Gourmet mobile food vendors?

[brucesw]

Came across this article today in Restaurant News.

I doubt Austin deserves credit for starting a trend. I read more than 4 years ago an article in the LA Times about taco trucks there, some of which sounded pretty upscale compared to what I knew of in Houston.

Roadfood.com has done several features on NYC trucks, including one recently on The Treats Truck, which dispenses gourmet desserts.

Anyway, what about Houston? Do Tacambaro, El Ultimo, Jarro count as gourmet? What else is there. Anything over there on the streets in the Galleria???, Memorial??? I mostly look for mobile vendors in poorer, working class and ethnic neighborhoods; maybe I'm doing it wrong.

Edited April 21, 2009 by brucesw (log)

[JimH]

I lived/worked in the Galleria & Greenway Plaza for years and never saw a taco truck or roach coach outside of a construction site.

[brucesw]

I imagine in the Galleria area they'd have to contend with that business/neighborhood group that controls signage and everything (can't remember what its called) in addition to city health codes, etc.

Also, supposedly these things depend on foot traffic a lot, although I'm not sure that's really true here in Houston. Other than Tacambaro, I think most get most of their business from people pulling in in their cars rather than walking up.

[JimH]

At the corner of Sage & Richmond there was a little stand selling tacos or something but it never seemed to do much business and last time I saw it I beleive it's a coffee shop. It's a an area with a lot of dining options, Miguelito's (Venezuelan) is across from Pete's Fine Meats which is next to a strip center with Taqueria La Tapatia. That old subdividsion on the North side of Richmond and the apartments on the South side are what drove the local restaurants/stands. The houses were torn down for McMansions and I think the apartments are being torn down. It's going to change what little is left of the older establishments.

[brucesw]

I think I know what you're talking about and I think it's a smoothie place now maybe. There's a Ruchi's in that strip center across the street and that Ekko station is a Greek restaurant. There's something else new down there with the La Tapatia, too, but I can't remember what.

I was over in Pasadena a bit today, surprised to see not one mobile vendor - maybe just the streets I was on?

[JimH]

I bet the Ship Channel would be a gold mine for taco trucks. Robb Walsh concentrates mainly along I-10 and the Heights area. I have a client in Channelview, first exit off I-10 from the beltway. IIRC There's at least 1 truck on the service road (if not 2) and one a block off the service road. I don't have time to explore much but I did eat at the lunch counter at the corner store near that second truck and the grocery store a block down from that second truck I think also serves food. We're talking all of this within a 1/4 mile radius, probably a lot of undiscovered trucks and taquerias in the area of the Ship Channel. I don't have any clients in Pasadena but you are more likely to find taco stands in the 77502 area off of 225 South of the beltway.

[brucesw]

Freeport St? I was just over there yesterday. Ate at that Capt. Tom's then drove up Freeport. I'd been up that way before and saw lots of taco trucks but there were fewer this time and only 2 in operation (and I wasn't hungry). There was one at Woodforest and the Beltway and another one about a mile further east that had a shelter built over the truck! Must've been there for a long time.

Then I went down across the bridge to Pasadena to Spencer - all of that is very new development, very antiseptic; I saw no taco trucks. Came back up to 225 on Red Bluff and saw I think 2, only one working. I've seen them in other parts of Pasadena before I'm pretty sure. Noted a couple of taquerias and burger joints that have good reviews on b4, if I'm ever over that way and hungry.

Interesting observation about Walsh. I've never noticed but you may be right. That feature is pretty dead anyway.

[JimH]

The area in Channelview I wrote about is basically the intersection of Sheldon Road and Market Street. There are a lot of tugboat companies and marine related industry in the area. It's been a long time since I had a client in Pasadena and even then it was North of where the beltway is now. I'm thinking Southmore, Shaver or Pasadena blvd.

Edited April 22, 2009 by JimH (log)