West Coast Taco Truck

West Coast is one of my top 5 favorite eats in Indy! Their tacos are a little small, and about $ 6 for 2, but oh so delicious. I love the teriyaki steak! They have wonderful customer service, the guys are always friendly and willing to chat. Once, when I was about 6 months pregnant with my twins, I caught them in Broad RIpple about 10 minutes after they’d closed. Seeing my disappointment, the guys working the truck were nice enough to go ahead and make me a couple of tacos anyway! My babies and I were all very happy! :)

Spicy. Pork. Tacos.
Those three words could easily be my whole review.
I first discovered WCT my first semester at IUPUI. I was hanging around the lecture hall between classes, when I saw the glorious, black truck with a decently sized crowd around it. I went to see what the fuss was about and discovered that for just a few bucks I could walk away with a hefty burrito or some pleasant smelling tacos– a much better option than wasting $ 75 dollars on a mediocre taco salad from the cafeteria.
It was love at first bite, and the rest is spicy, delicious history.
Seriously, they are incredible. One time I (embarassingly) traveled 30 minutes out of my way just for a few of those bad boys.
Do yourself a favor, and check them out.
If you follow them on Twitter or Facebook, they’ll let you know where the trucks are posted up. Sometimes they hang out around Broad Ripple late on weekends, which is positively the best way to end a night of drinking. And there’s always the First Friday Food Truck Festivals at Old National!

Writen JUNE 2011
Oh… the Food Truck a staple in some cities a midnight dream walking from the taverns, pubs, and cocktail bars alike everyone loves the smells and enticements of a great Food Truck. I have heard rumors that West Coast Taco was one of these great food trucks «Best tacos in town!» they would say. I find the best way to test the theory of the quality of the Food Truck is to do so sober. The drunken palate cannot be trusted. So, I found myself walking across from the Indianapolis Capitol building and there it was a tall black truck with a group of people waiting around it. I thought to myself this is a good sign a line is always good. There where people suited up, people in shorts and jeans a nice group. I look to the menu and ask the young lady for the burrito with pork and a taco of course. I waited for my reasonably priced meal that was handed to me in a reasonable time. I walked a bit found a nice shady bench and took a bite. Expectations set high and was let down. This wasn’t the greatest taco not even close the burrito included. The rice seemed over cooked and nothing special the meat was fine but again nothing to write home about but enough to warn you about. If you are drunk, bombed, smashed, or even a bit tipsy these maybe the tacos for you but they are not for me. Food trucks these days are seen as restaurants on wheels gourmet pirates that travel the asphalts of our cities serving its citizens delicious goodness of whatever niche they are driving at. There are a number of Food Trucks in Indianapolis now I have been to three of them and tasted what they have told me was their signature grub and have been disappointed. Food Trucks are coming to Indianapolis and I have high expectations, every time you hear of these Food Trucks they are suppose to be the best ever and I am waiting for the best to come to Indy because they are not here yet.

I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but the prices at WCT have jumped. A LOT. The 3 for $ 5 deal appears to have been replaced by 3 for $ 8.50. Say what??? I get it, the price of meat has gone up. But that’s a pretty steep increase. Especially since I need to eat 4 of those little tacos to really feel full, it puts the price of a meal over $ 11.00. Guess this is going to turn into a rare occasion kind of meal for me. Instead of a have-​to-​have-​it kind of meal.

Just what you think — good tacos in the West Coast style. By that I mean fresh ingredients chopped fine on the grill, held in doubled up fresh and slightly floppy corn tortillas. What would it take to be 5 stars? More cilantro… I guess I should just ask for that next time.

It taste a lot, and cost a lot too!
Individual small taco is like $ 2 – 3, and the thing I got which was burrito was like $ 8.75! Burrito, man, it have this nice outside wrap of well oiled purpose made tortilla which is real real nice. And then inside some refried bean and stuff and beef, oh boy beef, yeah, is cook in little chips with that spice and fat which make soul, maybe 72% soul where like e.g. Chipotle really try but is 13.9% soul, though so more calorie and size for sure.
And then but then dang it I can get in rich touristlike Naples Florida where ma and pa live this tacos of pork beef ceviche head cheese tongue & c. which is 100% soul and cost $ 1.5−2.5, and then $ 7 burrito place where is like taco but all full of queso fresco and other food component of almost too much pleasure, so like I mean I like West Coast Taco but like, it is neither shit nor the shit as some person might say to be all smartylike, you see.

