TOLEDO, Ohio — Birria tacos are becoming a fast foodie trend, but one Toledo food truck has roots that run deeper than keeping up with a fad.
El Viejon was established in 2020, but the food business is nothing new to owner Juan Tofolla.
His dad has been a chef for more than 30 years in Mexico, and he's proud to follow in his father's footsteps.
Tofolla moved to the states when he was 16 years old, without knowing any English. But in the years since, he's become fluent in the language and has embarked on the journey of becoming a restauranteur.
As it stands now, El Viejon is a food truck that seems to find a usual spot on Westwood Avenue. Though those in the neighborhood seem to be hip to the spot, as lines are long to get a taste.
The main event on the menu is the quesabirria taco — which takes a lot of patience and love to come to fruition. The consomé is created with hours of slow-roasting, which is the key element to birria. The tender beef is used to fill the taco and the broth is used to coat the tortilla before frying the taco whole on a griddle.
El Viejon has just the right balance of flavors: spicy, smoky and umami. These tacos are double-shelled to hold in the hefty portion of ingredients while maintaining the signature crunch of a quesabirria taco — just don't forget to dunk it into the consomé before taking a bite, I'd hate for you to let the magic go to waste.
But, Tofolla isn't scared of venturing outside of the classics; one of the attention-grabbers on his menu is the Pizza Birria. Essentially, it is a giant quesadilla/birria taco hybrid served with salsa, sour cream and pickled jalapenos. It's a risk that comes with a landslide of benefits as it is hard to imagine someone who wouldn't be sold on its value. Sized to serve the whole family, it is sure to satisfy even the picky eaters of the family.
To keep track of the whereabouts of El Viejon and to get a closer look at the menu, give the truck a follow on Facebook or on Instagram.