Shauna Eats Sunnyside

Late Night Taco Run

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve outright hated on the Queens Blvd/41st St El Vagabundo Taco Truck. My disdain stemmed from one drunken encounter three years ago with a mystery meat on bland tortilla that left me with festering reflux, praying to the porcelain gods for the remainder of the weekend.

not that you needed to know all of that…

Anyway, time heals wounds, and B had heard raves from a friendly neighborhood source claiming THIS truck (and not the one on 46th st) makes the best taco in Sunnyside. Oh, and the Post says it’s among the best in the city. Once we start getting into superlatives, you know I’ve got to test the waters. so I buried my traumatic memories on Wednesday night following our Jersey trek for the FC Barcelona/Red Bulls exhibition match and upon return to Queens, we sidled up to the steamy, soft glow of the portable sheet metal taco hut.

One thing that’s hard to miss about the Taco Truck is its steady stream of locals and barflys lined up for the authentic Mexican street fare at all hours of the night. It’s location is money, on the doorstep of The Courtyard bar and a block from the 40th St. subway station. Arriving at dusk on most nights, the taco bandits seem to serve a faction of longtime-loyal patrons, greeting them throughout the night with “hey buddy” and “comé estas?”

After brief deliberation over the extensive fillings menu, we decided against the tongue and went for a chicken torta ($6) and a carne asada taco ($2), plus a bottle of Boing! mango juice for, based on our post-purchase calculations, somewhere in the range of $1.50. The counter guys were friendly as they assembled our choices, clarifying on whether we wanted “the works” and “hots.” They poured homemade green and red sauces from tupperwares (not to mention the huge plastic bucket-o-peppers), stacked torta ingredients high with efficiency and artistry, and wrapped our tortilla like pros.

Upon getting our truck booty home, I cautiously unwrapped while B tore into the carne asada taco head-first. When he came up for air, I snatched it from his clutches and took a few nibs. HOT DAMN. The beef in the taco was marinated and saucy (B: “it’s not dressed-up offal, it’s legit steak”), and with simple ingredients (cilantro, onions, lettuce, green sauce and peppers) on a warm double tortilla, it was (i can’t believe i’m going to admit this) perhaps the best taco yet.

After battling with B for final possession of the taco goodness, I remembered the torta and pounced it promptly. Marinated chunks of grilled chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers, green and red sauce, delicately sliced queso blanco, and a swipe of refried beans slathered on toasty bread, the torta was, for lack of a better phrase, fucking delicious. Ingredients complemented each other without any one being overbearing - the sammich remained light enough to inhale and conveniently handheld. I didn’t even miss the avocado, which appears on most tortas we’ve sampled, but inevitably overpowers the tastebuds and instigates a sandwich slide into disarray. The taco men know what’s up - forego the troublemaker.

The Boing! mango juice was equally delightful, and came in a sweet glass bottle for automatic authencity. It is thick, fruity, and uncompromised by sugar content.

After licking our chops and tonguing the Boing! bottle, B looked up sheepishly and asked if we could go for more. The convenience of having such a slammin’ late-night meal option just around the corner changes our entire world of dining. But we decided to marinate on the satisfaction of our current eats and drop in on some Anthony Bourdain on DVR. To follow up, there was no toilet-hugging this time around - and I hereby recant my misdirected contempt for the here-and-now worship-worthy Taco Truck of Queens Boulevard.

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El Vagabundo Taco Truck of Queens Boulevard
Queens Boulevard at sunset (on the corner of 41st St)
Sunnyside, NY 11104
(347) 276-4522