I will definitely try them again at some point, but if there is a food truck festival or other sort of food truck gathering, they are not going to be at the top of my list.
The Korean BBQ taco (s) was/​were good. I ordered 2 of them, along with 1 Chicken Teriyaki taco. They made a mistake on my order and I got 1 Korean BBQ taco and 2 Steak tacos. My order was wrapped in a foil packet, so I didn’t notice the mistake until I’d walked quite a ways away to sit down and eat. I tried the Korean BBQ taco first and it was definitely worth having again… in fact, I’d probably order 3 or 4 of these (they are small) next time. The steak tacos tasted bland after having the Korean BBQ taco. They weren’t bad, just on the bland side, nothing to write home about.
Not sure how they made a mistake on my order, but there was quite a bit of noise from a generator… it was either hooked up to their truck or to the food truck next to them. It made ordering a little difficult, had to raise my voice to be heard.
To re-​cap: if you’re in the mood for tacos, get the Korean BBQ taco. Check your order for accuracy before you walk too far away. I’m sure they’d correct it if you asked them to, but who wants to walk all the way back to the food truck, wait in line or cut in line to get your order corrected, etc.

wonderful beauty
hunger dies with asian heart
four wheels stuffed with love
I go out of my way for this taco truck. I stalk them on Twitter. I will do whatever it takes to get their Asian style burrito. There is just something so special, so unique, about an Asian inspired, California taco truck, in Indianapolis, where I buy my burritos. It makes so much nonsense it is sensible.
The first time I went, I have to admit, I was slightly underwhelmed. The only thing I remember about it was that the rice was undercooked. Now, that’s a big no no. BUT I remember the flavor was there – this, THIS could be an amazing burrito. So I went there again. This time, I remember: succulent spicy pork wrapped with some south of the border clothing. Rice: less memorable, because it was not crunchy. Delish.
Long live food truck Indy.

This is the ONLY review you need to read. I know good food. PERIOD.
I knew while sitting at Naked Xhopstix on a Friday night, that there was a reason the West Coast Taco Truck had parked in my line of vision. My group and I decided to ditch our table (before ordering anything) and head straight for the truck.
The night was young, so we were the only folks ordering food. It took a little while to get any tacos, considering there wasn’t a line, but none of that mattered when I took my first bite… excuse me, I need a minute…
ok sorry… even thinking about the moment those flavors hit my tongue makes me emotional!
The Korean Steak tacos are not like anything I’ve ever tasted and my taste buds began screaming at me, «WHERE HAS THIS BEEN!!!» Fresh, savory, sweet, bright, juicy, immaculate flavors hit me all at once. It was so good, that I was telling people on the street, within two bites, that they needed to put in an order. which they did, and thanked me for!
My review won’t even do the Korean Steak tacos any justice. I tried the chicken ones, and those don’t pack the flavor of the steak. Just get the Korean steak, okay? There is a reason its their #1 seller. The only downfall is that every taco you eat for the rest of your life will fall short… and I mean waaaay short of these bad boys. Oh wait, it’s Friday night!!! I know where they are!!! Seriously, I’m going right now.

The originators of the Indy food truck scene are still the best, in my opinion. I would almost think that Korean-​flavor infused tacos would not fly in Indy, but this city has a tendency to surprise. The spicy pork is my favorite but really, you can’t miss out on any of these. The Korean spices are subtle and the cilantro imbues a very fresh taste to these tacos. Plus, 3 for 5 bucks is a great deal for tacos that beat Taco Bell anyday.
Just a few caveats, when they get busy, it can take awhile for your food to get ready and it seems that they regularly have a shortage of one meat. Also, I’d pass on the burritos – for some reason, the flavors get watered down in a bigger tortilla.
If you ever see these guys parked, make it a habit to stop by and get your fix!

Dry.

So after a rather rousing Polka Boy show at the Rathskeller, we were in dire need of a midnight snack. Assuming the worst (Taco Bell) as this Chicago lass knows nothing of post-​bar dining in Indy, my brother suggested we check to see where the West Coast Taco Truck was parked.
As we doubled back to find the truck parked off the circle, I thought surely my brother and sister-​in-​law were exaggerating how good these tacos were. Turns out, they weren’t. Actually, you could sing their praises all damn night and still, you’d be selling it short.
I’m no fish taco connoisseur but I know what I like and these were it. No breaded fish here, just delicious flaky fish covered with coleslaw and some delightful spicy sauce. It should be noted that I hate coleslaw but was so enamored of these damn tacos that I made some last night in hopes my dinner would be as amazing. It wasn’t but at least I now have a reason to go back to Indy. Don’t tell my brother I said that.
One last note, they don’t really seem to have anything for vegetarians but perhaps I missed it.

Updated to my original review…
I’m still a fan, but there is definitely a lot of hit or miss with them. I tend to have my cravings, so I’ve been tracking them down at least once a week! The chicken burrito really fills you up, so the $ 6, in my opinion is well-​spent versus $ 10 on 4 chicken tacos. I’ve tried the teriyaki chicken and spicy sesame chicken, and they are both good. I tracked down West Coast Tacos after the Unilocal Hot Ball last week, and they were definitely having an «on day.» I ordered 2 chicken tacos (1 spicy sesame and 1 teriyaki). Both were awesome; marinated just right. I feel like getting some right now as I type this updated review!
I tried the steak once, and I was not impressed. The meat was bland and the steak was very tough. I heard the pork is pretty amazing, but I have yet to try it. I’m still waiting for these tempura fish tacos that were supposed to appear around March!

