Writen JUNE 2011
Oh... the Food Truck a staple in some cities a midnight dream walking from the taverns, pubs, and cocktail bars alike everyone loves the smells and enticements of a great Food Truck. I have heard rumors that West Coast Taco was one of these great food trucks "Best tacos in town!" they would say. I find the best way to test the theory of the quality of the Food Truck is to do so sober. The drunken palate cannot be trusted. So, I found myself walking across from the Indianapolis Capitol building and there it was a tall black truck with a group of people waiting around it. I thought to myself this is a good sign a line is always good. There where people suited up, people in shorts and jeans a nice group. I look to the menu and ask the young lady for the burrito with pork and a taco of course. I waited for my reasonably priced meal that was handed to me in a reasonable time. I walked a bit found a nice shady bench and took a bite. Expectations set high and was let down. This wasn't the greatest taco not even close the burrito included. The rice seemed over cooked and nothing special the meat was fine but again nothing to write home about but enough to warn you about. Â If you are drunk, bombed, smashed, or even a bit tipsy these maybe the tacos for you but they are not for me. Food trucks these days are seen as restaurants on wheels gourmet pirates that travel the asphalts of our cities serving its citizens delicious goodness of whatever niche they are driving at. There are a number of Food Trucks in Indianapolis now I have been to three of them and tasted what they have told me was their signature grub and have been disappointed. Food Trucks are coming to Indianapolis and I have high expectations, every time you hear of these Food Trucks they are suppose to be the best ever and I am waiting for the best to come to Indy because they are not here yet.
I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but the prices at WCT have jumped. A LOT. The 3 for $5 deal appears to have been replaced by 3 for $8.50. Say what??? I get it, the price of meat has gone up. But that's a pretty steep increase. Especially since I need to eat 4 of those little tacos to really feel full, it puts the price of a meal over $11.00. Guess this is going to turn into a rare occasion kind of meal for me. Instead of a have-to-have-it kind of meal.
Review Source:It taste a lot, and cost a lot too!
Individual small taco is like $2-3, and the thing I got which was burrito was like $8.75! Burrito, man, it have this nice outside wrap of well oiled purpose made tortilla which is real real nice. And then inside some refried bean and stuff and beef, oh boy beef, yeah, is cook in little chips with that spice and fat which make soul, maybe 72% soul where like e.g. Chipotle really try but is 13.9% soul, though so more calorie and size for sure.
And then but then dang it I can get in rich touristlike Naples Florida where ma and pa live this tacos of pork beef ceviche head cheese tongue & c. which is 100% soul and cost $1.5-2.5, and then $7 burrito place where is like taco but all full of queso fresco and other food component of almost too much pleasure, so like I mean I like West Coast Taco but like, it is neither shit nor the shit as some person might say to be all smartylike, you see.
I will definitely try them again at some point, but if there is a food truck festival or other sort of food truck gathering, they are not going to be at the top of my list.
The Korean BBQ taco(s) was/were good. Â I ordered 2 of them, along with 1 Chicken Teriyaki taco. Â They made a mistake on my order and I got 1 Korean BBQ taco and 2 Steak tacos. Â My order was wrapped in a foil packet, so I didn't notice the mistake until I'd walked quite a ways away to sit down and eat. Â I tried the Korean BBQ taco first and it was definitely worth having again...in fact, I'd probably order 3 or 4 of these (they are small) next time. Â The steak tacos tasted bland after having the Korean BBQ taco. Â They weren't bad, just on the bland side, nothing to write home about.
Not sure how they made a mistake on my order, but there was quite a bit of noise from a generator...it was either hooked up to their truck or to the food truck next to them. Â It made ordering a little difficult, had to raise my voice to be heard. Â
To re-cap: Â if you're in the mood for tacos, get the Korean BBQ taco. Â Check your order for accuracy before you walk too far away. Â I'm sure they'd correct it if you asked them to, but who wants to walk all the way back to the food truck, wait in line or cut in line to get your order corrected, etc.
wonderful beauty
hunger dies with asian heart
four wheels stuffed with love
I go out of my way for this taco truck. Â I stalk them on Twitter. Â I will do whatever it takes to get their Asian style burrito. Â There is just something so special, so unique, about an Asian inspired, California taco truck, in Indianapolis, where I buy my burritos. Â It makes so much nonsense it is sensible.
The first time I went, I have to admit, I was slightly underwhelmed. Â The only thing I remember about it was that the rice was undercooked. Â Now, that's a big no no. Â BUT I remember the flavor was there--this, THIS could be an amazing burrito. Â So I went there again. Â This time, I remember: succulent spicy pork wrapped with some south of the border clothing. Â Rice: less memorable, because it was not crunchy. Â Delish. Â
Long live food truck Indy.
