Taco Azul

My favorite food truck in Cincinnati because they serve delicious chorizo tacos, but more importantly because they serve tongue, a tender delicacy, I have not found anywhere else in Cincinnati yet.

I’ve been free wheeling with my five star reviews lately, but this food truck deserves it. These are the most authentic tacos in the city hands down (if you order the authentic tacos if corse). I scarfed a couple down during an event in Northside, not the classiest thing I could have done, but totally worth it! If you want authentic tacos then hunt this truck down, all the tacos are good.

Always five stars for Taco Azul! Can’t beat great and fast service, and local products. They’re very special people. Everything is delicious especially the burritos ;)!! More burritos (lol)

I was excited to try the Taco Azul food truck because I had heard good things about it, but it left me thinking, «meh». I don’t know if it is because I am used to tacos from southeast San Diego and Tijuana, but I thought the Taco Azul was just okay. I tried carnitas and carne asada taco– very small portion size, and a bit pricey. It was nice to have a Mexican Coke though– a great addition to the meal/​snack. I was glad they had Mexican style tacos as at all, without all the «American» taco extras. In any case, I am still looking great Mexican street food I can find in Cincinnati.

Pork.
DO:
–Chorizo taco.
DON’T:
–Skip the pork tacos — way too salty.
PARKING:
–It’s a food truck, so I’m guessing street parking?
Ordered two «traditional» tacos for $ 5 (I believe tacos should always be near $ 2 each, so it passes the test). Traditional taco means that the meat is topped with only onions and cilantro. I believe the other taco version is topped with tomatoes, lettuce, etc for $ 6 for two tacos. I picked chorizo and pork for the meat. The chorizo had a hint of spiciness which was pleasant, great flavor, overall it was solid. The pork on the other hand was just way too salty. It’s a shame because the underlying flavor and texture was amazing. If they can fine tune their pork it would really take off.

One of the best food trucks in Cincinnati. Their ingredients are fresh, the service is friendly and they know what they are doing!
The first time I tried Taco Azul I was reluctant because I don’t really like mexican food, at least Cincinnati mexican. We walk up and my boyfriend orders two steak tacos, the owner suggests we at least try the house made chorizo, so of course we get one of those as well. I didn’t order anything but I took one bite of the chorizo taco on the walk home and wanted to run back and order about 200 of them. It was the best chorizo I have ever had in my life and restored my faith in mexican cuisine.
Whenever I see Taco Azul out and about I go up to the window and just say, give me the best that you have for the day and they always deliver, ALWAYS.
Fresh, inventive, Mexican street food done right.

Fresh flavorful quick tacos, mmm good. Don’t forget to enjoy your tacos with a mexican Coke, great combo.

So I’m having beers with some friends at the Northside Tavern and I decide it’s time to head home and I start to work up a hunger and then I start to wonder if my wife and kids have eaten and I’m getting grumpy because it may mean a late night trip to the grocery store or time ordering carbo-​meal at a window when I step out onto Hamilton Avenue and the smell of Taco Azul hits me at the same time I see their truck.
The food was great. The wait was short. The staff was nice. The price was cheap. That’s what makes a nice food truck. They knocked it out of the park for me.
The only draw back is the use of Styrofoam containers. Sure there’s the ecological drawbacks but there’s also something about them that drags down the food a bit.

I’ll be honest here. When I think «authentic Mexican food», «taco truck from LA» is not what immediately pops into my head. But I’ve never been to LA so there is the possibility that these taco trucks know what they are doing.
It didn’t matter though, cause I love food trucks. And I love burritos. So there was a strong possibility that this truck could win me over. Win me over, it did. First of all, it’s $ 5 for a huge friggin burrito. I can’t remember the last time I’ve eaten anywhere downtown for just $ 5. I always get the carne asada, because I believe when becoming a reformed vegetarian, it’s go big or bust. It is a tasty burrito most definitely. Taco Azul gets bonus points from me for carrying Mexican Coke, which comes in a glass bottle and is made with real sugar, not that HFCS shenanigans.
Keep in mind, there is usually a bit of a wait, but it is definitely worth it.

