Before there was a trendy taco spot on every corner of New Orleans, there was a wildly painted truck parked outside a bar, and a line of people who knew exactly what they were waiting for. Taceaux Loceaux has been doing this since 2010, when Alex and Maribeth del Castillo bought an old barbecue truck and started cooking tacos with names nobody was going to forget.
The signal was simple. A tweet reading “Locked tires. Lit fires…” and suddenly regulars knew exactly which bar to head to. The truck became a fixture outside spots like the Kingpin and Dos Jefes Cigar Bar Uptown, turning a late-night taco run into a full-on ritual for locals who figured out the pattern.
That kind of word-of-mouth loyalty doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because the food is genuinely good.
The menu reads like Alex del Castillo was having fun naming things, which he clearly was. Messin’ with Texas is smoked brisket on a corn tortilla with cabbage slaw and radishes.
The Seoul Man layers Korean bulgogi chicken with pickled red onion, cilantro, and sriracha aioli on a flour tortilla.
Jane Deaux goes the vegetarian route with braised greens, roasted potatoes, Cotija cheese, crema, and toasted pepitas.
Every name is a bit of a joke, and every taco backs it up. Don’t leave without the avocado fries, which come out lightly battered, greaseless, and somehow creamy on the inside.
What makes Taceaux Loceaux work isn’t just the creativity. Del Castillo came up through the Navy before landing in food, and that galley-kitchen discipline shows in how tight and consistent the truck runs.
These aren’t tacos thrown together with shortcuts. The tortillas are pressed to order, the proteins are cooked right, and the salsas and aiolis are house-made. It’s street food that takes itself seriously without taking itself too seriously, which is about as New Orleans as it gets.
The truck still rolls to private events, catering gigs, and regular stops around the city. Your best bet for tracking it down is following @TLNola on social media, where they post locations in advance.
Call ahead or check before you go to confirm hours and where they’re parked that day.
