Smokin' Gringos

Original Post:  November 2013 - Scroll down for an update

The food truck craze is still going strong across the country.  While Mobile doesn't have a lot of options when it comes to this form of food on the go, we do have "Smokin' Gringos."  This Mexican taco food truck can most often been seen cruisin' the streets in LoDa and Midtown.  It apparently a favorite with the downtown business crowd. 

I finally got a chance to check it out after stalking the poor people on Facebook.  Not really, but you know what I mean.  The set up is simple. A truck with the menu items posted on a board, someone at the door taking orders and then a table set up on the side with a variety of hot sauces and pickled jalapenos.  

The menu seemed simple enough.  There was your regular "grande" taco with choice of beef, chicken, veggie or smoked brisket.  It comes with lettuce, tomatoes and cheese.  I think the price ranged from $3 to $5 per taco or you can get two for a slight discount. There's also the "philly" style taco with grilled onions and peppers.  I want to say it's the same prices but I can't say for sure. 

"Wet" Verde Burrito

After much pondering, I decided to go with the wet verde burrito.  Not only does it seem like the best bang for your buck, it also got the endorsement of two customers and the lady taking the orders.  The burrito has your choice of meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese on the inside then what seem like a cheese sauce on top, more cheese and a green chili sauce.  The burrito comes with a handful of chips for $8 (maybe $9).

I chose to get smoked brisket in my burrito and I have to say I am glad I did.  As the lady who works there say, the smoked brisket is where it's at!  I couldn't agree more.  I love the smoky flavor and it was so tender.  They pack the burrito pretty full too!  The only criticism I have is I wish the meat was more evenly distributed.  The meat was all to one side and the veggies to the other.  I just used a fork and knife to eat it and make sure each bite has some smoked brisket.  

I would definitely track down Smokin' Gringos again to try more of their food.  While I was there, another customer ordered the quesadillas (which I didn't see on the board) and that looked very delicious.

Updated Post: It didn't take me very long to go back to Smoking Gringos but I came out of this visit with mixed feelings.

My brother and I decided to get the nachos with the brisket as an appetizer.  I was kinda of surprised when I opened the box and this was what I saw; a pile of chips with the components in little cups.  There was some salsa, bbq sauce, queso, guacamole and a packet of sour cream.  There wasn't much of the brisket either which was disappointing.  It did look a lot better after I fixed it but it didn't more queso and meat.  When we got to the bottom, there was plenty of chips without anything on it.  I was left with the feeling I didn't get my money's worth.

For my actual meal, I choose the brisket quesadilla.  According the website, it is made with a blend of three cheese with a chipotle sauce.  This was so greasy I had a hard time eating it.  In fact, I think I barely finished half of it.  It needed some rice or lettuce or something to cut the fat.  It was either that or the guys were too heavy handed with the cheese.  I could barely taste the meat in the midst of all the cheese and forget about any chipotle flavor.  I wasn't even thinking about that after I had my first bite. The quesadilla is something I will not order again for here.


My brother decided to get three beef tacos as his lunch.  Since I didn't eat any of it, he could only tell me he was not impressed.  

For all of the items, I tried.  I like the wet burrito the most.  Even though the meat was not distributed evenly inside the burrito, I could eat it with a fork and knife and have a bit of everything in each bite.

To check out their menu, click here and add Smokin' Gringos on Facebook or follow on Twitter to find out where the truck is going to be.