Tacos Tierra Caliente

No son lo que esperaba estan ricos pero solo para el area donde estan… que no salgan de ahi …

This place is everything I ever wanted in a Taco Truck. The tacos de pollo and barbacoa were amazing. They are very generous on the salsa and limes. I’m very picky when it comes to spice. I loved both their red and green salsas. We’ll def be coming back to this place. A hidden treasure inside a food truck.

Holy cow, this is my fourth time these past 2 weeks. It might not seem like a lot, but the fact that I’m willing to drive 30 minutes is saying something! Let me just do an overall breakdown of this joint:
Pros:
— Tacos are super tasty!
— The lengua (tongue)! Don’t let the thought of it scare you away from trying it.
— Cheap. $ 1.50/taco.
— Fast service! Great if you’re on the go.
Cons:
— Parking can be a hassle.
— Nowhere to sit and eat.
— They’re small so be sure to order multiple!
— Barbacoa is very salty. My least favorite on the menu.
Tips:
— I would say order a minimum of 3. I’m a 5 ft. 100 lb. girl and can easily devour 4 in less than 15 minutes. No joke.
— Use the red sauce if you like spicy. Green if you don’t. (IMO not very spicy, but has a nice kick.)
— Buy a drink at the bar across the street and you can use their tables to eat.
— Get napkins! Can get messy!

Man oh man are these delicious tacos. The barbecoa is so tender and mouth-​watering. The green salsa was spicy but had so much flavor – definitely a must try.
The only downside is the size of each taco. It’s about ½ the size of a normal taco. Also, there was a large chunk of fat from the barbecoa in one of my tacos.
Another thing I wasn’t expecting is how cheap the truck looked on the outside. They could definitely use some repairs and a good scrub to make it look more presentable.
Overall, if you are open-​minded about food truck food and want something that tastes authentic and tasty, then come by and try it! Just make sure you get a few since they’re so tiny!

This faded white-​and-​orange food truck sits right outside West Alabama Ice House and makes the dopest traditional tacos in H-​Town. The soft tortillas (corn for $ 1.50 and flour for $ 2.00) are fairly small, maybe 4 inches in diameter, but are filled with a generous scoop of your choice of tender meat or veggies. The barbacoa is hands-​down their best offering, with melt-​in-​your mouth slow-​cooked beef. The steak and pastor tacos are also super tasty. I’ve heard the chicken is good, but not on the same level as the others. Don’t forget to request cheese and avocado– they really load the tacos up. Oh, and the hot sauces that come with your order are so good you’ll want to drink them straight out of the cup. Be careful with the orange one… it’ll light your face on fire.
Only two gripes: 1) the meat can be slightly on the over-​salty side sometimes, and 2) they smush all your tacos into one piece of foil instead of individually packaging them. But man, I challenge anyone to find a better meal for under $ 10 anywhere in Houston.

The best $ 5 lunch there is. Tortas as big as your face or a few barbacoa, lengua, pastor, or fajita (chx/​beef) tacos. And then walk next door to W Alabama Ice House for a $ 2.50 16oz Lone Star. How can you do better?
PS– both of the salsas here are quite spicy. If you like spice, they’re some of the best ones around!

10 stars
Lengua and/​or Barbacoa tacos on corn. Incredible. $ 1.50/ea
I was visiting from out of town and went back 3 times in 2 days. So good.

One of the great places that I would never have stopped up but for Unilocal.
I had heard tales of a fantastic taco truck somewhere near Alabama Ice House, but since ice houses are not as much my thing, I never really gave it much thought. I recall often seeing a fairly rundown old truck with a long line, but it was always in passing and I never thought to stop.
Boy was I missing out.
On a whim, I checked Unilocal and saw the rave reviews, and since I was nearby, we swung over and grabbed some Tacos Tierra Caliente. Amazing! Rich and flavorful with a depth of flavor that can only be attained by slow cooking for a LOOOONG time. My personal favorite is the Chicharones, although the super-​porkiness and somewhat squishy texture can be off-​putting to some. The fajita, pollo and pastor tacos are all fantastic. Salsas are SPICY.
One note: the tacos are street tacos, so they’re small. If you’re a big boy like I am and tend to get hungry, I’d order at least three. Two is a good snack, but I always end up craving more.

Um, can we say yum? Do not order the chicharron tacos, it was disgusting. Just… Made me and everyone else sick to their stomach. We had to throw all 6 chicharron tacos away. It was no Bueno, 100% fat fat fat and nothing else. Felt like I was eating mucus. But besides that, all the other tacos were spectacular, warm, and delicious. The sauces to compliment the tacos were a nice touch to the tacos as well. Meat was juicy and well seasoned with a hint of just enough oil to make it look so appealing! My go to place when I’m in the area, hungry, and in a rush.

