It’s time to celebrate Valley tacos: Taco Truck Throwdown returns for year five

Mike Osegueda keeps a running list of possible contenders for the Taco Truck Throwdown, the culinary competition he helps organize each year with the Fresno Grizzlies.

But ask him which truck he’d really like to see compete and you get one name.

“Jenny’s Tacos,” he says.

Organizers have been trying to get the truck — which has a spot out in the country near Selma — to attend the Throwdown since the first year. With no luck.

“A lot of truck, just don’t leave their spots,” Osegueda says.

The ones that do — and there are two dozen or so competing in the Throwdown this year — are part of one of the region’s most-anticipated annual events that celebrates a food culture that is unique to the Central Valley. This year’s event, Taco Truck Throwdown 5, is Thursday, Aug. 6, at Chukchansi Park.

“The event has really been about supporting the trucks,” Osegueda says.

Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for the event.

The stats

The Throwdown has seen big growth in its five years in terms of attendance, the number of trucks competing and the number of tacos sold.

In 2011 (year one), seven taco trucks sold just shy of 8,000 tacos. In 2013 (year three), there were 13 taco trucks that sold more than 20,000 tacos. Last year, there were 19 trucks and 27,222 tacos sold to a crowd just shy of 14,000.

As of this week, organizers had 25 taco trucks confirmed.

So, the question for Osegueda is: “How many tacos can we sell?”

He’d be happy with 30,000, though he thinks 35,000 isn’t out of the question.

The marketing

For its part, the Grizzlies have gone all out with a marketing blitz that included a surprise press conference last week. The team drew national buzz by announcing it will rename itself for the night as The Fresno Tacos, complete with new themed uniforms and official Fresno Tacos team merchandise that you can pick up in the team store.

The trucks

Fans of the event can expect to see their favorite trucks returning this year, Osegueda says. That includes the always trendy Dusty Buns, Taco Mazatlan and La Elegante. The later, may be the truck to beat. It took home both the people’s choice award and the judge’s award last year.

P&R Fusion and Taste Kitchen will be competing for the first time this year. Both are new players in Fresno’s food truck scene. Neither are taco trucks in the traditional sense, but both understand the spirit of the competition.

“We’re looking for people who do tacos,” Osegueda says. “They do tacos.”

This year, the trucks will be split into two sections within the stadium, which should help accommodate the number of competitors and keep the crowds manageable. Half of the trucks will be set up just inside the gates along Tulare Street, where they’ve been for the last four years. The other half will be set up off right field in the concourse parking lot that runs along Inyo Street. An added bonus to the new area is that fans can watch the game while standing in some lines, Osegueda says.

The tips & tricks

If it’s not obvious, the Throwdown attracts a lot of people. If you’re looking to get a full sampling of trucks, be prepared.

Don’t treat the taco trucks like your normal baseball concessions, Osegueda says. The best bet is to arrive early. The game starts at 7:05 p.m., but the gates open at 5 p.m.

The other option is to wait until the crowds die down.

“But you run the risk of people running out of food,” he says.

Ryan Young, the Grizzlies’ communications and marketing manager, suggests buying a game ticket from the box office in advance. Not only will it save you money (prices increase on the day of game), but you can also get taco vouchers, which will make for a shorter wait time. The TTT5 ticket package includes a game ticket (field level, reserved) and four taco vouchers for $22. It goes up to $28 on game.

Another trick, says Young: look for the quickest entrance.

“One of the things we always find with increased crowds is that they always go to the Gate 2 entrance off H Street,” he says.

This story was originally published July 30, 2015 at 10:00 PM with the headline "It’s time to celebrate Valley tacos: Taco Truck Throwdown returns for year five."