When The Taco Truck unexpectedly shut down earlier in 2017 (closing all of its stores in a shocking move that surprised just about everybody), many in Hoboken were upset. Our little town doesn’t exactly lack for Mexican food or even tacos—between Baja, the (seemingly) many dozens of Charritos locations, Hoboken Burrito, East L.A., and even Chipotle, you can certainly find a taco if you want one. But The Taco Truck combined a streamlined menu with fresh ingredients that felt much more local and authentic than Chipotle. And then, in August, Surf Taco swooped in like a knight on a white horse made of tortillas and saved us all. Moving into the same space and making what can only be described as minimal changes to the setup and decor, overnight Hoboken once again had a local, locally-sourced taco joint that delivered. In fact, if you weren’t really paying attention, you might even be forgiven for not even noticing that The Taco Truck was gone and Surf Taco was in. Well, we finally made our way over there this week, and we certainly noticed, because Surf Taco isn’t just a replacement for The Taco Truck—it’s an improvement.

Fresh and Fast

Surf Taco’s philosophy isn’t much different from The Taco Truck, nor is there menu. Are there tacos? Burritos? Chips, salsa, and guacamole? You bet. Surf Taco doesn’t offer tortas, which we will miss dearly, although they do offer a variety of wraps. It’s just that wraps aren’t the same thing as a good torta, are they? The food is great. The chips at the old Taco Truck location were often kind of ... stale, to be honest; when ordering from home we routinely went out and bought our own chips. But the chips at Surf Taco are spectacular and very fresh. The burritos and tacos are excellent, and the guac is actually very good, although it doesn’t come close to the guac made at your table at Charritos (but then, what could?). The salsa bar is also a nice feature—a small thing, but fun. We ordered the Maverick Burrito and the Beef Taco; neither are reinventions of the form, but they were both excellent. The meat was seasoned perfectly, the chips were crisp, and both were assembled with care and presented well (if you’ve ever gotten a sloppy, sad burrito you know how unappetizing it can be even if everything in the burrito is fine. The service was friendly and careful; in fact, they originally brought out chicken tacos instead of beef, and the server noticed immediately and replaced it fast with a smile. If you’re looking for simple, fresh Mex food in Hoboken, check out Surf Taco. We may have lost The Taco Truck, but Hoboken hasn’t missed a beat.

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