Before the craze and trends of the food trucks hit Central Florida there was a Mexican family in Tampa making and selling delicious tacos and burritos 24/7 on a pimped out bus.
It is called the Taco Bus and due to its success, the owner Rene Valenzuela decided to open another bus, this time in St. Petersburg.
Located at busy Central Ave not far from downtown St. Pete and a short drive from St. Pete Beach/Treasure Island, Taco Bus St. Pete offers the same delicious menu that their counterpart in Tampa. The bus, this time a bright yellow food truck, is the kitchen where yummy Mexican food is prepared. The menu is very simple, but be prepared to know how to order in the Taco Bus fashion.
First you need to choose your ‘wrapper’, meaning a taco, burrito, tostada or quesadilla, etc… Then choose your meat or non-meat: chicken, carne asada, pulled pork, cochinita pibil (pork marinated in achiote and roasted to perfection), tongue – yes beef tongue!- and even tofu and roasted veggies with cheese, a great alternative for vegetarians.
They also have a variety of seafood options like fish tacos, shrimp quesadillas, ceviches and more.
Taco Bus now serves breakfast from 7 to 10am with a lot of offerings for Mexican food lovers very early in the morning. It also has daily specials that include chicken mole, tamales and bistec ranchero available for lunch and dinner. Check the menu when you get there to see what the special is for the day.
One tip if you go to the St. Pete location, if you are dining in and not ordering carry out, Taco Bus has two covered seating areas, order there and avoid doing the line outside the bus like we foolishly did. You can sit down and someone will take your order and bring it to your table.
Of course, if you want the full experience, and don’t mind the waiting, go ahead and order at the kitchen’s window.