Pueblo Viejo Food Truck Knows Its Meats and Tacos

Austin loves its tacos, and we love how you can eat all the pieces of your meal, tortilla and all. What's a better way to clean up than to eat the very thing holding your food together? Alright, well, that is usually the case unless you're snagging a tasty bite from the Pueblo Viejo food truck. You can certainly still eat the tortilla but considering just how much of their perfectly cooked meat they give you per taco, you'll likely need a knife and fork to get you through everything. Of all the tacos we've had anywhere so far, Pueblo Viejo by far has impressed us the most with its expertise in handling all its proteins; throw in one of the best horchatas as well and you have a favorite taco spot in our books.


Like most great finds, this stationary food truck is hard to find and unassuming at first. You enter an expansive area on 6th street where there are several other food trucks parked around a multitude of brightly colored picnic tables. There in the far back right is Pueblo Viejo which has been opened since 2010 and focuses on traditional, fresh Mexican flavors. They serve more than just tacos and have some addictive housemade sauces you can douse your meals in. In addition, they're just good company; we had friendly service from order to pick-up, complete with suggestions and warmth.


Our eyes went wide when we got our loaded trays of overflowing tacos. Yes, utensils, please. The aroma was tantalizing and the colors brilliantly tempting. How do you make a taco beautiful while still making it look edible? We had picked up these three as part of "taco tour" day where we'd be trying out several establishments but with how generous each serving was, it was likely our last stop. When it came to our choices, because of the grilling we smelled and saw in the truck, we had gone with meat-heavy orders. The first, Taco Nes ($3.50 - steak, chorizo and lots of grilled onion served with fresh cilantro and lime), made good on the promise of meat. The vibrant, signature orange color of chorizo was enhanced by fresh chopped cilantro and brightened by citrus bursts of lime. The steak was utterly tender and complemented very well by grilled onions that had caramelized edges. A perfect start.

Then, we of course had to try out a namesake item so the Pueblo Viejo Style ($3.90 - steak, mushrooms, cheese, lettuce, tomato and avocado) taco was next. The balance of heavy savoriness from the steak and mushrooms with the freshness of many vegetables and fat slices of avocado made for hearty, healthy bites. It never felt overwhelming despite how much umami there was per chew because the crunchy lettuce and juicy tomato cut through it all.

My favorite of the three, though, was their Chicharron Salsa Verde ($3.00 - pork rinds with green sauce, onion and cilantro) taco which was a very pleasant surprise. Who knew that pork rinds would make for a good taco? These were tossed in a tangy salsa verde while maintaining their internal crisp so there was fun play between saucy zippiness and fatty crunchiness. In addition, there was the accent of finely diced onion and generous amounts of cilantro. I loved how light the whole taco felt in my mouth despite being very filling.

If you like your meats done well where they are well-seasoned, tender, and complemented very well with accompanying chopped herbs and vegetables, you'll want to seek out Pueblo Viejo at 1606 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 and get ahold of their tasty tacos. We're adding them to our list of places to visit over and over again and are just excited to see what more they could impress us with. Enjoy!

Photography by Duc Duong.