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It’s tough to do Lloyd Justice
This week, our food truck review consists of several visits combined to create one uber review of a truck named 2014 Food Truck Taco of the Year by Mobile Cuisine – Lloyd Taco Truck. After eating Lloyds last week at Food Truck Tuesday, and then again two days later, not to mention four days before that, I decided it was time to write up a little something on Buffalo’s first and in my opinion, most adored food truck.
Lloyd Taco Truck thankfully rolls three deep, allowing them to serve more Lloyd lovers each week than ever before. The same menu is served on all three trucks including tacos, burritos, tricked out nachos, specials and rotating sides. At the risk of sounding dramatic, they’re all to die for. I often find myself dreaming of the next opportunity I’ll have to stand in a thirty minute line for a burrito.
If you venture to Lloyd during Food Truck Tuesday, you’ll find a queue seemingly a mile deep. Unless you’ve stood in this line recently, the sight may have you running for the hills, assuring yourself you’ll get to them next time because there’s no way your spending hours in front of one truck. This is the wrong move. The line to order at FTT moves quickly and the pickup line is practically instantaneous. Grab a beer and sit tight, it’s worth it.
Last week a Lloydian handed us our change accompanied by a scratch off. As @panderson2900 put it on Instagram, “Just when ya think @whereslloyd can’t possibly get any better. BAM!” These guys know what they’re doing. Employees are always smiling, happy to accommodate, work quickly and make bangin’ burritos every time. Lloyd is the truck you can count on to have enough food for the masses at FTT. So if you find yourself in a pickle and fed up with sold out trucks, head to my happy place, the Lloyd line.
It took me a couple trips to Lloyd before I fully embraced the menu options rather than play it safe. The sooner you step out of your comfort zone here, the better. Forget what you know about burritos and embrace the cabbage, pickled onions & unique specials.
Here’s the short of it: You can get either tacos ($2.59 each), a burrito ($6.89 each), el camino – Lloyd’s version of a burrito bowl ($6.89), or tricked out nachos ($6.89). Then, pick a protein for any of these – either roasted pork, braised beef, grilled chicken or stewed organic black beans.
You’ll find the tacos double wrapped in soft corn tortillas with jack cheddar cheese, shredded cabbage, chimi sauce, roja sauce, cilantro and lime.
Burritos come in a flour tortilla with rice and beans, jack cheddar, shredded cabbage, chimi sauce and roja sauce.
Tricked Out Nachos start with a bed of corn chips topped with homemade Lloyd queso, roja sauce, crema, jalapeños and pickled red onions.
On my last Lloyd binge, I ordered a beef burrito, medium with rice, beans, crema ($0.59 extra), pickled onions, cilantro and lime. It was amazing. Adding their crema to anything is highly recommended. On top of Mexican sour cream, Lloyd single-handedly got me addicted to pickled red onions, another outstanding addition to any of their menu items. I consider their inclusion in Lloyd’s menu pure genius. The crisp cabbage adds just the right amount of crunch, an essential part of the burrito adding some much needed Californian influence to Buffalo’s Mexican menu. The juicy, flavorful beef is always spot on.
Often times I swap the beef for the pork, depending on my mood. Both are delightful, prepared to melt in your mouth. My most recent taste of Lloyd’s pork came on a container of Tricked Out Nachos topped with fresh, flavorful add-ons. Although they are tasty, I have to say I’d opt for a burrito or taco over these. (I’m not big on their queso.) But, if you’re a nacho person, I’d bet this tricked out version will be a home run.
Last week was the first time I ordered grilled chicken in a taco – as is. The tacos are a bit messier than the burrito, simply because they are stuffed to the brim with goodness, sauces oozing out on either side. Order a few tacos featuring different proteins for a glorious variety.
When it comes to Lloyd’s specials, you cannot go wrong ordering them as they come, in taco or burrito form. Trust Lloyd. Just go with it. They never fail to serve up creative, surprising, unique concoctions. Last week they featured Big Daddy BBQ described as “antibiotic/hormone free pork rubbed w/ BBQ spice, blue cheese coleslaw, pickled red onions, big daddy BBQ sauce (hot or mild)”. The blue cheese slaw paired perfectly with the BBQ flavors, the combination packing a tasty punch without overwhelming the palate. Sweetness from the pickled red onions cut the smokey flavor just right. We loved every minute of it.
One of my favorite specials is the Crispy fish which appears occasionally and almost every Friday during lent. Simply put, Lloyd does fish tacos the right way. They bread tilapia with panko, add house-made chipotle mayo, and top it with shredded cabbage, sliced radish, cilantro, & lime – all in delicious corn tortillas. My advice? Never pass it up.
Some of my other favorite specials include:
- CARNE ASADA: Traditionally marinated beef hangar steak, avocado crema, pico de gallo, cilantro, & lime.
- KALUA PORK: island style roasted pork shoulder, lomi-lomi salad (diced tomato, diced onion, scallions, sesame seeds, & smoked sea salt)
- BIG lloyd: Plato dale farms ground beef, cheddar-jack cheese, 1,000 island dressing, pickles, onion, sesame seeds, & lettuce
- HOMBRE: chorizo, crispy fried potatoes, fresh diced white onions, avocado crema, cotija cheese, & cilantro
During cooler months, I can’t help but get their chorizo mac. The creamy mac and cheese is elevated to the next level with a crunchy Dorito/Frito/chip topping. In summer months Krazy Corn is a must try – grilled corn on the cob, drenched in garlic-chili butter, special sauce, cotija cheese, chili powder, & cilantro. Again, genius. Get it.
The minds at work behind these ultra-creative menu items clearly have a passion for Mexican flavor and making drool-worthy food. It shows in their fare, service and company culture. (Check out Lloyd’s personality on Twitter for a good laugh – or twenty.) Lloyd Taco Trucks is the one place I let myself revisit on a weekly basis, which means a lot coming from a person who’s job is to try a few new restaurants each week. The bottom line is, if you see a Lloyd truck – at FTT, parked near your house, outside of work, driving on the highway, posted up at an event – follow it, get to it, stand in line, be late for your next thing. You won’t be disappointed. (Unless you’re some kind of alien.)
Find out where Lloyd Taco Truck will be next @whereslloyd.
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