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Arkansas Times

July 15, 2010 General

Taco Truck Guide

A survey of the southwest Little Rock delicacy.

by Jaman Matthews

Page 2 of 3

This may be the most colorful taco truck in Little Rock. The side is painted with sunflowers and a bridge, the name in a fancy script. Even the menu is hand-painted, blue with pictures of sandwiches. The offerings are sparser than other trucks; they don't serve any chicken, but they do have a good veggie quesadilla. And there's no seating. 7308 Baseline Rd. 9:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Thu.–Tue.

La Vaquera

One of the later-model trucks, with Texas plates and a southwest-style cow skull painted on the hood, it is parked in front of a small strip mall on Baseline that houses Unique Styles and Fades hair studio and a catfish restaurant. The tacos are more expensive than most, but at $2 they're still cheap eats. Beyond the tacos and tortas, it's one of the few taco trucks where you can order a combination plate that comes with rice, beans and lettuce. 4720 Baseline Rd. 501-565-3108. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thu.; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat.

Taqueria Thalia

Thalia's is a small trailer pulled under the roof of an old car wash on Baseline at Doyle Springs. It's unassuming, out of the way and the tacos are nothing special. It's the rest of the menu that makes this a favorite. Go on the weekends, when the dry-erase board may list anything from shrimp cocktail to menudo to tamales. Be sure to try the posole, a hearty pork and hominy soup. If you ask for it by name, Thalia will light up and ask if you like posole. If you assure her you do, you will have a new friend. Eat at the plastic table under the car wash awning or get it to go. 4500 Baseline Rd. 501-563-3679. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Mon.

Tacos Guanajuato

In front of El Gallo Jiro ("the champion rooster"), a Western wear store on Geyer Springs, sits a taco truck painted to match the storefront — yellow-orange with a statuesque rooster airbrushed on the side (and a small Tweety Bird painted on the window). Maybe it's out of respect for the store's namesake, but Tacos Guanajuato does not serve chicken. They do have the regular pork and beef choices, along with adobado, chicharron and cabeza. No seating. 6920 Geyer Springs Rd. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri.-Sun.

El Jalapeno

Less a taco truck than a snack bar that also has a few Mexican offerings. They do sell tacos, flautas, and mega-tortas, but to find them, you'll have to search the menu, past the chili dogs, cheeseburgers, frito pies, barbecue chicken sandwiches and Doritos nachos — yes, the cheesy, orange triangles come topped with yet another cheese-like substance and jalapenos. No seating. 9203 Chicot Rd. 501-772-7471. 9 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Mon.–Thu., 9 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat.

Taqueria Las Isabeles

It's easy to overlook the white 1970s-era, 26-foot Executive motor home outside a dilapidated former service station in the 7100 block of Colonel Glenn Road, about a mile west of University. It looks more like an abandoned RV than a place to eat. But there's a small hand-painted sign outside that says, "Taqueria Las Isabeles—tacos y mas." It's worth the trip just for the tacos, but they also have burritos, nachos and Hawaiian hamburguesas — burgers topped with pineapple and avocado. There's outside seating for four at a plastic table under the old station's overhang, and Norteño music is piped through a speaker hidden in the structure above. Colonel Glenn Rd. 501-563-4801. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat.

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