While at the Big Band & Bigger Beer event last week, I had the opportunity to try Taco Azul. This food truck specializes in authentic tacos (2 for $ 5), burritos ($ 5), tortas ($ 7), and quesadillas ($ 5). Each item is available with chicken, pork, steak, or mushroom filling. Everything is made fresh daily and local ingredients are used when possible.
I made the mistake of waiting too long before placing my order. When I finally did the pork was completely gone and there was only enough chicken for one taco. I was hoping to get one chicken and one pork taco. I decided to switch the pork over to mushroom. The tacos are served on corn tortillas with only onions and cilantro. Pico de gallo and lettuce can be added, as well as cheese for a quarter, but I decided to keep them simple.
The menu doesn’t mention it but lime wedges are served with the tacos for squeezing onto the top. I decided to skip this step since the slices of lime I was given weren’t fresh, as evident in the photo above. Also wedges of radish are served on the side, which I wasn’t really sure what to do with. I started with the chicken taco and was immediately impressed with the spice and flavor of the chicken. The cilantro and onion add simple flavors to the taco but let the meat shine through. The mushroom taco wasn’t as nearly as flavorful, but was still a decent option for the vegetarians out there. In conclusion I enjoyed the food and I would definitely give them a second shot, especially if they have pork available this time.

After a strong start out of the gate, Taco Azul has got me soured a bit after a half-​dozen or so visits.
One of my very few one-​star reviews was for the disastrous Señor Roy’s Taco Patrol. Señor Roy’s, a gringo taco-​truck operation, mercifully shut down a few months ago, around the same time that the gringos at Taco Azul started theirs up. Or I should probably say «gringas,» because it seems like when I go only some usually pleasant young ladies are ever in the truck, even if a husband-​and-​wife team own the truck.
Taco Azul calls itself an «Authentic LA Taco Truck,» and I suppose they get reasonably close by Cincinnati standards, even if three young Anglo-​looking women on duty don’t exactly scream authenticity. (I’m guessing that the absence of tongue, goat, etc., from the menu isn’t all that authentic, either…) Anyway, based on my Señor Roy’s experience, I was a little wary.
Taco Azul’s food is solid, though, and the tacos are pretty impressive. The meats are more flavorful and more properly cooked than what I’ve generally gotten at its downtown competition, Taqueria Mercado. (That might sound like heresy since, as far as I know, Mercado is run by actual Mexicans. But then, to me, the downtown Mercado has been a disappointment…) For some reason, though, Azul’s tacos are always on the dry side, and I can’t quite figure out why.
Got a torta one time, and didn’t think it was so great. The bread was kinda mealy and the pastor was mostly lost in the other ingredients. (FWIW, the bread in Mike D.‘s pic looks better than what I had, so maybe I caught that torta on an off-​day…)
There are some negatives:
–Taco Azul offers only chicken, asada, pastor, and a mushroom-​based veggie filling. This is pretty limiting. They supposedly do Korean-​style tacos and carnitas sometimes, but not when I’ve been there.
–I don’t know if the workers/​owners are tiring of this enterprise, but the initial friendliness of the service seems to be flagging.
–Taco Azul recently jacked its prices up. Six dollars for three tacos was a nice deal. Eight dollars for three really isn’t.
–As a food truck, this one isn’t very easy to keep up with.
–I’m pretty sure that Taco Azul was offering some nice homemade salsas the first couple of times I went, but those seem to have disappeared.
–Service can be slow if there’s a line.
Overall, Taco Azul is a nice addition to the city, and I’ll be back, but I can’t get much more enthusiastic than that right now.

It seems Unilocal is hiding a bunch of the reviews that are saying the really great things about Taco Azul. This makes me cry, and I hope this one doesn’t get hidden as well — because I LOVE me some Taco Azul.
First of all, their food is a steal. I’ve never been able to turn down their «2 Tacos for $ 5» deal, but at some point I’ll muster up the courage to do so.
And it goes without saying, but the food is delicious. I’m a carnivore, but my love of meat is slightly outweighed by my love of mushrooms. It feels so weird to me to order the veggie option when a meat option is available. But that should just let you know how awesome the TZ is.
In short — if you see that distinctive blue truck, your day just got a bit better.

I’m a fan of food trucks! We lost Señor Roy’s in Cincinnati but around the same time gained Taco Azul so Cincinnati streets will never be without good tacos!
I’ve really enjoyed the burritos I’ve ordered here. I always get the chicken burritos. They’re really fresh and tasty, but you will want to add some spice to them with their assortment of hot sauces. It’s a little bland without. I also love that they serve vegetarian versions of everything. I eat meat, but not beef, so it’s nice to have some options.
They also serve authentic tortas, which I haven’t tried yet, but am looking forward to trying the next time I see them out and about.

One of my favorite parts about the transfer I have to take downtown to take the bus anywhere is stopping by Taco Azul for lunch. The burritos and tacos are both delicious and fairly priced (no matter whether you get the chicken, steak, al pastor or on special days the Korean BBQ).
Super friendly staff and I got a big crush on one of the girls that works there too.

