and pristine in flavor:

 Often the seafood trucks, such as Tio Juan's and Juanita's, close around dinner time just as many of the meat carts are firing up their grills.  One evening, we got lucky arriving at this hot dog cart (On Ave 5E close to Hwy 95) just as it was opening:

Only a few of the dogs were ready to eat, and some had just been placed on the comal:

 

Tina and I both thought that this was one of the better perros we have ever eaten: 
The sausage was not overcooked or dried out, the chilied frijoles had a nice rich flavor, and the chopped green chile salsa packed a punch.

While there was no floor show this evening, there certainly was a beautiful sky show:

 Another one of the pleasures of dining al fresco.

On another evening we enjoyed doggy dining at Rossy's on 8th St almost to C. It was a different style dog:
Unlike many other places where the customer is responsible for adding condiments to taste, the helpful ladies at Rossy's are happy to load up the bacon wrapped wiener with their favorite ingredients.  The grill-charred onions were impressive, and the over-the-top toppings and warm steamed bun were the stars of this doggy delight.

Another place that Tina and I thoroughly enjoyed was El Pino, where the mobile kitchen sits outside an old house on 8th St, almost directly across from Pupuseria Cabanas:

 Just as some carts focus on hot dogs, this place has its specialties as well.  The taquitos (rolled tacos) here, filled with soft and flavorful mashed potatoes, are simply outstanding:

This is a dish difficult to prepare perfectly.  Too long in the deep fryer and the mashed potatoes become dry and overcooked; too short and the rolled shells lack the requisite crunch.  As Goldilocks said, this one was just right.  The crisp cabbage and the creamy mayo and sour cream contributed to the contrast of textures.  As plain as they look, these are the best potato tacos I've ever eaten.

Also outstanding was the horchata - thick, rich, and spicy with cinnamon:

In order to have a balanced meal, clearly we needed some vegetable, so we ordered coctele de elote, a corn cocktail:

 Yes, there are numerous chewy whole kernels of real maize (not the watery/sugary American style sweet corn) underneath the butter, grated cheese, and crema.  Really, trust me on this.

I eagerly looked forward to visiting Tacos El Jarocho at 24th and Pacific because
the proprietor used to operate a small restaurant (also called El Jarocho) that featured some of the most interesting, unique, and flavorful Mexican food in all of Yuma:

  
On this evening we had asada, carnitas, lengua, and cabeza tacos:
 Except for the rich cabeza, none of the meats was special, and the range of condiments and grilled vegetables was limited. I also missed the standard amenities, such as chairs and tables. Maybe my expectations were too high, but  this was a bit of a disappointment. Still, it'd be a good place to pick up a quick taco - or two.

In contrast, we were delighted by a visit to this nameless two truck Mexican establishment at the far end of what is going to be a taco cart food court on 8th St just beyond Avenue C :

Earlier in the year, Tina and I had tried Los Compadres in this lot, before that truck relocated. The lot is large with several cement pads and electrical hookups, so I expect this location will feature more food choices down the road.

I checked out the grill before we even sat down and was impressed by the asada and the cebollitas rojas:

We decided to start with an aguafresca as the restaurant had its fruit drinks out on display:

 We picked mango and loved it. Full of tropical flavor and dense with mango fruit, this hit the spot:

Then the complementary Mexican red, white, and green onions arrived:

These were wonderful. As I bit off the head, the moist bulb squeezed out of its skin and plopped into my mouth. It was tender, smoky, and sweet. Followed by the soft flavor and aromas of roasted green onion. Yep, better than good.

Next came the beans. A mixture of two varieties, these were a step above the usual:

Then the condiments, which were nothing special, though the salsa had a round almost sweet mild spiciness:

 They were followed by the tacos, which arrived in shiny packaging, glittering like the stars of the show:

The asada was very beefy with the lightest touch of seasoning:

The pastor, grilled of course, was tender and likewise mild in flavor:

The cabeza was enormously rich and densely meaty. The emphasis in the prep was again to highlight the flavor of the flesh:

 

Just to prove that we balance the carne with condiments, here's a typically decorated taco:

Our meal here was $18, and we felt we had gotten a good deal. All the flavors had been natural and fresh. Although little English is spoken, little Spanish is needed to receive friendly service and good food.

And that is about standard around here. I am always welcomed at these little places, and I usually enjoy the street food. I guess that's why I kinda hate the term "roach coach" because all these places seem clean, and most of the food is made with care and love.

Comments

[Judy Lee]

those tacos look soooooooooooo good. i'm salivating like pavlov's dogs

[MELISSA]

Yuma! All my produce growing friends love it... yummo.

[Janfrederick]

You've really outdone yourself this time. What a CLASSIC food post! And that first doggie looked really good. I want to make myself some of those soon.

Not this weekend though, my free-diving brother is bringing 5 pounds of abalone to town for Mothers Day. I was thinking abalone tortas for our warm up. :)

But back to the topic. This was a seriously delicious post. I'll just get back to my oatmeal now.

[sawyer]

gawd damn!!!! everything looks delicious. i do appreciate grilled green onions, but have never had them w/ the bulbs. i am going to seriously have to make a road trip out there sometime...

[ed (from Yuma)]

Yes, they were tacos deciciosos, judy, and I am so lucky that good tacos are plentiful here.

And yes, Melissa, this is a big produce growing town, though now mostly grass, melons, and pasta wheat are planted. Most of our lettuce labor force is working around Salinas.

Thanks, Jan, for the nice comments. Oatmeal sounds good too. Really.

The green onions with the large bulbs are common here, sawyer. Called Mexican green onions in the supermarkets. I sometimes will slice one up in a salad or add to tunafish. But I'd never seen the red version before.

[foodhoe]

wow, a taco truck food court sounds awesome! are the perros bacon wrapped? I've heard of these but haven't tried it yet. looks like a bunch of really good food.

[ed (from Yuma)]

It isn't a Mexican perro if it isn't bacon wrapped. It's really the choice of toppings that makes one different from the other. Well, also how long the dog has been sitting arround.

The food court term comes from Kirk, who spotted about 4-5 trucks in one lot when he visited a few years back. But this new location really seems better planned - but right now it is largely unoccupied.

[Rich Kaszeta]

Thanks again for another rundown on Yuma taco trucks and food courts.

Ed, you are a culinary savior, and have really helped me maximize my Yuma yumminess.

[sue]

I stopped at the 24th st location in front of the convenience store. Rather sketchy set-up, but my lengua taco was delicious. At 1.25, a good value. Same cart, but the name was 'El Piedad'. ??