August 7, 2008

Restaurants to go
José Garcia is bringing good eats to you
By Susan Ware Flower news@hippopress.com

Q:How did you get into the taco truck business?
I’d always liked what Mario did with his Nashua truck; I thought the food was great, so when he asked me if I was interested in going into business, I did. We came to Manchester four months ago.

Taco trucks are fairly new to New Hampshire. Do you get many people asking questions?
Oh, yes. People who’ve lived in Los Angeles know about the taco truck and they are happy to see the truck parked there. But a lot of people are not familiar with what the truck has to offer. We get a lot of questions, but once they try the food, they always come back.

In Los Angeles taco trucks are controversial because they don’t pay taxes and have to work under all kinds of regulations, like having to move every 30 minutes or be fined. Do you get hassled in Manchester?
No, not at all. We aren’t on the street. The truck is parked in a lot that I rent. [laughs] Plus, it is a popular place for the fire department and police to eat.

How hard was it to purchase a taco truck in New Hampshire?
[laughs] Very, very hard. We bought the truck in Los Angeles and drove it back.

What’s the truck’s menu like?
We sell authentic Mexican food. Tacos for $2 each, tortas for $5 each and huge burritos for $5 each. You can basically get anything: azada, adobada, carnita, chicharon, lengua, cabeza and pollo. Everything is cooked when you order, that’s why you see people standing outside the truck.

So the two workers in the truck cook everything to order, even the guacamole and salsa?
Yes, we make it all fresh. [laughs] We use avocado on everything.

What are the hours of the Manchester truck?
Basically 10:30 a.m. to 8p.m. every day. Sometimes we run out of food and have to close early. Business has been very good.

Is it safe to say that the taco truck is here to stay?
Yes, we are very happy with the response. The community has embraced it because the food is so good and fresh and very inexpensive.
— Susan Ware Flower

On the menu
Tacos Nayarit
Cash only; phone 305-1970
The menu is in Spanish, and some staff members speak only Spanish.
taco: corn tortilla
burrito: flour tortilla
torta: sandwich
azada (or asada): thinly sliced marinated steak
adobada: pork in a red chili sauce with vinegar and oregano
carnita: braised pork
chicharon: pork cracklings
lengua: beef tongue
cabeza: a Mexican delicacy, meat from the cow’s face
pollo: chicken.