Battle of the Food Trucks: Senor Roy's Taco Patrol vs. Cafe de Wheels
Posted Wednesday, April 14, 2010Food trucks are invading Cincinnati and I'm ready to be assimilated. The two that have dominated the news lately are Senor Roy's Taco Patrol and Cafe de Wheels. At least two more are planned in the immediate future, including a truck from the owners of recently closed New Orleans To Go and the upcoming Taco Azul.
Contender #1: Cafe de Wheels
The Cafe de Wheels truck is jet black with vibrant, orange lettering, typically appearing in parking lots near the downtown courthouse. It's most often seen during lunch hours at the corner of Court St. and Walnut.
Some of Cafe de Wheels' signature fare include several beefy and vegetarian burgers, a Cuban sandwich; a chicken sandwich; grilled cheese; a Mett; and a mutant Cuban/grilled cheese variant called the Wheels Grilled Cheese, with pork loin, balsamic onion marmalade, melted cheese and sauerkraut.
In my two visits, I've found their grilled cheese, sweet potato fries and Cuban sandwich all pretty tasty. Preparation times for their food can take a while, especially at peak hours, so they do encourage people to call or text ahead. The last time I was there, we waited for about 15 minutes before a co-worker's burger was ready.
Contender #2: Senor Roy's Taco Patrol
I've visited Senor Roy's Taco truck twice now and I can say I'm now quite a fan. Their tacos are large and very flavorful, jam-packed with meats and fillings. Recently, they've been parking at the corner of Main St. and Central Parkway, near the Salvation Army building.
On my first visit, I got the Al Pastor (pork), flank steak and chicken tacos. A choice of flour tortillas or grilled corn tortillas are available --I chose the latter. The tortillas were warm, pliable and slightly chewy, but pleasantly so.
Senor Roy's offers a variety of freshly-made salsas, including the fiery Mango Habanero, the Tomatillo salsa verde, Pico de Gallo, picante and corn salsa.
Boy were they ever good. At $6 for three tacos, it was more than enough food for lunch. The shredded nature of the meats (all except the more traditionally chunky steak), lent a pleasing textural experience.
During my second visit, I got only two tacos for $5, which was plenty of food. These bad boys were stuffed with hearty meats, rice, black beans, cheese and salsa.
Burritos, quesadillas, nachos and taco salad are also available at Senor Roy's.
The winner: Senor Roy's Taco Patrol
One wonders how four competing taco vendors --Chipotle, Senor Roy's, Taco Azul and the coming Taqueria Mercado-- will play out downtown. I hope the latter three give the ubiquitous Chipotle a run for its money.
If you live or work anywhere near Downtown, Clifton or Northside, get ready to embrace the food trucks. They're a big hit so far and more are on their way.
Downtown, Cincinnati, OH 45202513-321-386
Rating: 3.0 out of 4
= Outstanding
= Fair
= Poor
The best TACO joint in the city. I go there as a treat to myself every Monday. TEX MEX TACOS are delicious culinary treats that look beautiful and taste great. I'm so impressed with this place that I never explore the other items on the menu. If you don't get your taco fix here, you're losing in life.
posted: Tue., Apr 27th, 2021 @ 2:37 PM
My Wife and myself dined at Ferrari’s on Saturday and the Food and service was great/ I had the Butternut Squash Ravioli with misc nuts and sauce and it was the best meal I’ve had there/ My wife had the Fish and Vegetables and was very happy/ I also got a couple of their pizza and olive loaves of bread/ The bread is always a hit at work.
posted: Mon., Nov 23rd, 2020 @ 1:14 PM
@Rick: Thanks for the suggestion! I'll have to remember to give them a try.
posted: Sat., Nov 21st, 2020 @ 9:06 AM
Try Joe's Pizza located at Airway and Smithville Rd. You might like it...That's one of favorite haunts. I definitely think it beats Cassano's.
posted: Fri., Nov 6th, 2020 @ 4:19 PM
Hands down the best Indian in the area. I have yet to find their yellow Punjabi dish anywhere. It is my favorite, and what keeps me coming back time after time. I think I have been here over 100 times. I love this place.
posted: Thu., May 28th, 2020 @ 12:03 PM
I found a gyro I keep thinking about
https://www.yelp.com/biz/tazikis-mediterranean-cafe-cincinnati
their lamb gyro is about 2-3 bucks higher in cost than a gyro elsewhere - B U T - it is made with whole pieces of lamb meat, not the lamb and beef loaf that all other Gyro joints in Cincinnati seem to do
it is a chain. A minus for me, and I suspect for you as well.
But its good.
really, really good
one caveat: skip the baklava as it is not made in-house
posted: Mon., Dec 9th, 2019 @ 12:43 PM
I'll take your word for it, then.....it is fairly close to work so it'll be an upcoming lunch
I also need to try out this little taco wagon near Quatmans in Norwood
posted: Mon., Sep 9th, 2019 @ 6:21 PM
Hi @TJ - We were pretty impressed with the quality of the items, which I think justifies some of the pricing. I really liked the house-made tortillas and their salsas. Chilero offered some extra little touches that were a pleasant surprise. :)
Just by way of comparison...that same week we'd tried the new Mazunte location downtown...and our experience at Chilero beat them out.
posted: Thu., Aug 29th, 2019 @ 10:18 PM
Great food and fantastic atmosphere
posted: Wed., Aug 28th, 2019 @ 8:29 PM
Seems very pricey for a mostly carryout/counter-service joint
posted: Wed., Aug 28th, 2019 @ 5:51 PM