From chef Matt Jennings: “The food truck revolution has taken to trend all over the country. From grilled cheese to cupcakes, to charcuterie on wheels, every hipster wants to own a food truck. Well, it’s not that easy. Imagine early morning market runs for ingredients, frequent tune ups, the political red tape in serving food from a truck- (think the health department likes that?), trying to build a local clientele, and then finding ways for them to remember where you are parked every week! The obstacles are overwhelming, but for one Connecticut couple, the rewards are far worth it.

From a daytime cafeteria cook at General Electric, to the king of Latino street food in Southern New England, Carlos Terron has defined quality mobile Mexican fare with a cult following that cuts across culture and class.

The truck El Charrito (‘the little cowboy’ and subsequently a name Carlos’ grandmother bestowed upon him as a youngin’) has been open since 2006. Carlos and his wife, Alex, are a dynamic duo. She takes orders at the street side window from a mix of customers ranging from off duty strippers to firemen and professors, and he works the kitchen, chopping cilantro and fresh onions, and building an impressive variety of tacos to tempt the rabid and waiting fans- positioned in a streaming line from the truck’s window, halfway down the block at lunchtime.

Inside the cramped quarters, Carlos is hard at work making Mexican-style tacos including ethereal tripa, rich and savory pork carnitas, melt-in-your-mouth ‘Lengua’ (cow tongue), al Pastor (pork with pineapple), carne adovada (spicy pork), cesina (salty steak), chorizo, campechano, bistek, and chicken. Steaming tamales, rich, chocolaty molé and golden fried huaraches are also available should one ever tire of the almightily taco- which I may add, is next to impossible at El Charrito.

Sit and eat at a weathered picnic table, or if it’s a little nippy out and the leaves are flying in a brisk autumn wind (the best time for El Charrito), retreat to the confines of the warm cockpit of your car and sit and eat. This is authentic, awesome and inspiring Mexican grub, created by people who love their culture and their job. It doesn’t get much better than that.”