Mexico In Memphis Food Truck Hits The Streets
Memphis meats Mexico (see what I did there?)
Memphis meats Mexico (see what I did there?)
Memphis's newest food truck, ¡Mexico In Memphis! opened today for lunch and parked at Baptist Corporate HQ. I'd stalked them on Instagram, so when I saw that the husband-and-wife team were ready to serve the public, I made a beeline for East Memphis.
The truck is owned by Tim and Angelica Shirley. I've known of Tim from afar through the Memphis grapevine because of his blog (it was called Memphis BBQ Guide) for which he visited 300+ bbq restaurants in the South. He also judges barbecue competitions, and has a culinary degree. But here's the rest of their charming story, told to me by Tim:
"My wife, a high school Spanish teacher at White Station, is from Mexico, born in Mexico City and raised in southern Baja. We were married in Acapulco where her mom's family resides, but Angelica grew up in La Paz near Cabo in Baja California. During our travels there I loved to study the culinary culture, from taquerias to cooking with Angelica's family...All that to say...We're opening a food truck! It's a BBQ-Mexican fusion truck, a blending of our culinary cultures. Think, bbq tacos (some with a tropical twist), quesadillas, one pound burritos, and yes, bbq nachos."
I got to meet Angelica, who was dressed to match their truck (love!) She told me about how Tim always ends up in the kitchen with her family. You could feel their passion for this project and the attention to detail, right down to the box covering their generator on the back of the truck and the little sign that says, "no fork necessary".
Mexico In Memphis Food Truck
Back to the food. I had a hard time deciding what to order. I thought about trying the burrito, but me + 90 degree heat + a pound of meat and cheese...it's just not what I'm trying to do today. There were several lovely-sounding taco options, and also those aforementioned BBQ Nachos. Because Memphis. I will say there's no direct vegetarian or vegan items on the menu, so that's something to keep in mind.
When I got to the window to order, I panicked and asked the guys inside for their recommendations. Tim and his team put together a trio of tacos including a Paradise shrimp taco from the "Tropical Tacos" section, plus a beef and a pork taco from the "Street Tacos" section. While I was there, three different parties put in their orders. Each one took 10-15 minutes to come, maybe less. I'm not sure if you can order a mix like this normally or if it was an opening day special.
Each taco was more delicious than the last. I loved the kick to the perfectly grilled shrimp topped with mango jalapeño pico, but the pork taco I bit into next was so delightfully smoky and tender, I thought "this is the winner".
Then I tried the smoked beef taco, the filling of tender pieces and irresistible burnt bits. Wow. It's a close tie, but the smoked beef taco might be my top pick. I also appreciate that Mexico In Memphis food truck doesn't skimp on the corn tortillas, they're high quality and served warm.
Where To Find Mexico In Memphis Food Truck
I have some good news and some bad news. The good news: today was the Mexico In Memphis truck's first day, and everything was on point. The bad news is that they'll likely only be out one or two days a week to begin with, so you'll need to follow their IG and Facebook to keep up with them. More good news: Angelica and Tim plan to open the truck more and more often and eventually have it be a full time thing for them. Good luck and y'all go try this truck!
Go There:
Mexico In Memphis Food Truck
location and hours vary
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