El Camion
El Camion is authentic Mexican food served from one of three food trucks located in the Seattle area. I spotted one of the trucks (their newest) in Ballard on 15th Avenue and had to stop and check it out. The menu was impressively extensive with eleven different meats to choose from. I ordered three tacos - one each of carnitas, grilled chicken, and carne asada. After ordering I walked around the side of the truck to find a little salsa bar with options ranging in heat from mild to smoking(!). My favorite was this avocado based salsa that was thin and medium/hot like salsa verde but creamy like guacamole. They also had a container of Mexican pickles filled with sliced onion, whole jalapenos, juniper berries, and bay leaves.
After a few minutes my tacos were up and I was impressed immediately. The tacos were served on warm corn tortillas with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, lemon wedges, and sliced radish. The plate was gorgeous, especially considering the fact that the tacos were only $1.45 each (my total was $4.67 for all three). All the meats were tasty but the carnitas definitely stole the show from the chicken and carne asada. The pork was jam-packed with flavor and perfectly tender.
Other menu highlights include handmade tamales, fish tacos, tortas, gorditas, and chicken mole. They also serve breakfast burritos and chorizo with eggs all day (so awesome). Overall, the food was fresh, authentic, and super clean in flavor. Wonderful experience. I'll be going back very soon.
Open 7 days a week
Hours: 9am-10pm
Locations: Ballard, South Seattle, and North Seattle
Sarah Simms