Taqueria Gaby & Liz

I first noticed the brightly painted taco truck during my morning commute. Parked on the far side of Potrero Avenue and 19th Street, it seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The wooden blocks placed between the truck's tires gave the impression that this unusual corner along a busy thoroughfare was to be its permanent home.

The menu offers a basic Mexican fare such as tacos, burritos and quesadillas, along with seven different kinds of tempting torta including Cuban Torta with milanesa, cheese, ham and sausage; Ham Torta with tomato, onion, avocado, chile, beans, mayo and sour cream; and a "Hawaiiana" torta containing ham, mozzarella, and of course, pineapple. Before I wrote off the truck entirely for having one of these annoying Add-pineapple-to-a-dish-and-it's-suddenly-"Hawaiian" concoctions, I decided to try their tacos. I opted for three different kinds—longanisa o chorizo (sausage), pollo asado (grilled chicken) and my favorite pastor (stuffed pork).

Longanisa, grilled chicken and pastor tacos

The longanisa was nicely crumbled and sauteed, delicious on its own and even tastier with the additions of raw onions and salsa. The pastor wasn't as flavorful as I'd like it to be, but still palatable and juicy. The least inspiring was the grilled chicken, which was a tad bland and dry. If you're in the mood for chicken, try the tinga—chicken stewed with onion and tomato. These were juicy and very appetizing. A platter of three tacos was only $4.50—at that price I'd be able to try all the different fillings before breaking the bank.

Tinga tacos

If you work in the area, you can call ahead to place your order before picking up. This option is somewhat convenient, though it doesn't take that long for them to get your food together. A row of canvas folding chairs along the sidewalk gives the option of "dining in." However, I'd rather take my food back to the office—the block is too noisy and busy with cars, and with no pedestrian traffic to people watch, to really enjoy the experience.

Which makes me wonder—why this particular block? Where are all the people? Perhaps the truck caters to the phantom residents across the street, drivers looking for a quick bite, or the ocassional person like me who wanders from our middle-of-nowhere offices for food options other than Blowfish Sushi, Starbucks, and the Potrero Center Safeway deli. Who knows? Nonetheless, the truck is a welcome change from the not-so-fabulous Mexican food offerings in the immediate area (not including El Metate, which is amazing and I will blog about later). Perhaps next time I'll try one of the sandwiches, that is, if I can get over the "Hawaiian" torta offering.

Taqueria Gaby & Liz, Potrero Avenue and 19th Street, San Francisco.
T: 415-756-0248

Comments

[Reid]

Creen,

I not really one for tacos, but this looks good enough. At least they look nice and fresh. How were the meats? Were they greasy in any way?

[Creen]

E Reid,
The meats weren't greasy at all. If I were to go back for a taco I'd get the longanisa, or try a quesadilla (those tend to get really greasy from all the cheese, though). No agua fresca in sight, unless it was hidden behind the glass counter!

[johanna]

oh my word! proper tacos and on a street corner! you would never find this here in europe! you can't even find proper mexican restaurants, and with proper I mean where they don't use old el paso spice mix and fried taco shells and their frijoles are not heinz baked beans!
tacos al pastor were my favourites when i lived in mexico - do they do the meat properly (on the stick?). I think I need to think seriously about a move to san fran now... I am salivating as i write this! you are one very lucky person!

[Mark]

Perhaps SF's best taco truck has moved, Gabby and Liz's Truck is now at 1601 Mariposa across from the park. If your a taco truck fan then this is the van to eat at.

[trill]

hey there fellow office worker in the middle of nowhere :)

another option in the area is deli up cafe at 20th & bryant (right next to blowfish). just a suggestion