This is the ONLY review you need to read. I know good food. PERIOD.
I knew while sitting at Naked Xhopstix on a Friday night, that there was a reason the West Coast Taco Truck had parked in my line of vision. My group and I decided to ditch our table (before ordering anything) and head straight for the truck.
The night was young, so we were the only folks ordering food. It took a little while to get any tacos, considering there wasn't a line, but none of that mattered when I took my first bite...excuse me, I need a minute.............
ok sorry...even thinking about the moment those flavors hit my tongue makes me emotional!!
The Korean Steak tacos are not like anything I've ever tasted and my taste buds began screaming at me, "WHERE HAS THIS BEEN?!?!?!" Fresh, savory, sweet, bright, juicy, Â immaculate flavors hit me all at once. It was so good, that I was telling people on the street, within two bites, that they needed to put in an order..which they did, and thanked me for!
My review won't even do the Korean Steak tacos any justice. I tried the chicken ones, and those don't pack the flavor of the steak. Just get the Korean steak, okay? There is a reason its their #1 seller. The only downfall is that every taco you eat for the rest of your life will fall short...and I mean waaaay short of these bad boys. Oh wait, it's Friday night!!!! I know where they are!!!! Seriously, I'm going right now.
The originators of the Indy food truck scene are still the best, in my opinion. Â I would almost think that Korean-flavor infused tacos would not fly in Indy, but this city has a tendency to surprise. Â The spicy pork is my favorite but really, you can't miss out on any of these. Â The Korean spices are subtle and the cilantro imbues a very fresh taste to these tacos. Â Plus, 3 for 5 bucks is a great deal for tacos that beat Taco Bell anyday. Â
Just a few caveats, when they get busy, it can take awhile for your food to get ready and it seems that they regularly have a shortage of one meat. Â Also, I'd pass on the burritos--for some reason, the flavors get watered down in a bigger tortilla. Â
If you ever see these guys parked, make it a habit to stop by and get your fix!
Without a doubt, the best food truck in town. I've been chasing them down for about two years and they don't disappoint. Some of the best tacos in town, with a great fusion of Asian inspired favors and authentic central Mexican presentation. Great staff. Id recommend them to anyone who asks.
Review Source:This is a good taco truck. I liked that the truck was parked at the Flat 12. That's a great business model delivering food to hungry people. I has a spicy chicken and a sesame chicken and each was delicious and well prepared. I would have eaten more but we had a pizza from the other food truck so I was stuffed.
Review Source:The real deal hollyfield I literally went there TWICE in one night!
I was in broadripple for a night on the town, & needed to grab something to eat prior to the start of my festivities. Seen the West Coast Taco Truck as well as two other food vtrucks & we decided to try WCT as well as one of the other food trucks. Â WCT had a 3 for $5 deal. I got two beef & one pork. The reason I opted for two beef & one pork is b/c I'm not big on pork, however I did want to try it. It took a while for the food to come up because they literally cook it in the truck. Which means its made to order. I will wait a few minutes for made to order food. They hand you the tacos wrapped in aluminum foil (caution it's hot). I unwrapped it, & found the tacos wrapped in two tortillas. Different, but did it make me hesitate HECK NO! They don't have lettuce, cheese, sour cream, & in my opinion you don't need it. I think those ingredients would take away from the taste. Â I bit into my first one, & it was so good I could of slapped somebody. The tortillas were corn which is something that is rare to find. Fresh ingredients I could taste the cilantro & it was YUMMY! My friend & I scarfed the tacos down immediately. Did our thing in BRipple about 3am we were back at West Coast Taco's *don't judge us were human haha* we scarfed down another three.
Honestly the best flipping taco's I've had since I can remember
I had been stalking food trucks for some time, when I finally landed somewhere that had five all together. Most were selling sample size items for a small prize. At WCTT, you got three tacos for the same prize. Loved, loved, loved them! Served on corn tortillas with meat perfectly cooked, you couldn't ask for more! And friendly service, to boot. If you see this truck in your area, high tail it over there!
Review Source:My expectations for anything that would come from a food truck were pretty low, but these guys blew me away. Â They have a variety of unique flavors. Â I tried the spicy peanut chicken and really enjoyed it.
I think they may actually have two trucks in the city. Â They are on Facebook and Twitter and post their locations. Â That is probably the only downside to finding food this great on a food truck. Â Now i have to track it down.
If you see the WCT truck, it is definitely worth your time to get some food.