Best taco food truck I’ve been to. Al pastor was to die. Chicharon was pretty tasty as well. Chicken quesadilla was pretty good and a pretty big portion. Worth the drive from living in Chinatown. People complained it was salty but it was perfect for me. I don’t like bland food and the meats here did not dissapoint, perfectly seasoned. Would come back again soon to try everything else

Missing the street tacos of Los Angeles, this place is a win for nostalgic taste-​buds. The selling point is the simplicity. Onion, cilantro, and sauce. No need for anything else to top the tacos off.
The barbacoa is on the sweeter side, just something to note. The al pastor is tender.

Overall excellent food. Tender juicy meat, very well seasoned, and great price. My favorite is the Chicken quesadilla (its more like chicken sandwich with cheese).
The truck is the kind that gives you leery feelings of discomfort. You can envision the roaches running under the counter and squiggly lines of disgust over the trash when you see this place. It looks very questionable. The food however is another story.
The menu is short and sweet, pick a tortilla shell or quesadilla and your choice of meat. From your meats you have: Fajita, Barbacoa, Chicharone, Pollo, Pastor, and Lingua and tortillas you have flour, corn, and veggie (for a vegetarian Taco).
Pollo (Chicken) Quesadilla: 5 of 5. It appears to be brined and slow cooked dark meat and gooey cheese sandwiched between two tortillas. Its better named Chicken tortilla sandwich with cheese as they give you to what probably amounts to an entire chicken thigh.
Pastor Taco: 3 of 5. I was recommended this from my colleagues, a bit disappointed but it definitely has a unique taste. They must’ve just made it because the flavor is in the juice run off but not in the meat. Potential, I’ll have to try it again.
Fajita: 3.5 of 5. Not tender meat but very well seasoned, almost too salty for me which means pretty damn good for everyone else.
Barbacoa 4 of 5. Very rich and well seasoned. Imagine slow cooked pulled pork hot congealed in its own fat… but its beef. So imagine pot roast instead with a mexican twist!
Red and Green Sauce 5 of 5. Most places are either bland or too spicy. I can’t have spicy. A 1 for most people is like a 2 – 3 for me on the heat scale so this sauce is perfect, really compliments the taco’s without the typical searing heat. Its got some good consistency to it as well, not watered down like some places.
Drop by Ice House across the street for a cold one. Given the salt content of these bad boys, it’ll probably do you some good to eat one after you pound a few drinks.

I love dive-​y spots and cheap food, so this seems like a hit on paper. Unfortunately, I was immediately turned off the dingy appearance of the truck. I don’t even mind the location (basically a parking lot), but that’s where food is being prepared! If you can’t keep the outside of your truck looking good (or your windows looking clean), how carefully is everything else cleaned?
That said, 3 tacos for $ 5 is great. My first two beef tacos were amazing, while my 3^rd was swimming in grease. I’d suggest asking for extra limes and really draining off any excess grease before eating. Overall, it was fine but not necessarily worth the hype.
ETA: I am almost positive I got food poisoning after this truck. I didn’t eat anything else out of my ordinary.

wooooowzah… salt! salt taco please… first bite and all hype went out the window; despite being hungry after my three tacos… I was not going back for more…
veggie tacos are ok… bland.
beef taco… salty.
pork taco… meh. salty.
salsas… salty.
taco la Bala (whatever my last review on tacos is runs circles around this place… big wide circles)…
but it was cheap… $ 5 for 3 tacos…

Probably the best street tacos in Houston, and at 1.50 each, definitely a good deal. Good variety and fairly quick. Can get quite crowded at busy times.
The salsas can be quite spicy for those who dislike heat.
Pro tip — ask for avocado and you shan’t be disappointed.

I stopped by Tacos Tierra Caliente with a girlfriend for some Taco Tuesday and beers at Alabama Ice House across the street. Immediately you need to know to bring some cash and plan to order a minimum of 2 tacos because they are the baby street-​taco sized that back a delicious punch to your mouth. At minimum plan for $ 10 so you can buy 2 $ 2 tacos and a $ 5 beer with $ 1 left over to tip at either location.
When ordering I practiced my Spanish and received some feedback from the cashier on my ordering techniques. Right off the bat I was excited about this place because my cashier took an interest in me when she didn’t need to. I ordered the barbacoa tacos on flour tortillas and found them to be flavorful with a rich meat that had some taco drippings but nothing that would make me feel like I looked like a sloppy mess after eating my tacos.

