Enjoy Pecos Tacos after a night out on West 6th St.
The Austinot is consistently asked about where to find the best Austin food trucks. So we’ve decided to start a search for the best in town. As we run across Austin food trucks that we feel should be on this list, we’ll let you know. All of the posts in this series will start with “Best Austin Food Trucks.”
If you have a food truck to recommend, leave a comment at the end of the article. Tell us the name of the joint, what you like most about them, and where we can find them. We’re always willing to check out something new.
Pecos Tacos Is Among the Best Austin Food Trucks
Austin food trucks abound. With a nearly endless variety of trucks comes the overwhelming task of choosing which one to check out for yourself.
Well, you can never go wrong with a taco. Many Austin food trucks serve them up, but few serve them up like Jesse Catano, owner of Pecos Tacos. The tough decision here isn’t deciding which food truck to get your taco from. It’s finding Jesse and his illusive Pecos Tacos truck.
Jesse Catano, owner of Pecos Tacos
Though many food trucks stake their claim in a trailer yard or depend on a specific area to net them business, Pecos Tacos isn’t one of the many.
Jesse is the Pied Piper of Austin food trucks and he’s been cooking it up for many years – nine, to be exact. Remember when you were a kid and you’d hear the bell or music coming from the ice cream truck? You’d race for your piggy bank and then chase the the truck until it would stop. Pecos Tacos has a similar effect on Austinites.
To say that Jesse has a following would be a gross understatement. His fans are loyal to him. They come to him in droves and call him by name. Funny thing is, Jesse calls most of his customers by name too. He even remembers what they were up to when he saw them last.
Austinot Brittany’s Tacos al Pastor (left) with Austinot Eric’s Shrimp and Whit tacos (right)
Jesse is one of those guys who knows how to build relationships, and does so through fantastic customer service and incredible food. I stood in observation at his truck for a good 45 minutes, as customer after customer came up and interacted with him. It was like watching an old school barber with a stream of longtime clients. All the latest news was passed back and forth and a sense of true relationship was evident.
It wasn’t uncommon for Jesse to state customers’ orders before they even opened their mouths. I even saw several people walk up and order over a dozen tacos in a single order.
Are the tacos really that good? The answer is unequivocally yes.
Here is my suggestion: Start off with two tacos: one Shrimp taco and one Whit taco. Get them the way Jesse makes them…just trust it. The tacos are only $3 on average, so you won’t be breaking the bank.
Whit Taco (top) with the Shrimp taco (bottom)
If you take me up on my suggestion, you’ll be floored by how incredible these tacos are. My personal favorite is the Shrimp taco, but all of Jesse’s tacos are outstanding. My guess is that on the very same visit you’ll be ordering a couple more tacos and experimenting off the Pecos Tacos menu.
Pecos Tacos Location and Information
Pecos Tacos is one of the truly mobile Austin food trucks. It can be found in various locations throughout the week – even throughout the day. I’ll do my best to outline when and where. Bottom line: break out the piggy bank and track this guy down.
Jesse has a steady stream of friends stop by his 6th St. location
Jesse has a work ethic that would shame most of us. You’ll see from his schedule below that he works from early morning to late night in multiple locations throughout the week. It was an honor to meet him, and I know you’ll enjoy meeting him too. Tell him you heard about it on the Austinot. No, we don’t get a commission.
The Pecos Tacos schedule might look a bit crazy. But trust me – it’s worth the hunt. To the best of my knowledge, hours and locations of operation are:
- Monday-Friday: Harte-Hanks in the Wells Branch neighborhood (2800 Wells Branch Pkwy) from 8-9 AM
- Monday-Friday: The park near the subdivision at Browning and Saddleback from 5:30-7 PM
- Monday-Friday: ITT College from 7:30-8:30 PM in the back of the building (since 2004)
- Monday-Friday: The park near the subdivision at Browning and Saddleback from 8:45-10 PM through Thursday and 8:45-11 PM on Friday
- Thursday: 6th and Rio Grande in the Gatti’s parking lot from 11:30 PM-3:00AM
- Friday-Saturday: 6th and Rio Grande in the Gatti’s parking lot from 12:00-4:30AM
Connect with Pecos Tacos!
Other Austin Food Trucks Worth Checking Out
If you want to know about some other Austin food trucks we’ve covered, take a look at these articles:
- The Picnic (Barton Springs)
- Midway Food Park (southwest Austin)
- North Loop Food Park (Northloop)
- Via 313 (East 6th and Rainey Street)
- Way South Philly (East 6th St.)
- Conscious Cravings (Burnet Rd., South 1st)
- Coolhaus (East 6th and other locations)
- Mighty Cone (Barton Springs)
- Big Fat Greek Gyros (Rainey Street)
- Stonebridge Coffee (northwest Austin)
- Hey Cupcake! (SoCo and other locations)
@EricHighland asks:
What other Austin food trucks do you think we should check out and why?
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“Monday-Friday: Heath Hanks in the Wells Branch neighborhood from 8-9 AM”
Is this a typo? Is it really “Harte-Hanks”?
Craig, that’s a great question. To be honest Jesse wrote it down on a piece of paper for me. You may be correct though. I’ve not personally been to that location. You sound like you know what you’re talking about though. If you are sure that’s the loc, let me know and I’ll edit the article. If not, next time I speak with or see Jesse, I’ll ask him to confirm. Appreciate you letting me know @eb29b712045c16f43b58f23d3bc7a308:disqus ~ Eric
Can you give some more-specific info on the locations, please? I am new to the Austin area and the only location I recognize is the one on 6th and Rio Grande. No luck trying to map any except the ITT College. (Maybe)
@charleyj:disqus I really wish I could. But I’m telling you I spoke directly with Jesse and this was the best info he had. I personally always catch him at 6th and Rio Grand Thursday – Saturday nights. It’s the only place I’ve ever caught him. ~ Eric
If @eb29b712045c16f43b58f23d3bc7a308:disqus is correct, Harte-Hanks is located at 2800 Wells Branch Pkwy.
I drove around that office building before 9 am today and saw no truck. I guess I will have to call him later today.
That’s a bummer, @charleyj:disqus. Hope it wasn’t too out of your way. We’ve waited on W. 6th for probably an hour before…so we feel your pain. The tacos are worth it, though!
You should check out El Super Taco on East Oltorf ( east of I-35 in the carwash parking lot )
Great authentic Mexican. Great homemade flan too!
They’re open 7pm to 2am 7 days.
Great stuff!
@facebook-1132061154:disqus, we’ve done some successful breakfast taco tasting down south, but haven’t seen much of the taco scene there. Thanks for the tip!