I know we shouldn't expect anything spectacular off a food truck. Â I however have had many great meals from trucks, carts, and even baskets. It's not impossible! Â I was so excited to try this place due to all the hype but unfortunately my experience fell flat. Â Not only were they expensive for the small portions, the flavors simply were not there. Â The meat were dried out and it just didn't taste that great. Â It's such a fun and new idea to Indianapolis, I just wish the food lives up to the idea.
Review Source:So after a rather rousing Polka Boy show at the Rathskeller, we were in dire need of a midnight snack. Â Assuming the worst (Taco Bell) as this Chicago lass knows nothing of post-bar dining in Indy, my brother suggested we check to see where the West Coast Taco Truck was parked. Â
As we doubled back to find the truck parked off the circle, I thought surely my brother and sister-in-law were exaggerating how good these tacos were. Â Turns out, they weren't. Â Actually, you could sing their praises all damn night and still, you'd be selling it short. Â
I'm no fish taco connoisseur but I know what I like and these were it. Â No breaded fish here, just delicious flaky fish covered with coleslaw and some delightful spicy sauce. Â It should be noted that I hate coleslaw but was so enamored of these damn tacos that I made some last night in hopes my dinner would be as amazing. Â It wasn't but at least I now have a reason to go back to Indy. Â Don't tell my brother I said that.
One last note, they don't really seem to have anything for vegetarians but perhaps I missed it.
Food Tried:
- Chicken Teriyaki Burrito ($6)
- Chicken Teriyaki Taco (2 for $5)
- Spicy Chicken Taco (2 for $5)
- Spicy Pork Taco (3 for $5)
- Spicy Beef Taco (3 for $5)
To be honest, West Coast Tacos has been on my radar for far too long without having actually tried them. My first trip last week actually allowed me to use a Groupon I'd picked up for them a few months ago, and as a sampler, it was a great way to start. My second trip earlier this week was to check out the rest of their menu, which unlike many of the other food trucks in town, doesn't change (or certainly not as often). After having sampled all they currently have on the menu, I'd say they have AUTHENTIC and DYNAMIC food.
The chicken tacos and burritos were savory. They were appetizing to look at, and even more, wonderful to taste. The spicy chicken taco was pretty straight forward: tortillas, chicken, spicy sauce and green onions. Good amount of hot-ness. The teriyaki was primo in my book though: sweet and powerful up front, with a hint of hotness in the back to make you just want to keep eating. I tried the pork and beef tacos to see how they stacked up, and to be honest, I preferred the chicken. I have a feeling this may be partially related to my recent decrease in eating pork and beef, but the flavors just weren't there the way they were with the chicken tacos. I'm not sure I've had chicken tacos many times in the past, but it just seemed jucier, more filling in my mouth, and all around more dynamic to eat. Â All around, the light, spicy flavors harken to a lighter beer, such as The Ram's Hefewiezen or Sun King's Sunlight Cream Ale.
Prices are legit. You may think it's not enough when you get your three tacos, but if you take the time to really enjoy them, they're plenty. After all, people in Cali are skinny as poles (as are the Asian countries which inspired these West Coast style tacos). They must be doing something right with portion size, eh? If you want a lot of bang for your buck, go with the burrito (teriyaki style); it's reminiscent of Chipotle sized burritos, and takes care of your hungry monster (it took care of mine!).
Recommendations for the WCT Guys in the Van:
1. Buy yourselves a fan! It was sweltering out when I got food-I can't imagine how hot it is in the truck. Just looking out for your interests!
2. Movement toward card purchases. I really don't carry cash. Like, ever. Makes it tricky if I see you around town to just stop by and grab a bite.
3. While I know you just redid your website (which was much needed), I still feel like it's lacking a lot of meat: needs more photos, more updates, tweets, places for people to give you some love... You're big on expanding, and the website's gotta really give people an idea for how much they're going to love the food.
Updated to my original review...
I'm still a fan, but there is definitely a lot of hit or miss with them. Â I tend to have my cravings, so I've been tracking them down at least once a week! Â The chicken burrito really fills you up, so the $6, in my opinion is well-spent versus $10 on 4 chicken tacos. Â I've tried the teriyaki chicken and spicy sesame chicken, and they are both good. Â I tracked down West Coast Tacos after the Yelp Hot Ball last week, and they were definitely having an "on day." Â I ordered 2 chicken tacos (1 spicy sesame and 1 teriyaki). Â Both were awesome; marinated just right. Â I feel like getting some right now as I type this updated review! Â
I tried the steak once, and I was not impressed. Â The meat was bland and the steak was very tough. Â I heard the pork is pretty amazing, but I have yet to try it. Â I'm still waiting for these tempura fish tacos that were supposed to appear around March!
