The Taco Truck | Town Topics

The Taco Truck, Just Opened In December, Is Offering Authentic Mexican Street Food

THE REAL THING: “We are set apart by serving authentic Mexican street food.” The corporate team of The Taco Truck includes from left, marketing director Stephanie Hague, owner Jason Scott, vice president of operations Nolan Woods, and owner Chris Viola. They are enthusiastic about their new restaurant, which offers authentic “taqueria” cuisine — the real thing!

“Eat more tacos!” That is the motto — and the hope — of The Taco Truck, newly opened in the Princeton Shopping Center.

Chris Viola and Jason Scott had this great idea — bring the authentic Mexican “taqueria” street food, especially tacos, to the east coast of the United States.

“It was really Jason’s idea,” explains Chris Viola. “He had been in Mexico and had really liked Mexican street food. He wanted to offer customers here authentic Mexican tacos. While he was a businessman, he didn’t have restaurant experience, and that’s where I came in. I had gone to Cornell’s Hotel School, and then worked in food and beverage at Four Seasons.”

So, in 2009, the two entrepreneurs formed a partnership and established their first Taco Truck in Hoboken. They enlisted the expertise of experienced culinary professionals from Mexico City to create the authentic recipes, and then sent their truck out to various events and farmers’ markets in the area.

Brick and Mortar

Their tacos and related items (tortas, burritos, quesadillas, etc.) were such a hit that the partners were inspired to open a brick and mortar restaurant in Hoboken in 2010, and then add new locations to meet increasing requests from customers.

They established a very successful kiosk on Manhattan’s High Line, and opened restaurant/cafes in Boston, Cambridge, Mass., and Morristown, N.J.

The Princeton location is their most recent undertaking, and while only open since December 26, it has received excellent reviews, and has been attracting scores of customers of all ages, including many families, every day.

“Princeton is a great fit for us,” reports Mr. Viola. “We had been here with our truck for events at the university and McCarter Theater, and people have been very receptive. We liked the idea of the Princeton Shopping Center because it is central, and also the parking is so easy and convenient. We are so encouraged. We’re getting great comments from customers and also from the other merchants. We have great neighbors.”

As they enter the “south-of-the-border” Taco Truck restaurant, customers are first enticed by the appealing aromas of tacos in various stages of preparation. The friendly staff is quick to take an order, and also explain any Spanish terms on the menu that a customer may not know.

Among the most popular tacos are “pescado”, served with crispy catfish, red cabbage, pico de gallo, tartar, and chipotle salsa in flour tortillas; “aguacate tostada” with crispy avocado, black beans, sesame seeds, pickled onions, tortillas fritas, and chipolte salsa.

Toasted Sandwiches

Other favorites include “pollo asado” with grilled chicken, lime pickled onions, and roasted red salsa; and “al pastor”, featuring marinated pork, onions, cilantro, pineapple, and fresh green salsa; among other popular items.

Tortas are toasted Mexican sandwiches, explains Mr. Viola. “Not everyone knows this, and we enjoy educating customers about our food. This is a real goal for us.”

Among the sandwiches, which are served with white onion, pickled jalapeno, avocado, crema, and black beans, are “barbacoa” with braised beef and chipotle salsa; “carnitas” or braised sweet pork with cilantro; and “pollo asado” or grilled chicken.

Burritos, served with red rice and black beans in a flour tortilla, include “al pastor” with marinated pork, onion, cilantro, pineapple, and fresh green salsa; “pollo asado” or grilled chicken with lime-pickled onion, and roasted red salsa; and “verduras” (seasonal vegetables).

There is always a vegetarian choice among all the selections.

Guacamole, salsa, and rice and beans are favorite side dishes, along with street corn (on the cob with mayonnaise, cheese, chili piquin, and lime); and La Capital soup with chicken, rice, hominy, lima beans, carrots, corn, cilantro, and chipotle.

A popular salad features mixed greens, cheese, tomato, avocado, pumpkin seeds, crispy tortilla, and pineapple vinaigrette. Chicken, beef, pork, or fish can be added for an extra cost.

Customer’s Taste

Any of the items can be prepared according to the customer’s taste, regarding mild to spicy seasoning.

Authentic Mexican sweets feature “plantano’s fritos” or fried sweet plantains with crema and sugar; and “churros” — fried dough, cinnamon, sugar, and seasonal sauce.

Beverages include Mexican Coca-Cola (with no high fructose corn syrup), Mexican sodas, and fresh fruit waters, among others.

Prices range from $5 for one taco (most taco dishes include three tacos) to $8.75 for the top-priced burrito or torta. Sides and sweets start at $2.50, and beverages at $2. The children’s menu includes tacos and quesadillas for $3.50.

