Bakersfield is not short of places to get tacos. One of the most popular ways to get them are from the numerous taco trucks located around town on the sides of roads or in front of other businesses.
I visited four taco trucks and tried two different tacos at each truck. I tried one taco of carne asada (steak) and one of al pastor (pork).
Tacos Velasquez located on the corner of Haley Street and Flower Street was the first truck I visited. The tacos were fairly priced at only $1, but you can clearly see why once you get them.
The carne asada taco was tasteless, tough, and was in need of some serious flavor. The al pastor taco was juicy but lacking flavor. Overall these tacos were small and left me regretting going here in the first place. Nobody came to the taco truck the whole time I was there eating.
The second truck I tried was El Cubilete located on the corner of Haley Street and Bernard Street in front of the Howard’s Mini Market. The al pastor was way better than the previous truck; it was juicy and full of flavor. The carne asada was also juicy and tender.
The tacos here were $1.25 so I was expecting more from them, and they definitely delivered. The tacos were bigger and they were also better.
Located on Morning Drive and Route 184 was Pronto’s Express. This truck is located in the empty lot across the road from White Forest Nursery. These tacos were hands down the best tacos that I have ever tasted in Bakersfield, and they were only $1. The carne asada was juicy and perfectly cooked. The al pastor was juicy and you can tell a big difference in the way these were cooked compared to the previous two trucks.
The tortillas were even warmed correctly and did not fall apart after the first bite. Pronto’s Express uses Harris Ranch Meat and they proudly display a sticker on their truck. This is one of the reasons their tacos are so good, but the way they prepared them was the real key.
The final truck was Torta Ahogadas #2 El Abuelo located in the parking on the corner of East California Avenue and Mount Vernon Avenue. The tacos were the most expensive out of the four at $1.35, so my expectations for these were that they should be even better than the last truck. The carne asada was pretty good and only slightly juicy. The al pastor had great flavor but was a little dry. The tortillas were moist and warm. I was left wanting more from this truck because it wasn’t as good as truck two but 10 cents more expensive per taco.
So the trucks with the expensive tacos seem to not do as well despite El Cubilete giving you a bigger serving per taco. If you want good tacos, then you need to visit Pronto’s Express. It’s worth the drive no matter where you live.