Devon Chenelle ‘23
Prose Style Editor
My parents, who lived in Charlottesville during the 1990s, always spoke of it as a charming little Southern[1] town, and one of the best college towns in America. To my delight, I have found that to be true. Charlottesville is a delightful place, and it’s no wonder so many choose to live here, even absent a connection to UVA. However, while I expected Charlottesville to have gorgeous scenery, delightful used bookstores, and a wonderful downtown, one of the greatest pleasures of my time here has been the most surprising: the incredible quality of the Mexican food. Coming from Chicago, which does the cuisine better than anywhere in America except maybe Southern California,[2] I was not expecting Central Virginia to absolutely bring it with the sabor latino. But it does! I, accustomed to the gastronomical delights of Pilsen and the Little Village, have been blown away by the calidad of the Mexican culinary offerings in our humble college town. With this article, I hope to introduce and entice my readers to the avant garde of the Charlottesville taco scene: the food trucks increasingly crowding the streets and delighting our palates.
The first taco truck I encountered in Charlottesville, and still one of my favorites, was Tacos Gomez, located at the corner of High Street and Long Street along the Rivanna River. Tacos Gomez is my daytime go-to in Charlottesville, perfect for taco runs in between classes. They are fully capable of bringing the heat with their spicy sauces and offer tacos, alambres, and tortas, a type of sandwich. I must confess that I have not tried the tortas, but, judging from the quality of their other offerings, I can only presume that they are comparably excellent. My go-to is the “alambre mix,” which is a combination of different meats, veggies, and cheese, complete with tortillas. The fast preparation, low prices, and incredible seasonings and spices on their freshly prepared meals make Tacos Gomez one of the most enjoyable dining experiences in Charlottesville, and their outdoor seating is a pleasure, especially once the weather here takes a turn for the better. Make sure to ask for the spicy sauce!
Pictured: The El Tako Nako Truck.
Credit: The El Tako Nako Facebook page.
The next food truck I will review is actually not Mexican food, as Comida Latina Rosy Food Truck, situated right next to Tacos Gomez, offers the interesting flavors of Honduran cuisine, a specialty I was shocked to see offered at such a high level in Charlottesville. Some of my favorites there include the pupusasand their pollo con tajadas. If you are enamored with the flavors and spices of Mexican cuisine, but want to try a different, albeit recognizable, spin on the genre, I can’t recommend Comida Latina Rosy highly enough. They also offer a covered awning for seating, which proves crucial in the cold and rainy Charlottesville January.
However, as positive as my feelings are about almost all of Charlottesville’s Mexican food offerings, the king stands alone. I am referring to El Tako Nako, a glowing center of culinary excellence located on Hydraulic Road, promisingly parked right in front of the local laundromat. El Tako Nako, which is open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight, is not only the finest late-night eating spot in Charlottesville by a mile (I giggle as I drive past the long line of cars arrayed in front of Cook Out waiting for their greasy paper bags on my way to the freshly prepared goodness of Tako Nako), but also offers some of the best tacos I’ve ever had. Honestly, El Tako Nako is so incredible that I was loath to describe it in this column, as I enjoy the generally short lines for their scrumptious fare. But, as I sadly only have a few months remaining in Charlottesville, I might as well reveal the secret. Though slightly more expensive than Tacos Gomez, every cent is worth it for El Tako Nako’s delectable and freshly made fare. Their chicken tacos, complemented with peppers and their spicy red sauce, are quite possibly the finest dish in all of Charlottesville. Though I am not as wild about their quesadillas, which are a little too much bread and cheese for me, every taco I’ve ever ordered there has blown me out of the water. The friendly treatment and swift preparation of food makes El Tako Nako an indispensable, tasty weapon in the arsenal of any student laboring through late nights in the library, and it offers tacos far tastier than Charlottesville has any right to have.
---
dnc9hu@virginia.edu