Where to get good tacos in Fresno? Here’s how to find Taco Truck Throwdown winners
Tacos — specifically tacos from taco trucks — are perhaps Fresno’s most famous cuisine.
So how do you know where to get really great tacos?
One way is to check out the winner of the yearly Taco Truck Throwdown competition. A huge event that attracts thousands, the 11th and most recent event happened this past weekend at Chukchansi Park.
About two dozen businesses competed for giant trophies with taco trucks on top. Two trucks got to take them home.
The People’s Choice Award, voted on by people attending the event, was won by Tacos La Vaporera for the second year in a row.
The winner of the Judges’ Choice Award, picked by a panel of taco experts, was Cocula’s Taqueria.
Where to find them
Tacos La Vaporera is a Fresno taco truck that’s steadily been making a name for itself since it launched about six years ago.
There are several meats on the menu, including chicken and al pastor, but one thing that sets it apart is its tacos al vapor — steamed tacos.
Only the barbacoa beef tacos are made this way, essentially using a steamer pot to cook the meat. It’s also what that the truck is named after, said Diego Alvarado, who owns the truck with his wife Sarai.
“The meat is cooked by steam. Instead of it being on the grill with oil and stuff like that, it’s just over a steamer pot,” he said. “It never touches the grill.”
The tortillas are warmed atop the meat in the steamer, too, giving the whole thing a moist and juicy texture.
You can find Tacos La Vaporera at several regular stops. Taco truck hours can be approximate, sometimes running a little early or late, so go in the middle of their hours if you really want to catch them.
On Tuesdays, the truck is at Cherry and Central avenues, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On Thursdays, they’re at Fresno City College for lunch from around 10 or 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This coming Thursday evening, Oct. 6, they’ll be at Art Hop in front of Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co. on Fulton Street.
And every Friday, Saturday and Sunday they participate in Fresno Street Eats events with other food trucks somewhere in the area. Those change each weekend, so follow Fresno Street Eats on Instagram or Facebook. Tacos La Vaporera also posts its schedule on its Instagram page.
In a month or so, the company plans to add a second taco truck.
A taco truck and restaurant
Cocula’s Taqueria has a restaurant in Fowler and two taco trucks.
The restaurant is at 220 E. Merced St. in Fowler, and it has taco trucks in Fowler and Dinuba.
The original truck is at Highway 99 and Manning Avenue at the Shell gas station in Fowler. It’s there seven days a week, from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. (sometimes later).
The second truck parks by the side of the road at 6713 El Monte Way (also called Avenue 416) near Road 72. It’s there daily from 5 p.m. til late.
The most popular choice at Cocula’s is the quesabirria. That’s the red tacos with tortillas that are dipped in consomé, the blend of meaty juices, oil and spices that the meat cooks in.
They’re then filled with birria (beef) and cheese and cooked on the grill. They are served with a side of the consomé broth you can dip the tacos in.
Cocula is the name of the town in Jalisco, Mexico, where founder Alonso Ortega is from. He runs the business with his wife, Leslie.
It’s also the city that many mariachi musicians are from, and explains why their logo features a mariachi.
Both trucks will also be at the next Tacos, Brews & Jams event by Fresno Street Eats from 5 to 10 p.m. Oct. 20 at Tioga-Sequoia.
This story was originally published October 3, 2022 at 2:45 PM.
