Tacos El Junior, a widely popular food truck based at 1107 Broadway St. in South Toledo, will soon become two trucks.
Owner Jose Merino, known as “Junior,” announced the second truck on Facebook on Sunday.
“Thank you to everyone Tacos El Junior #2 will be opening very soon,” Mr. Merino wrote. “If you have any recommendations on where we should park everyday please let us know. Stay in the south end or go to another side of Toledo?”
“The comments have been coming in and so far, many people, 90 percent, think the truck should be in West Toledo,” Mr. Merino said. “I am still looking at the comments and deciding. Also, if people have suggestions concerning new food items they would like to see, they can post that as well. I have three weeks yet before the truck is inspected, so there is time to make a decision.”
For Mr. Merino, the success both he and his family have had with the first food truck has been somewhat surprising — in a good way.
“We have been open four years now and I can say we have never had a day without customers,” Mr. Merino said. “I am still surprised by how many people support us. I still see people at the truck who have come from the beginning.”
Mr. Merino and his family moved from Hidalgo, Mexico, to Homestead, Fla., near Miami, and then to Toledo’s east side when he was a child. A 2016 Waite High School graduate, Mr. Merino said he got the idea to open a food truck after visiting Mexico.
“I needed a job, and I was thinking about what to do when I was on vacation with my family,” he explained. “I guess I was inspired by the street vendors in Mexico. With the help, support, and encouragement of my family, I decided to open the truck.”
The truck used to park at the Broadway Food Center. Mr. Merino said he was very nervous when he first opened.
“I wondered if people were going to like the food or complain about it,” he said. “I can honestly say that we have been blessed to have been popular the first year we started. I have never had a time when there are no people here. The people of the South End have also been very supportive. Maybe Toledo just needed authentic Mexican food? I do not know, but I am so thankful to everyone who has come for the food.”
The food, all homemade, is prepared from recipes by Mr. Merino’s mother, Magdalena Mora.
The food truck specializes in tortas, burritos, tacos, nachos, and quesadillas. Diners can pick between carne asada (steak), pollo (chicken), ground beef, barbacoa, chorizo, Tripa, and more.
Specialties like Quesabirria tacos, Pizzabirria, and asada fries, an extremely popular dish, are also sold.
“I would say the asada fries are our number one seller,” Mr. Merino said. “They are basically loaded fries with carne asada, avocado, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, and jalapenos.”
Mr. Merino said the Quesabirria and Pizzabirria are also very popular. Birria is slow stewed beef, shredded and served with a consomme for dipping.
“Birria exploded in popularity after it went viral in Los Angeles and New York four years ago,” he said. “It is of Mexican origin, but it was originally made with goat. We use beef here.”
Rice, beans, Agua Fresca, Horchota, lemonade, and canned soda are also available.
A third truck, Los Moritas Tacos, will also open within the month and will be run by Mr. Merino’s stepfather, Jose Mora.
“Los Moritas will have the same menu as Tacos El Junior,” Mr. Moreno explained. “It will also have desserts, ice cream, and smoothies.”
Coming in 2025, Mr. Merino said the building on Broadway will become a quick-serve restaurant, Tacos Junior Express, similar to Chipotle.
“We have a lot of construction workers and office workers come to the truck,” he said. “The restaurant will offer bowls [and] salads, and people will be able to point to what they want in them. It is so workers can get in and out quickly.”
For more information, go to facebook.com/TacosElJuniorToledo .
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