The Taco Truck also has a growing catering business, with off-site birthday parties, corporate events, weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc., and the trucks are busy all year round. All sizes of events, from 15 to 500, can be accommodated.

Mr. Viola and Mr. Scott are committed to offering the freshest ingredients with a focus on healthy, high quality products. “We are set apart by our quality ingredients,” says Mr. Viola. “All of our meat is antibiotic-free. We support local farmers who raise their animals on a vegetarian diet without antibiotics or hormones. We get the freshest ingredients we can find and we try to make a positive impact on our planet every day.

“All our packaging is compostable, and we compost our left-over food and packaging three times a week. We compost thousands of pounds of food and packaging waste every year.”

Cross-Section

Mr. Viola is pleased that customers, who are a cross-section of families, Princeton University students, high school students, and business people, share The Taco Truck’s focus, not only on healthy food, but on the health of the environment.

“Our four core principles are (1) hospitality, (2) authenticity, (3) sustainability, and (4) community involvement. Wherever we open, we focus on the community by being active in our neighborhood through ongoing community involvement. We feel very fortunate that the community has welcomed us in Princeton.”

At the shopping center, lunch and dinner are available seven days, with take-out and sit-down equally popular. Fifty diners can be seated inside, with outdoor seating expected to be available in the spring.

“I want our customers to enjoy the food and have a great experience here,” says Mr. Viola. “We have an opportunity to make a real impact.”

The Taco Truck is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (609) 580-1384. Website: www.thetacotruck.com.

Taco Truck Comes to Princeton Shopping Center

A CHARITABLE OPENING: The owners of the new Taco Truck restaurant at Princeton Shopping Center make a practice of devoting opening day to “pay what you like” and donating the proceeds to a local charity. This year’s recipient is the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.

Jason Scott has yet to see the movie Chef, about a man who quits his job at a prominent Los Angles restaurant, opens a taco truck, and takes it on the road. “You’re about the 40th person to ask me that,” he says with a laugh. “I’ve been too busy running around, getting this going.”

“This” is The Taco Truck, the restaurant Mr. Scott is opening at Princeton Shopping Center just after Christmas. With partner Chris Viola, Mr. Scott has had his eye on the town for two years, hoping to find a place to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

The Taco Truck began as just that — a truck serving authentic Mexican taqueria cuisine to the east coast. The partners started the venture in Hoboken five years ago. Since then, they have branched out to open actual restaurants based on the original truck concept. Princeton Shopping Center’s store, which will be in the former location of Learning Express, is the fourth such establishment.

Mr. Scott is quick to offer that he is not a chef, but a businessman. “I came up with the original concept and brought in the right people to make it happen,” he said. “In my former life, I owned The Urban Angler stores in New York City and Virginia. I had the opportunity to travel throughout Mexico and southern California, and I fell in love with authentic Mexican street food. I was living in Hoboken and craving the food, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. I thought, I must not be the only person.”

The Taco Truck menu differs from the Tex/Mex Burrito restaurants found on the east coast. “We offer burritos but our real focus is on tacos and tortas, which you won’t find in other Mexican restaurants,” Mr. Scott said. The Princeton menu is scheduled to include rotating seasonal tacos; a taco with crispy catfish, red cabbage, pico de gallo, Mexican tartar sauce and chipotle salsa on a flour tortilla; another taco with braised shredded beef, onions, cilantro, and roasted red salsa; and a taco with fried avocado, black beans, sesame seeds, pickled onions, tortillas fritas, and chipotle salsa.

The emphasis is on fresh food and native flavors of Mexico. There is a children’s menu. Offerings range from $2.50 to $8.75. Restaurants are designed with sustainability in mind. The Princeton location has energy-efficient appliances, reclaimed wood, LED and fluorescent lighting, and composting.

The restaurant is designed to reflect the atmosphere of the original outdoor food truck, but in a contemporary setting. Patrons place orders at two broad windows set in a curved, aluminum-wrapped wall with a menu board and views of the kitchen.

After a soft opening on Friday for family and friends, Taco Truck will officially open on Saturday, December 27 with a “pay what you like” day to benefit the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK). All proceeds will be donated directly to the organization, which provides meals and services to those in need.

“One of our employees does a lot of volunteer work there,” Mr. Scott said. “We always open by partnering with a local charity. We like to support things our employees are involved in and give back to the local community.”

The partners have come to know Princeton from the catering they have done in the area in recent years. “We love the sense of community — a great mix of students, faculty, and residents,” said Mr. Scott. “We really wanted to open a restaurant here. When Eden’s [owners of Princeton Shopping Center] contacted us, we were very interested. We knew this was a good fit for us.”