My boyfriend really loves this place. As for me, it wasn’t anything special. Today we came back to try their breakfast tacos. We got ham, chorizo, and a lengua tacos he breakfast tacos were … Meh. I liked that they were small and not over filling. But that’s it. I got the lengua to give it another shot.
The lengua taco was not good.
1. The raw onions on the taco were chopped into chunks instead of small pieces.
2. The amount of onions on the taco was spilling out. Did I get an onion taco or a lengua taco? Ok I can overlook this I guess. I just took some off.
3. There was a stick in my taco. Yes. You read that right. A stick. Maybe it was from some plant to add spice or flavor. But… There was a stick in my taco. Not a tiny one either. A two inch stick.
Never again.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSS!
When your coworker tells you he wants to marry Maria’s daughter so he can have the truck, you know it’s good. I worked right across from the truck for a summer, and when someone asked me how my summer job was, I told them, «It was great! The tacos from the taco truck across the street were delicious!!» Everything I’ve had here is good but the pastor tacos are really kickin’! Also, the quesadillas are ginormous. My lactose intolerance said nooooo, but my taste buds said YESSSSSS!

Very quick service. Hard to find parking, but the service is so quick, someone will be leaving the stand every 3 – 5 minutes.
Do not get the fajita chicken. It’s actually shredded chicken that didn’t have much flavor. The Barbacoa however was delicioso!!! Flavorful and juicy. I’ll return for more of the Barbacoa.
Know your numeros! They call your number en Español first, then in English, so you may not hear it if you don’t know it.
Corner store in the same lot is cool. They didn’t have any Jarritos but still a good variety of beverages.

Yes, this is the benchmark that all other taco places must beat by comparison.
Love the LENGUA, barbacoa, and the pastor tacos. They also give free avocado. If you get a quesadilla, they are huge.
This taco truck is parked on a really small laundromat/​liquor store parking lot on Alabama. Just down the street from Trader Joe’s. That’s already a win win! Looking for a place to sit? Unless you love the amazing aroma of freshly made tacos filling up your entire car (who wouldn’t), then go across the street to West Alabama Ice House for outdoor seating (and a drink!).
This place serves up traditional, no nonsense, fully loaded tacos. You know that feeling where you want to eat as many as you can, even though you are absolutely full? Yes, it’s that kind of feeling you’ll get by visiting this taco truck.

Looking for the best street side tacos in Houston? Look no further than Tacos Tierra Caliente, the product of Maria Samano and her talented Michoacan posse of taco gurus. Located in the coolish Montrose neighborhood, this food trailer (?) offers up a simple menu of stellar taco worthy meats anywhere from $ 1.50-$ 2.00 in a flour /​corn tortilla.
Chose anything. There is no bad taco here. The bulk of many orders might be for their infamous barbacoa, a succulent shredded beef version that stewed to perfection. The sabor (flavor) is so good that they’re almost addicting. The lengua is also very tasty, enough to a point where it’s just as good as any in the city. Al Pastor fans would appreciate the bits of pineapple embedded in the pork and the local (Texan?) favorite, the beef fajita is always available in its pebbly, beefy goodness. Though I feel like it’s in limited quantity, I always recommend the chicharron. Make sure to add some of the house made salsita verde. It’s creamy and has the perfect kick for a tacogasm.
Up early enough for breakfast? Shoot for their breakfast tacos, served only from 8:30 — 11:30am. Huevos and chorizo are my favorites and for only a $ 1, I tend to go bulk order to feed me and all hungry companions. If one can muster a few more dollars, shoot for a quesadilla or a heartier torta. They never disappoint.
Parking is limited to the street or the smallish parking lot shared by the supermarket and Thai massage spot. The ladies who make the tacos are awesome in every way. They’re efficient and friendly and deserve all the accolades /​praise for their fantastic take on delicious, affordable tacos.

Conocimos estos tacos por Unilocal! durante a un viaje a Houston, la verdad fue un descubrimiento que en un lugar tan sencillo y simple vendiera comida tan buena… los mejores tacos de Houston. Punto.

Echtes mexikanische Essen: lecker, günstig und schnell. Diese (nur) oberflächlich grausame Trailer hat für etliche Jahren Tacos den Kunden von West Alabama Icehouse und die Gastarbeiter der ganzen Stadt sorgfältig besorgt. Jeder, der echtes Mexikanisch kennt, wird solche Tacos sofort erkennen. Ich kann ohne weiteres Tacos Tierra Caliente allen, den Tacos mit ihrem Bierchen geniessen wollen, empfehlen.
Vorsicht die Soßen sind sehr scharf!
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Authentic Mexican food: delicious, cheap, fresh and simple. This unassuming trailer has been in business for many years. Its offerings are prepared with care, and do not stray from the basics. Anybody who knows true Mexican food will recognize these tacos. I recommend Tacos Tierra Caliente to all who want quick good eats while enjoying a beer at the icehouse.
Take it easy with the sauces since they’re surprisingly spicy (albeit delicious)!!!
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Comida mexicana es sabroso, sencillo y rapido. Este puesto lleva muchos años al lado de West Alabama Icehouse. La comida es básica pero buena. Gente que conocen comida mexicana verdadera van a disfrutar estos tacos! Te recomendo Tacos Tierra Caliente a todos que quieren comida buena con una chela bien fría en el West Alabama Icehouse.