Burrito Week: Taco de Oro

Every year around the end of the Big Sexy fiscal year, I treat myself to a burrito each workday from my favorite burrito haunts. I’ve long believed that a burrito is always the right answer for lunch. Feeling sad? A burrito picks me up. Feeling happy? Celebrate with a burrito. Low self-esteem? A burrito always has my back. Feeling sleepy? A burrito will tuck me in for an afternoon nap.

This year I will provide a review of each of these holy-rolled concoctions sampled during Burrito Week as a public service. I don’t know anyone else, aside from Adam Richman, who I would trust with burrito knowledge more than the Big Sexy. My burrito palette is as refined and respected as my well-heeled beer palette. Here are my findings…

Taco de Oro, aka The Burrito Wagon. When I first starting working a Panattoni nearly 5 years ago, I walked down, to the local taco truck, against the advice of my new co-workers. I didn’t have a car that day and the truck was just around the corner from our offices. I figured if anyone can make a tasty burrito, it would be authentic Mexicans who’s only overhead is gas and an oil change every 6 months. I noticed there were good sized lines of landscapers every day. Worst case scenario, I get to catch up on some reading I’ve be meaning to get to in the afternoon. Thankfully, I couldn’t have been happier with my results! I had been blind to taco trucks for so long. I don’t even remember seeing one before. Now I recognize them everywhere and check to see if I have time to stop for a quick bite.

Sadly, one day the truck was gone. They had been always parked in a tire shop parking lot on Folsom Boulevard every day from 11-3. Maybe they were on vacation. Next week… still gone. I hadn’t even gotten a chance to say goodbye! If only someone could give me a sign that everything would be alright. When I was finally cried out over my loss, there was a sandwich board in the vacant lot. The sign I had been longing for. It gave the new address to Taco de Oro’s truck! They had moved a couple of miles down Florin-Perkins, just south of Fruitridge, in front of some deserted building. The Man had made them move over some permit thing. So maybe it wouldn’t be as quick as before, but I knew we could make it work. It’s now a 20-30 minute round trip to get my beloved burrito wagon burrito, but it is worth it.

Monday’s burrito came back to my desk with a couple of it’s taco friends. The more the merrier! The asada tacos are simply asada on corn torillas with a spicy homemade sauce and cilantro. They never fail to satisfy. After my appetizer, I was geared up to get this party started right. Unfortunately, the burrito was a bit of a let down. It is a good example of the problems with the truck. Today, there was not enough of that special red sauce on the burrito, making it dry and without the same dome-moistening heat that I am accustomed to. The asada in the burrito also seemed to have more of the tough/fatty pieces that I don’t eat. The only other ingredients, pinto beans and Mexican rice, were perfect. But I really needed more sauce. The consistency of the burritos at Taco de Oro is the only flaw. About 85% of the time, they are extremely good. That other 15%, makes me take my burrito eating talents away from South Watt.

Tough start to burrito week… Taco de Oro starts the week with 2 ½ dancing burritos out of 5.