taco truck delights from a brick and mortar shop. with the winter finally subsiding and the green of spring just starting to arrive, one of the activities i'm anticipating the most is the joy derived from scouring this fair city for some of her many food carts (and specifically the many taco trucks). there's a unique allure in attempting to locate a particular vendor that you've had your eye on, especially considering they're constantly on the move and frequently in areas of columbus for which you may or may not have any experience. combine this with the novelty of eating off of a paper plate while seated on a sidewalk curb or in your car, and i'm a happy man. but alas, the fun of a food cart hopping is certainly not for everyone. and for those souls out there looking for these inexpensive delights, but who still want the creature comforts of a brick and mortar storefront in tact, look no further: los gauchos taqueria has shed their former taco truck digs and decided to lay down some roots.
their new storefront is located in a mini-strip mall just north of the bethel intersection on godown rd on the north side of columbus. looking at a map, you may be inclined to believe it is tucked away in the bethel centre shopping center, but, in fact, it is located in a smaller, slightly dingier strip mall just behind this main plaza (directly across from the godown rd entrance to the winking lizard tavern). there is a small but sufficient parking lot directly out front. the interior is quite miniscule, offering only 4 tables and a few stools lining a counter along one wall, but i've yet to stop in when there wasn't at least 1 table available. when you enter, walk right up to the counter and select from the menu overhead. they'll usually bring the food out to your table, but if they're particularly busy, they may just call your name.
now on to my favorite part: the food, which is delicious and incredibly cheap. naturally, they offer a variety of tacos for $1.50 each, with your meat authentically served atop 2 small, soft, corn tortillas and topped with onions and cilantro. if you are feeling a little more adventurous, they do offer tacos de langua (beef tongue) and tacos de tripa (cow stomach or small intestines), both of which are delicious. additionally, they also offer and handful of torta sandwiches for $6, volcanes, and gringas for $3.50 (flour tortillas topped with meat and cheese). the highlight and must-try dish, however, is the al pastor pork taco (the unofficial dish of mexico city) - which can be enjoyed in the form of a torta or gringa, too. if you arrive after 4pm - or earlier on weekends - you can see the large hunk of pork spit-roasting in plain sight, of which they'll slice off a few tender slices and top it off with an accompanying slice of pineapple (they still serve it before 4pm, but just grilled to order instead).
further, any trip to the taqueria wouldn't be complete without a few condiments thrown in for your dining pleasure. in addition to the slices of refreshing cucumber that are served with basically everything, on each table they have also laid out bowls of sliced limes, pickled jalapeños, and an incredibly delicious habenero salsa - though you should stray away from the latter if you don't enjoy mouth-searing spiciness. additionally, what look like the mustard and ketchup bottles are actually the mildly-spicy red and green sauces that they make in-house. one small, but expected, downside is that los gauchos does not have a liquor license, but this is only a minor inconvenience considering they are basically a taco truck operating out of an actual kitchen. besides, you should probably save those calories for an another al pastor gringa, anyway. enjoy.
must-try dish: al pastor gringa