Taco Azul is a welcome addition to the Cincinnati food truck scene — who doesn’t like tacos served from a big blue truck? I would say that overall it isn’t quite as good as some of the other traditional mexican restaurants but it’s not really supposed to be competing in that arena anyway.
I had the traditional LA style beef taco and it was amazing. I love that it only had onions and cilantro… and lots of cilantro at that! Each taco is only $ 2 and depending on how hungry you are you can get a plate of 3. I haven’t tried the rest of their selections yet, but I definitely dig this.
When we ordered they were out of chips and guacamole but they did bring us some later (for free!) to make it up to us. It wasn’t the best guac I’ve had but I love it all.
If you see me running through the streets of Cincinnati, chances are I am looking for Taco Azul…

I’m hoping that I can update this review after a better experience with Taco Azul, but I was totally not impressed. I REALLY love taco trucks, and I’ve been waiting to track them down since they opened. I was so excited when they were stopped outside of Neon’s after a meeting I had there.
When I first walked up, I mentioned that I hadn’t eaten there before and I was really excited to try it but wasn’t sure what to get. The girl just looked at me like I was crazy and didn’t suggest anything. So, feeling awkward at this point, I quickly ordered a chicken burrito.
The service was fast enough, and I ran home with my burrito, excited to try it. Even after one bite, I knew this wasn’t going to be the sort of experience I had been waiting for. The rice was hard and crunchy, the beans were soggy. The chicken was cooked perfectly, but nothing else was. There were also green peppers mixed in with everything, and they totally overpowered the taste of anything else. There were too many and it just tasted like I was eating a green pepper burrito.
I ended up throwing away more than half of my burrito and going to Taco Bell.
I will try Taco Azul again to see if their tacos are any better than the burrito, but only because it’s cheap enough not to feel guilty about tossing it if I don’t like it. You can get a taco for $ 2 which is great, I just wish their tastes didn’t match their prices.

I consider myself a local expert on Mexican food – that being said I also am known to sometimes stretch the truth. I do, however, have Celiac’s Disease which has me frequenting many of the city’s Mexican restaurants as they easily suit my dietary restrictions. So, when I saw that Taco Azul was going to be parked outside of Neon’s last Tuesday, I knew it was time to put my expert taste buds to work.
I was not disappointed. First off, you just can’t beat the price! I mean, a taco for $ 2? That’s a deal! They come wrapped in a corn tortilla and covered in pico and cilantro and were just fabulous! The perfect meal for a cool spring night – and a meal it was. After the first taco I looked at my husband and let him know he may be finishing my plate for me. Of course, this may also have to do with the lady like way I was shoveling their guacamole into my mouth between bites of their delicious tacos, but we won’t talk about that – other than to say GET THE GUAC! :)
My only complaint is that the food prep was a little slow and I could definitely see where you could wait a long time if there was a line of people. So, I’d suggest doing what we did and following them on Twitter so you can show up outside your favorite bar and have a pre-​bar taco snack, or meal, either way get the guac!

You won’t miss Taco Azul. Just as the name states, you’re going to see blue. Maybe not so much on the tacos, but definitely on the big blue truck.
Taco Azul is the latest in a bunch of food trucks that’s been making it’s way around Cincinnati, and I dig it a lot. They’re food is cheap, tasty, and they’ve got a bunch of salsas for you to try — and I’m a man who loves my salsa.
I got two tacos, one pork and one beef at $ 2 a piece, and they were damn good and fresh. I agree with others that maybe a little on the dry side, but that might be a side-​effect to making them in a truck. I still ate both tacos and wanted more at the end, so that’s a win right there.
Plus, the staff was incredibly friendly. They chatted, gave suggestions on what I might like and worked quickly to get my tacos to me. I really appreciate that.
They claim that it’s «authentic Mexican street food in Cincinnati.» I cannot judge one way or another on it’s authenticity, but the food was solid and I will be back for more.

Im glad Taco Azul is around. As far as I’m concerned, the more awesome food trucks we have, the better.
The staff has been super friendly both times i’ve had it, and the food has been fresh and delicious. Especially the huge torta. Man that thing was awesome, and really hit the spot after a Reds game. My only complaint was that the tacos that I had for lunch on my first trip were super skimpy. Not even close to anything that they show in their photos. It makes me nervous to try them again. But I will, and hopefully I’ll get to try the Korean tacos soon too.

An LA Street Taco Experience in cincinnati. I got to try them on their opening day, and while they are far from the best tacos I’ve ever had, they are definitely good enough to give them repeat business. their carne asada and pork were good, their chicken left a little to be desired. Be sure to try their salsas to make up for a little dry meat. Hit them up!