If I’m gonna be the Duchess of something… tacos are a damn good place to start. Especially the Best Damn Tacos! These guys do what all food trucks should aspire to: pick a very basic formula, execute it well and sell the goods at an easy/​affordable price. Being a native Californian, and before here, an Angelino, I love the fusion taste of home. yum.

«Yummy yummy yummy, I’ve got tacos in my tummy!»
Well, fried rice burritos, at least. But what a wonderful veggie option it is! I was lucky enough to get one on a day they made it without egg, too! It was hot, fresh, and spicy. Often times, rice in tacos/​burritos is dry and icky, but not at West Coast Tacos.
My only gripe, where’s the love for Fountain Square/​the southside?

Boo. No reasonable vegi options.
Chica told me she’d give me two tortillas with salsa and cilantro.
ummm I think I’ll pass.
Donde esta los frijoles?

Today I randomly started telling my buddy about the LA food truck scene in hopes that I wouldn’t be so homesick. In the middle of my recounting of all that is delicious, another friend texts me, «found a taco truck in Indy» with a picture of this West Coast Taco Truck parked downtown. What a coincidence!
Immediately I Unilocal this Indy taco truck and find their twitter site. It says they are bringing the Korean bbq tacos to Indy. LA’s all you can eat Korean BBQ restaurants are something I miss terrriblyyyy. Anyways, visions of the original Kogi taco truck comes to my mind and I beam with more excitement.
location: find them on their twitter; mass ave and Alabama
parking: thank god it’s indy where there is parking –_​– (I’ve never been to a downtown with more parking)
walking up to the truck, I noticed there was no line (Tuesday, 9pm) which didn’t bother me that much since indy doesn’t have anybody around at nights on the weekends. I also got kind of excited when I noticed two korean dudes hanging out next to the truck (thinking they work there — must be legit kbbq) and a guy with a LA dodgers cap working inside the truck.
service: there was no visible menu on the truck; a nice lady took my order but there was only steak today
price: $ 2 a taco /​3 for $ 5; pretty typical
food: My buddy and I got 3 steak tacos (I wanted to try chicken but they only had steak today). Twitter said they were kbbq tacos from LA, they are not. If they were Korean bbq tacos, the meat would be better and the kbbq marinate would taste more kbbq-​y. How do they compare to kogi tacos (I used to get them all the time when I was an undergrad at UCLA)? so kbbq tacos, they are DEFINITELY NOT. but putting aside the expectation for the tacos to be like LA kbbq tacos, the tacos are decent — a hint of spiciness and the meat is at least better than ground meat from taco bell. I was a little disappointed with not having more condiments available — ie maybe a lime or some more cilantro or onions? Also I think the corn tortillas could use some warming! But for $ 2 a taco, I’d go again to reminisce about LA?
I hope I didn’t complain too much — while I am not as excited about this as I was in the beginning of the night, I am excited enough to let this taco truck pop my Unilocal cherry (my first write-​up). Given that there are no other taco trucks in Indy, I’d say I’ll see you guys again.
I talked with the people in the truck for a little bit and they told me they usually hit up broad ripple on the weekends. I could see myself getting these tacos after broad ripple as long as I still had cashhhhh at the end of the night.
3.5÷5

Simple. cheap. and while they might not be the best of tacos to be had in Indy, they are much better than what one would expect to grab out of a truck.
Make sure to have a water, as the tacos might be a bit spicy for some.
West Coast Tacos is a dining experience everyone should have at least once, so find out where they are on any given day via Twitter and Facebook updates. @WestCoastTacos on Twitter.

I ate five West Coast Tacos for lunch a few weeks ago and have had gnawing cravings ever since. The steak tacos are delicious and the salsa is fresh and just spicy enough. I can’t wait to find them at night in Broad Ripple so I can try the chicken and fish tacos, too.
The line gets out of control pretty quickly, so get there early or be ready for a bit of a (well-​worth it) wait.

Much of life is moving toward über-​mobility, so an influx of food trucks is the savvy way to wrangle business in this on-​the-​go/​updating/​tweetup-​ing world; and, lo! Indy has a Food Truck! The classic, too: the Taco Truck. Having gone to college in LA I lived & breathed & earned a degree on taco trucks; now, I’m ready to earn my turning-​30 card with a near-​daily taco truck trek.
These gentlemen don Dodger caps (and, well, they might quickly become ushers at my wedding, my funeral, and when I make little Dodger babies I’ll ask them to cater their birth).
They keep it traditional with $ 1.65 tacos with cilantro, onions & marinated carne asada — that’s it.
Who knows why they’re in the Cardinal Fitness lot… other than it’s a prime Broad Ripple Ave location… and it’s rather victorious to eat these lean fighting tacos in front of an annoying gym.
Look for this taco truck on the lunch hour (today they were at Illinois & Vermont); the point being… follow their Twitter feed for the location, et al.
I can’t believe I get to say this in my hometown: Go Dodgers, Go Tacos!