Thanks to The Latin Effect food truck for visiting our community recently. I had planned to get takeout from a restaurant and then was notified by apartment management that The Latin Effect was on-site. I decided to get food from this truck instead and it turned out to be the right decision. The food was delicious. Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I heard a lot of "mmm's" out of her and she did her food happy dance while eating, which is pretty much her seal of approval.
This food truck serves tacos (2 for $8 or 3 for $10-11), enchiladas (2 for $9, $11), baleadas ($7, $10), carne asada fries ($7, $10), and taquitos (3 for $10). Specifically, the cuisine is Honduran. Baleadas are unique to Honduras and both the enchiladas and taquitos contain Honduran slaw.
This is a "mom and pop" food truck owned and run by a husband and wife. The owner, Bert, whose family is Honduran, is the person who served me. Nice guy and great service.
I ordered the following:
* Baleada (loaded, $10) - homemade Honduran flour tortilla, filled with refried beans, egg, sour cream, and cheese plus my choice of meat -- I chose carnitas (pork) -- and avocado
* Carne Asada Fries (large, $10) - French fries topped with carne asada, guacamole, sour cream, and cheese
* Taquitos (3 for $10) - marinated chicken inside a rolled and fried corn tortilla, topped with Honduran slaw, avocado, egg slices, and cheese, drizzled with marinade
Simply put, everything was tasty, satisfying, and filling. Everything was presented nicely and looked wonderful too. Portions were generous. In some of the pictures I took of our baleada, I made sure to include a fork for scale. The baleada was huge. We ate it with a fork and knife. It was somewhat similar to a burrito or taco, packed with all sorts of fresh and flavorful ingredients. My wife's eyes lit up as she took her first bites of the baleada. She especially liked the inclusion of egg and avocado. The succulent carnitas was my favorite part. Juicy and full of flavor. Really good. And we both loved the homemade tortilla. It was warm, soft, and smelled great. It reminded me of roti.
You can't go wrong with the carne asada fries. I recommend getting a large order. It tastes so good, you'll probably regret getting a small. It was hard to tell, but the fries seemed closest to Burger King style fries to me. Smooth cut, but with a little bit of texture on the outside. Lots of meat (steak), cheese, guac, and sour cream. Gratifyingly unhealthy.
The taquitos were good. I liked how they came with all sorts of toppings. The egg slices were a nice touch. The tortillas were delectably crispy. What I liked most about this dish was how much meat was inside each taquito. Lots of tender, moist, shredded chicken. Some bites were more flavorful than others. I preferred the baleada and fries over the taquitos. The Honduran slaw on top was quite crunchy and refreshing. A variety of textures and flavors.
Bert told me that my order would take 15 minutes because of the taquitos. If I wanted my order sooner, he suggested the enchiladas. The 15-minute wait time (I think it may have actually been shorter than that) was fine with me. Like other food trucks, The Latin Effect uses Square to handle transactions and my itemized receipt was automatically emailed to me. While Durham was the address listed on the receipt, this truck serves the entire Triangle area (and perhaps beyond).
The Latin Effect launched this year (2020). Find out where they'll be next by visiting one of the links below. They have a slick-looking truck painted in dark blue with a beautiful pattern. During my visit, they played festive Latin music to elevate the mood. Enjoy this great truck.
Website: https://www.thelatineffect.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelatineffect
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelatineffect/ read more