"Yummy yummy yummy, I've got tacos in my tummy!"
Well, fried rice burritos, at least. But what a wonderful veggie option it is! I was lucky enough to get one on a day they made it without egg, too! It was hot, fresh, and spicy. Often times, rice in tacos/burritos is dry and icky, but not at West Coast Tacos.
My only gripe, where's the love for Fountain Square/the southside?
I'll admit, I've had a recent obsession with food trucks. Â I keep seeing them online and on tv and I think they are just plain genius. Â The craze hasn't quite caught on in Indy like it has in other large cities, so I was excited to hear that West Coast Tacos is here. Â You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter to find out when and where to find them. Â I found them dishing up late night fare in Broad Ripple early last Saturday morning. Â At 3 a.m., ones culinary expectations are pretty low and although I actually was sober, I was expecting your usual drunk food. Â While my boyfriend Andy trekked to the car, I stood in line and enjoyed the charming antics of my fellow post bar-goers. Â The line moved slowly and I wondered if it was worth the wait.
It was. Â West Coast isn't drunk food. Â It's mind-blowing deliciousness. Â These tiny, no frills tacos are surprisingly flavorful and filling. Â Andy and I decided that the chicken were the best, but the beef and pork were such a close second, I recommend getting all three.
My co-worker called me on her lunch and asked if I would like some tacos from this parked truck on the IUPUI campus. She brought back 6 mini tacos for $14.00. I told her she sucked at ordering food and I won't pay her back. I felt bad two minutes later because I was hungry not because I offended her so I tried the chorizo taco. We both agreed that is was spicy for no reason. She got the hiccups and I moved on to the chicken which resembled frozen tyson chicken bits with sesame seeds and green onion on it. it also had some red sauce on it that is neither mexican or west coast. I was offended by the whole thing. I am not mexican but if I was I would throw onions, cilantro, and lime juice at this mobile garbage truck. At least they would have some things that they're missing.
Review Source:I've been trying to catch up with the taco truck for a couple months. Â Sunday night I saw it parked in front of the Vogue waiting to serve the Drive By Trucker crowd. Â
Side note: I love DBT but did not make it to the show because I was too busy drinking $2.50 pints at Barley Island. Â
After a couple pints, I stopped by the truck and ordered one of each of the daily offerings: steak, pork and teriyaki chicken. Â All were tasty, but honestly, they all kinda tasted the same. Â
The sauce hit me with the sweetness then turned spicy after lingering in my mouth for a few seconds. Â Â
Throw in a bottle of water and a small tip in the jar, and my total was $8. Kinda pricey in my opinion. Â
I will visit the taco truck again in the not so distant future because I love all things taco.
Today I randomly started telling my buddy about the LA food truck scene in hopes that I wouldn't be so homesick. Â In the middle of my recounting of all that is delicious, another friend texts me, "found a taco truck in Indy" with a picture of this West Coast Taco Truck parked downtown. Â What a coincidence!
Immediately I yelp this Indy taco truck and find their twitter site. Â It says they are bringing the Korean bbq tacos to Indy. LA's all you can eat Korean BBQ restaurants are something I miss terrriblyyyy. Anyways, visions of the original Kogi taco truck comes to my mind and I beam with more excitement.
location: find them on their twitter; mass ave and Alabama
parking: thank god it's indy where there is parking -_- (I've never been to a downtown with more parking)
walking up to the truck, I noticed there was no line (Tuesday, 9pm) which didn't bother me that much since indy doesn't have anybody around at nights on the weekends. I also got kind of excited when I noticed two korean dudes hanging out next to the truck (thinking they work there - must be legit kbbq) and a guy with a LA dodgers cap working inside the truck.
service: there was no visible menu on the truck; a nice lady took my order but there was only steak today
price: $2 a taco / 3 for $5; pretty typical
food: My buddy and I got 3 steak tacos (I wanted to try chicken but they only had steak today). Twitter said they were kbbq tacos from LA, they are not. If they were Korean bbq tacos, the meat would be better and the kbbq marinate would taste more kbbq-y. Â How do they compare to kogi tacos (I used to get them all the time when I was an undergrad at UCLA)? so kbbq tacos, they are DEFINITELY NOT. but putting aside the expectation for the tacos to be like LA kbbq tacos, the tacos are decent - a hint of spiciness and the meat is at least better than ground meat from taco bell. I was a little disappointed with not having more condiments available - ie maybe a lime or some more cilantro or onions? Also I think the corn tortillas could use some warming! But for $2 a taco, I'd go again to reminisce about LA?
