When you first hear about a taco bus you might think about the Who's "Magic Bus" and expect the Taco Bus to be very hip. It may be counter-hip, but mostly it is what it is-a bus that has been remodeled into a mobile Mexican restaurant.
There are, I am told, now several taco buses in Seattle. Where they all are and whether they have any connection to each other is unknown to me. This one, a big, old, white bus about 40 feet long, is at South Court Street and Rainier Avenue South, in the 3500 block, a couple of blocks south of Chubby & Tubby and on the same side of the street. It's named Tacos el Asadero, but most people seem to just call it the taco bus. The young woman who works there told me it never moves, the driver's seat and steering wheel notwithstanding.
There is another, smaller bus within a few feet of the big bus, but it was not open for business. The big bus seems to use it for storage.
Actually, I wasn't sure this bus was open for business when I arrived about 12:45 Saturday afternoon. There was a color menu of a dozen specialties illustrated on the side of the bus and a hand-lettered addendum to the menu on a large piece of poster board next to it. They were next to a serving window through the side of the bus, but the window was firmly closed.
The bus door, where you would enter if you were wanting to go downtown, was also closed. I am tall enough that I could stand on tip-toes and see into the windows. When I did, the young woman I mentioned looked surprised to see me looking in the window, then pulled open the door for my son, Tor, and me.
The inside was a revelation. Stainless steel counters ran along under the windows about half-way to a bulkhead that separated the kitchen area from the eating area. There were six attractive swivel-seated stools on each side and plastic vines and flowers decorated the space above the windows. It was scrupulously clean and business licenses and food handling permits hung conspicuously above the windshield. Three people worked out of the kitchen.
There were six customers inside besides us, and we were later joined by four more. Even with that many customers it did not seem cramped, unless you stood up. At my height I had to take off my hat just to stand stoop-shouldered. All of the customers except my son and I spoke Spanish, both to order and among themselves. This, I thought, was a promising sign. Clearly this was not just a tourist trap for gringos.
The offerings were numerous and inexpensive, ranging from tacos (your choice of chicken, shredded beef, spicy pork, etc.) for $1 each and burritos (your choice of meat) for $4, to combination plates with beans and rice, and even pozzole and ceviche. The most expensive item on the menu was camarones ala diabla, a shrimp dish I did not recognize (is diabla a female devil?) for $8.
Tor decided to have a burrito with beef. I had one spicy pork taco and one shredded beef taco. We each chose a soft drink from the self-service cooler, which had a bottle opener tied to the handle for customers who chose a bottled drink. There are no alcoholic drinks. Tor had a can of guava nectar and I had an Orange Crush.
The tacos were served on two soft tortillas, a little smaller than I expected, and I thought I might have to order something more after I polished them off. They were fresh, mouth-filling and delicious, far more filling and satisfying than the larger 99-cent tacos available at the fast-food, mock Mexican restaurants.
The burrito was huge, the size of a chimichanga at a regular sit-down Mexican restaurant.
"Man, for four bucks this is really a steal," Tor said, with his mouth full. He got no argument from me.
Tor got through half of it and gave up, much to my delight. My reorder quandary was solved. The burrito was just as delicious as the tacos, with chunks of steak, not ground beef, and even more filling. Everything is served on paper plates with plastic utensils and condiments are available at the end of one of the counters.
We got out of the taco bus satisfied and full for just $9, including drinks and tax. As we walked down Rainier Avenue I found myself humming "Magic Bus." This was a real find.
Tacos el Asadero is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
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