Austin seems to have a new taco joint at every corner, and at first glance, Tacos El Boo might seem like just another addition to the mix. However, it stands out because of how authentic the food tastes and the truck feels.
Tacos El Boo on Guadalupe Street made their grand opening last Friday, Sept. 28. Open late every day — except Monday — to cater to students, their menu includes signature Mexican street foods such as gorditas, al pastor and elote.
Erika Pereyra, an owner of the truck, said the idea to open her own place was born out of frustration. After working at retail stores alongside her friends for 23 years and feeling unappreciated, Pereyra said she knew it was time for a change.
“For any little mistake, they just wanna get rid of you,” Pereyra said. “So I decided to be my own boss and not be dependable on anybody.”
Pereyra said the idea for the taco food truck came to her in San Antonio. While eating tacos with one of the co-owners, they saw how successful the business was and wanted to open a place of their own.
The name ‘Tacos El Boo’ came from the owners’ friendship. During their years working at a retail store, Pereyra said she, Luis Arellano and Norma Martinez would greet each other with the word ‘boo,’ making it the obvious choice when opening their own taco truck.
“It’s because of friendship and how we get along. We are family,” Pereyra said.
Pereyra said part of her decision to create a business was to help her friends and other people find job opportunities. She knows how hard it is to look for jobs and wanted to create a workplace that cares about it employees.
“In the company where I was, seven people were laid off — all of them very attached to me. We were very close. We help each other like family,” Pereyra said. “I can see them helping at the truck or having their own trucks.”
Pereyra and her co-owners first considered opening the food truck in Round Rock, but discovered that downtown Austin had a lot more opportunities. When they found Guadalupe Street, Pereyra said it seemed like an ideal location because of its proximity to campus, and she wanted to cater to the large population of Hispanic students at UT.
Undeclared freshman Stephanie Provencio comes from a Mexican family and has eaten at Tacos El Boo.
“My family is Mexican, so it’s kind of closer to home, the kind of food I usually eat,” Provencio said.
Undeclared freshman Rebeca Marichalar said Tacos El Boo is a good place for students to eat because of its convenient location, reasonable prices and late hours.
Born in Mexico, Marichalar said that the food at Tacos El Boo stood out from other taco places around Austin. Small details like the size and quality of their tortillas made the food feel more authentic to her.
“It is very true to the cultural taste that it comes from,” Marichalar said. “I know a lot of places usually put a spin on it, but it is hard to find an actual place that is accurate to the taste of Mexico.”