I hope I didn't complain too much - while I am not as excited about this as I was in the beginning of the night, I am excited enough to let this taco truck pop my yelp cherry (my first write-up). Given that there are no other taco trucks in Indy, I'd say I'll see you guys again.
I talked with the people in the truck for a little bit and they told me they usually hit up broad ripple on the weekends. Â I could see myself getting these tacos after broad ripple as long as I still had cashhhhh at the end of the night.
3.5/5
Simple. cheap. and while they might not be the best of tacos to be had in Indy, they are much better than what one would expect to grab out of a truck.
Make sure to have a water, as the tacos might be a bit spicy for some.
West Coast Tacos is a dining experience everyone should have at least once, so find out where they are on any given day via Twitter and Facebook updates. Â @WestCoastTacos on Twitter.
These guys started off great, but their ego is getting to them. The tacos haven't been as good and remain overpriced, the burrito is EXTREMELY overpriced, and the customer service is awful. In fact, when replying to them on Twitter agreeing with others that their business twitter account being flooded with their own personal tweets was annoying, I was told by them to unfollow them. I follow businesses like food trucks for real time location updates, not stream-of-consciousness from one of the owners. The truth is they don't have many followers to their personal account and are using the WCT account to get more interaction with their boring thoughts. Guys, WCT was born via twitter, you're only screwing yourselves with the lack of regard for your followers. I will gladly unfollow, but now you are no longer in my thoughts on a daily basis and probably won't be getting my business.
Otherwise, if you happen to find yourself in front of their truck...the steak is the best. The others are just ok.
They always seem to be in the opposite part of town as I am , but I finally made it to the Cardinal Fitness lot on a Saturday night. Wish I had known that their tacos were supposed to be snacks and not a meal, but an order of 3 (for $5 - great price!) still made a pretty decent dinner.
I had the steak tacos - I got there too early for chicken or fish (I was surprised, since they usually do a good job of advertising their selection on Twitter,but I hadn't seen anything that day). Tacos were a little spicier than I anticipated, but they were still pretty tasty.
I'd definitely try them again, when I know they have chicken and/or fish on hand. If nothing else, it's a fun experience, and it's nice to see another trend make its way to Indianapolis.
I wouldn't consider myself a huge foodie. I like food. I like making food. But I am no foodie.
Anyway, I had read about west coast tacos in the Indy Star and was dying to go their. I had tweeted with them a  couple of times and I always got a friendly response. I drag my husband over to cardinal fitness to get a bite.
The wait was long. Really long. and some douchebag didn't help the situation by whipping out his iphone and taking pics when his order was up. But eventually we got ours.
They were pretty decent nibbles. The tortilla is corn, not flour and that threw me off a bit. I am not a huge spice fan and after a taco and a half my mouth was on FIRE. I ended up giving a taco and a half to my husband.
At the time we went they only had the steak tacos, and that was okay. They were good. But like I said, my mouth was on fire. I know it wasn't that bad of a heat because it did not give the hubs the hiccups. He enjoyed the sauce a lot.
I want to go back and try their tempura fish taco.
I ate five West Coast Tacos for lunch a few weeks ago and have had gnawing cravings ever since. The steak tacos are delicious and the salsa is fresh and just spicy enough. I can't wait to find them at night in Broad Ripple so I can try the chicken and fish tacos, too.
The line gets out of control pretty quickly, so get there early or be ready for a bit of a (well-worth it) wait.
Much of life is moving toward uber-mobility, so an influx of food trucks is the savvy way to wrangle business in this on-the-go/updating/tweetup-ing world; and, lo! Indy has a Food Truck! The classic, too: the Taco Truck. Having gone to college in LA I lived & breathed & earned a degree on taco trucks; now, I'm ready to earn my turning-30 card with a near-daily taco truck trek.
These gentlemen don Dodger caps (and, well, they might quickly become ushers at my wedding, my funeral, and when I make little Dodger babies I'll ask them to cater their birth).
They keep it traditional with $1.65 tacos with cilantro, onions & Â marinated carne asada -- that's it.
Who knows why they're in the Cardinal Fitness lot...other than it's a prime Broad Ripple Ave location...and it's rather victorious to eat these lean fighting tacos in front of an annoying gym.
Look for this taco truck on the lunch hour (today they were at Illinois & Vermont); the point being...follow their Twitter feed for the location, et al.
I can't believe I get to say this in my hometown: Go Dodgers, Go Tacos!
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