Have you ever eaten food that was so good you couldn’t sleep for thinking about it? That’s what happened to inspire the set-up of The Wako Taco, a new Mexican street food operation in Leicester.
Created during lockdown, the authentic tacos, burritos, nachos and more are proving a big hit with daytime business deliveries and evening home meals. With big plans for the future we caught up with the Wako Taco team to find out more.
Tell us a little about The Wako Taco and how it came about?
The Wako Taco or a taco food truck concept had always been a dream of mine for the last 15 years or so but was buried amongst normal life things like having kids and a steady job. However all that changed when I found out i was being made redundant after 19 years of working at a well known Leicester based head office! I was on furlough from April and I had a gut feeling that i was going to be made redundant. I actually bought the domain name for the website and registered it with the local council the day before i was given my redundancy news! That was 29th June this year!
I spent most of July setting up and planning the menu, taste testing everything and doing the photography and building the website myself, as well as doing all the Instagram ads and promo materials. I asked a few well known celebrity’s if they would like to help out in anyway with the set up or spread the word etc and Leicester r&b legend Mark Morrison very kindly donated towards my set up! The website was ready to take orders and launched mid-August.
What do you love most about Mexican food?
Well, if you’ve ever been lucky enough to experience real local Mexican food in the cantinas and family run restaurants, you’ll know how amazing it is! Forget about your fancy all inclusive restaurants… thats not for me (well the unlimited cocktails are the only good thing about all inclusives!) Leave the buffet food offered there for the less adventurous… I’d rather head out of the hotel complex and head for where the locals eat and recommend. It’s worth doing your research. I can easily spend days and weeks selecting places to eat. My whole holiday revolves around eating and visiting local markets and shops for produce! So many of us are missing out on the amazing food that the real Mexican eateries have to offer as we stick to the hotel restaurants!! And the ultimate food experience being missed out upon is the tacos at a taquira!! Its simply heavenly!
There was a family run restaurant called Dopi’s that was my first place to eat at the evening we landed on the beautiful island of Isla Mujeres. I ordered fish tacos, chicken burritos and a few sides washed down with rather strong margaritas (not good when jet lagged!) I couldn’t believe how delicious it was… it was that good that it kept me awake at night thinking that that was the most amazing food I’ve possibly ever eaten!! So much so we revisited the same restaurant 4 times during our week stay! And became good friends with owner!
Now I want other people to have that same experience that I had when i ate there! I want people to experience the real Mexican cuisine thats lacking in Leicester and crave that ‘that was the best Mexican I’ve ever had’ feeling that i had! However I don’t want people to loose sleep over it like i did!
What are you favourite items on the menu?
My personal favourites are:
(sorry there are a few!!)
– Fish tacos on corn tortillas
– Chipotle pulled pork or jackfruit torte (Mexican version of a bread sandwich/burger)
– Chicken burrito
– Black bean & cheese quesadillas (a true regional street food dish in Oaxaca)
– the Wako-fries are mind blowing
– And the Wako original recipe idea Wako wings (nacho crumb coating served with our homemade from scratch nacho cheese sauce)
– And everything else of course!
What sets you apart from other food traders?
There’s no other Mexican street food delivery services that are independent with a passion to bring the real Mexican streetfood experience to Leicester!
What areas do you cover with deliveries?
Areas covered are lunchtime workplace deliveries to Meridian, Grove Park Business Parks, Blaby & Enderby business parks. Targeting workplaces without canteen facilities. Food can either be pre-ordered the day before or in the morning.
For evening deliveries, at the moment we go everywhere within a 30min travelling distance from Thorpe Astley. This is to ensure the heat and quality of the food remains as high as possible!
What plans do you have coming up?
I have been offered a more permanent street food spot at a venue but I’m not sure that it’s the right move for me as a newbie, as I’d need manpower! But maybe in 6 months I might be ready for that huge step! But its a boost to know that there is a need for Mexican street food in Leicester! In the meantime I’m looking for my perfect Wako food truck so I can be based at lunchtimes at a particular site on a set day for workplaces and for events
You can see the full menu and ordering details via the Wako Taco website or follow via Instagram.