While I’m sure that I haven’t been to all of the notable taco trucks in New Hampshire, there were two in particular that I wanted to visit this summer. After hearing so much about each of them, I sought out B’s Tacos and Taco Beyondo.
B’s Tacos
B’s Tacos has for a long time had its home base at a gas station in Londonderry. They got their start as a food truck and developed a loyal fan base in this way. They also do catering and will travel with the truck to wherever they are booked. B’s Tacos has won a number of awards, and has been named on at least a couple of “Best of” lists including Far and Wide and Redbook.
More interestingly, they also have a physical location on Kelley Street in the West Side of Manchester. This one is quite close to me from my location in Goffstown, but as of this summer not in use at the moment. I hope they will reopen it this fall and winter when they can’t use the truck!
All that to say that my husband and I traveled down to Mohawk Dr. in Londonderry to visit the taco truck and try these renowned tacos. The truck is easy to find, there is plenty of parking in surrounding areas, and they have some nice grassy areas with clean picnic tables to enjoy your food at. For a gas station, it’s pretty nice. They do take cards as well, so that is very convenient. The tacos are $4 each.
What really stands out are the incredible fried corn tortilla shells. I mean, they are amazing. Just like with nachos, the absolute most important component is the quality of the tortilla chips/shells. And these absolutely nailed it. They have my undying loyalty and admiration for these shells alone. If you win the tortilla, you win the entire taco. They could have put literally anything in these tacos and it would still taste great because of the shell.
As for the rest of the taco, yes it was great. Everything was beautifully fresh. I got a couple of kinds of meats including the ground beef and chicken which both had a nice flavor. The pico de gallo was especially nice with fresh, bright acidic flavors to balance out the fat in the shells. And thank you for putting the sour cream ON the tacos. I hate the little side cups.
I will absolutely be a regular at the Kelley Street Manchester location. I don’t think I would go down to the far end of Londonderry again unless I already happened to be in the area just because it was pretty far from us in Goffstown. Of course I’ve been known to travel far for a restaurant that I wanted to try when I can dine in and have the full experience. But I pump the brakes a little bit when it comes to driving a long distance to eat at a food truck. Not that it isn’t wonderful, because it is. My husband can attest to my over the top enthusiasm.
Taco Beyondo
In the opposite direction, Taco Beyondo is a colorful taco shop and food truck in Hillsboro, NH. They also started out as only a truck and then expanded into a permanent brick-and-mortar restaurant. I’ve always heard such positive things about them, but at a 40 minute drive it was pushed to the “someday” list. My wish came true in July, when they posted on Facebook that they would have their truck in Weare for the day, which is about a 20 minute drive for me. Much more reasonable!
The truck was set to open at 12, but a line had started forming even before then, so I knew it was going to be good. Their tacos are $5 each (cash only at the truck), and there were several meats to choose from, and you can do a crisp corn shell or soft flour shells. I chose 3 crispy tacos with gringo ground beef, chicken verde, and carnitas. As you can see, they come out loaded. They are absolutely massive and utterly delicious. The gringo beef was my favorite. I loved the chipotle crema sauce, as well as the red sauce that they offer on the side.
Their corn taco shells were delightful and very crispy which is super important. I always feel that corn tortillas always have better texture and flavor than a flour tortilla, and they don’t always need to be crispy, see for example here: Frontera Grill.
B’s vs Beyondo: Who Wins the Battle of the Taco Trucks?
Ok, truth time. Here’s where I lay it all out for you. Which did I prefer? Choosing a favorite high quality taco is like choosing a favorite child, and nearly impossible. There are things I love about both of them. When it comes to the shell, absolutely B’s Tacos was a 360 slam dunk and broke the backboard. Incredible. As for the taco fillings, Taco Beyondo stunned and amazed with the overstuffed goodness. I’m a total sucker for the creamy sauces like their chipotle crema, and sour cream, and aiolis. I love it and need it. Overall, Taco Beyondo was my favorite but that shell from B’s Tacos cannot be ignored.
So in a perfect NH Tex Mex world, we really need a B’s / Beyondo collab and mashup with B’s fried crispy corn tortilla shells, with Beyondo’s meats and fillings. It would be unstoppable for taco trucks in New Hamsphire. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
What are some other great taco trucks that I need to know about??
