Amidst the overly saturated taco truck scene in Salem lies El Ranchito, one of the city's more…read morepopular options and has the added bonus of being a late night destination. Overall, I think this truck has a lot to offer, and tacos are just the best way to start. (#1)
I'm pretty impressed with their truck setup. The neon light signs, along with the cater style format that their food is setup in makes it an easy grab-n-go situation. There are outside tables and a dedicated condiment station that has a number of salsas, limes, radishes, and other quality taco add-ons.
Last time I checked, tacos were just about $2-3, but in the inflation world we live in I wouldn't be surprised if the prices have somehow changed since then. In addition to tacos, they have burritos (super sized too), tortas, sopes, quesadillas, and tostadas. Out of all the meats they have (asada, pastor, carnitas, tripas, pollo, and cabeza (#2), I think their carnitas / lengua have the most promise.
That being said, I do enjoy almost all of their meats. Tripa might not win me over, but most everything else I give a pretty solid thumbs up. The asada has this juiciness to the meat, the carnitas has this hint of saltiness, and the lengua when combined with the right salsa (verde) is magic. If anyone is going with the torta route, the jamón milanesa is a nice way to go.
It's all cash only here and the service is always good. During the colder months they bust out the heaters, which is always appreciated. There is likely to be a line here during any evening, but a little patience and an appetite go a long way.
___________
(#1) Gateway food.
(#2) Spelled "cabesa" on their menu.