A totally unexpected gem with overall excellent offerings and also good customer relations.
My fridge was a bit empty at 10pm and I couldn't go to my Asian grocery store so I was hunting for some good eats. I noted there were many Mexican joints and taco trucks near me so I did my thing and searched Yelp for some carne asada fries (or more preferably al pastor). At first I was going to another establishment but they had just closed for the night despite the Yelp listing saying they were open 24/7. This was my second option and I'm glad I found this truck.
It's a bit unassuming with no clear signage showing "El Sazon de las Gorditas." I had to check the photos on Yelp to make sure this was the right truck as there was a truck a block away as well. The truck itself says "Silver Fox Catering." The signage was a bit worn but after eating their food I think it's a sign of their longevity and focus on just plainly great food.
First I ordered the carne asada fries with all the fixings. The base is fries, meat, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, diced onion, and sliced
avocado and you get onions, chili(es), radish, cucumber, lime, and red and green salsa on the side.
I put everything in save for the radish and cucumber which I used as a palate cleanser.
Tasting it, everything was nice and all the flavors combined together well and provided a nice full range of flavor. Usually when it comes to these fries there is something lacking. Whether the fries are too dry or too soggy, the meat is dry and/or too finely chopped up, the toppings are sparse or not varied enough. Here they get it right.
The meat is nicely sized, not too big and chunky that it's hard to portion out with the fries nor too fine where you can barely tell what meat it is. It has a good bite while still being tender.
The avocado could be a bit more (surely I could try ordering extra next time) but I appreciate it being freshly sliced. Compared to guacamole I think for this combination it worked although having more so as to be present in more bites.
The cheese is noticeable without being overly cheesy and the sour cream provides a nice tang to counter the richness.
The fries are potentially the area I would tweak the most. They were nice thick fries which are a bit harder to get crispy and crunchy expeditiously. I know because It takes me at least 20 minutes to fry the perfect double fried French fries at home. It was good however as the thick cut was able to soak everything up and not be too wet or too dry while providing a full fluffy texture.
Now the onions are a really nice addition I've seldom seen in carne asada fries. It was an amazing addition of these soft yet slightly crunchy onions. I think the way these are generally cooked is wrapped in foil over the grill. However it's done, these onions by themselves tasted great and added another welcome dimension to these fries. The chili also had sweet flesh, the flavor you get when chilies are cooked down.
The red salsa was somewhat spicy but also had a natural sweetness to it which was nice while the green salsa was a bit spicier like a punch but with a smoky flavor. Overall I would rate these salsas quite highly.
Many places don't offer lime with fries but I think they're just as necessary as they are with tacos. It helped add a brightness to the fries.
All in all it was one of the best tasting carne asada fries. As I finished the order in my car, I decided to go back to order another fries to take home but with al pastor this time. This previous reviewer wasn't kidding when he said you'd be in line twice, although there wasn't a line at the time. Everything was consistently good and the al pastor had a really nice size and texture as well. Some of the best meats I've had from Mexican food.
The girl at the register was also very gracious when I complimented the fries and she asked if it was my first time there. I replied that it was and she offered me two of their tostaditas complementary to taste. She said it was a popular order.
The tostadita is basically a taco but the tortilla is fried and crunchy. Literally a "small tostada." Let me say that this was a really special bite. You have your usual meat and then some chopped cabbage, cilantro and sour cream as well as the slightest touch of beans with the meat or perhaps layered at the bottom right on top of the tortilla. I don't like beans that much with meat but it was just barely there and I really enjoyed it. As mentioned before the meat texture was good and the crunchy tortilla and the cabbage gave it a nice crunchy but light bite.
Whoever made these surely knows how to make food taste good and I'm all for it. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting to try some excellent taco truck fare.
PS the fries were $9 tax included! A decent individual size. Such good food at such a bargain. I am super bloated after eating everything mentioned but it was so worth it which is something I rarely can say. read more