For the past couple of months, Albert Hernandez, the affable owner of Alebrije's (aka that pink taco truck that sells the taco acorazado that we rave about every week), has been telling Dave and I that he was going to debut a bigger truck, one that would finally allow him to make his lonchera mobile and take to food events. About a month ago, I saw it: a gargantuan truck more in line with the luxe lonchera of today than the pioneer loncheras from whence Alebrije's originated.
But it wasn't yet functional. Hernandez would park both side by side, using the older Alebrije's to cook while tweaking the newer one. He'd do this about once or twice a week, until this past Tuesday, when the new one debuted. OH SNAP!!!
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It's a beaut: almost-open kitchen (the windows are tinted, 'cause us Mexis like to do that for our cars haha), far-bigger kitchen space, with a flatscreen TV for Sunday fútbol games, LED lights for the hell of it, and a bitching sound system that allows Hernández to call out an order with the voice of God.
“What happens is people will order, and then go sit in their car down the street or talk to friends in the Northgate parking lot,” Hernández says. “They'll take too long, so the food is cold by the time they come back. With this speaker, there's no excuse!”
And when he's not calling out numbers? The speakers will blast the endless sonideros of SanTana's own KWIZ-FM 96.7 La Rockola.
“The great thing with the bigger kitchen,” Hernandez adds, “is that I can expand the menu.” So you'll continue to get the best chilango and Cuernavacan specialties in OC, but expect other regional special to pop up–and frying. A lot of frying–there's finally a fryer!
Although the “new” Alebrije's is already in action, Hernández will have an official grand opening December 24 at 9 a.m. There will be music, food specials, and a lot of gawking. Don't forget that Alebrije's is on the corner of Main and Cubbon streets in big, bad, SanTana, and see you there!
