Olmeca Mexican Food - Ruskin, FL
It’s finally “winter” in Florida, which is the best time to visit local taco trucks compared to the brick and mortar shops we’ve reviewed so far. There are taco trucks everywhere you turn these days, so there will be lots of reviews to come, but this will be our first of the Taco Trucks. These truck reviews will likely be a little more quick and dirty or short and sweet since there is typically less to cover, but keep in mind — the food they serve can easily rival the offerings of more sit-down establishments.
Located in Ruskin, FL, Olmeca Mexican Food is an interesting place, and considered a favorite among some of our neighbors. We’ve been meaning to try it and with the recent change in weather, we were able to stop by.
Now just like brick and mortar restaurants, you’ll see some interesting variety in taco trucks as you dive into your own taco journey. You’ll find several “categories” over time. The rovers: These are trucks that change their location often, visiting different breweries and neighborhoods with no real set schedule.
The basically brick and mortars: These trucks are still “trucks”, but they are basically permanently located in a spot, having not moved for years, and having indoor/outdoor seating options around the truck
The “that’s our turf” trucks: These trucks are still mobile but return to the same spots week in and week out with specific schedules
The construction trucks: These bundles of awesome are smaller scale food trucks that roam construction areas, signaling their arrival with friendly honks to let the workers (and taco-savvy residents) know that lunch has arrived.
Of these categories, Olmeca is clearly a “basically brick and mortar”.
Located on College Avenue in Ruskin, one of the main arteries, you might miss Olmeca if you weren’t looking for it. Situated off the road, you’ll see that Olmeca is in fact a taco truck, but it is in a fixed location with a separate shed for ordering, a small bar area, and a large paved seating area with various tables, as well as small outdoor bathrooms and a little playground.
This is what we mean when we talk about a “basically brick and mortar” truck. It’s clearly situated here in a physical location, but a truck nonetheless.
Crunching the Numbers:
The Tacothority Scorecard
Our taco rating system runs from 0 to 10, where 5 is perfectly average, and 10 is pure taco nirvana. A 0 is the dreaded "Sad Taco"—so bad you’d prefer last week's leftovers. A 5 is a neutral, forgettable taco, while anything above that ranges from decent (6-7) to almost perfect (8-9). A 10 is the ultimate taco experience—flawless in every way.
Olmeca Mexican - Pollo, Pork al Pastor, Carne Asada
The Three Amigos
Olmeca offers a pretty standard menu of tacos, burritos, and other quick service items. You’ll find typical proteins as well as tripe and lengua. You can also order shrimp but it seems you can only get them in an order of four. Their tacos were priced well at under $3 each, or under $4 for tripe or lengua.
The tacos all presented well, double wrapped in corn tortillas, topped with a cabbage mixture that looked quite fresh. While the prices were relatively low as mentioned above, we will note that the tacos were a bit smaller, what some might call street taco size, and there was more cabbage than meat on each.
Carne Asada - 7.4
The Carne Asada had good flavor and texture, and included some grilled onions rather than the typical fresh diced onions. The cabbage that Olmeca puts on all of their tacos was a bit heavy, fighting the protein for superiority, and the protein may have lost on this one as it really was hard to get a bite that wasn’t overwhelmed by the cold cabbage. We did enjoy the addition of the grilled onions, it really helped add a bit of complexity and moisture to the steak.
Pollo- 7.3
A typical tinga style taco, the pollo had shredded marinated chicken, once again with lots of cold cabbage. Some of the intial bites of chicken felt a bit dry, with a hint of good flavor, but once you really dug into the more moist bits, the flavor stood out. A taco that could’ve used less cabbage, it was decent. This was also a pretty chilly day for Florida, so that may have accounted for some of the additional “dryness” we experienced.
Pork Al Pastor - 7.2
Just like the other tacos, the pork al pastor taco presented well and was visually appealing, but the cabbage overpowered most of the taco. The pastor flavor stood out once you were able to separate it —a smoky, savory flavor with a bit of a zing of sweetness that I would assume came from some light pineapple, although I couldn’t find any specific pieces.
Olmeca Mexican - Chorizo
The Wildcard
Going beyond the usual lineup, The Wildcard is the taco that stands out—whether it’s the restaurant’s go-to recommendation or just one that caught my eye. It’s the bonus option that brings something different to the plate.
Chorizo - 7.3
I almost went with lengua, but after a recent bad lengua experience in California, I decided to put off my next lengua taco just a little longer. At the recommendation of someone behind the register, I went with the chorizo which is one of my preferred tacos anyway.
The chorizo looked great, just like the others. Peeking through the cabbage you’d see that familiar hue of chorizo crumbles, some tinged with a little extra char. The flavor was as strong as you’d expect from a chorizo taco, and it helped fight through the cabbage a bit more than the others did based on it’s stronger flavor profile.
Final Thoughts
It was nice to enjoy some cool weather and a taco truck for a change, and we’re glad we stopped by Olmeca. Overall, it’s a nice setting, they have friendly staff, and the prices are good. And there was a super friendly cat that stopped by during our visit.
While the tacos all had authentic flavors, the strong use of cabbage ended up more of a distraction than a complement. It overpowered the proteins in taste and texture, and a more subtle amount or different garnish could’ve allowed the protein to shine a bit more.
Bottom Line: Definitely worth the price, it would be a good spot to stop with friends or on a quick lunch break during cooler weather, and I’m sure the atmosphere gets a little more lively once the lights go down. If you make it to Olmeca, we may suggest just ordering without cabbage, something we’ll likely do the next time we visit.
