Mobile Home of the $20 Taco

MOBILE HOME OF THE $20 TACO The upscale taco truck makes a perfect sales vehicle for themed luxury townhouse developments: “‘Most people won’t even stop at a taco truck,’ [Armandos restaurant co-owner Armando] Palacios said during an event he catered at the Spanish-inspired Caceres development, where townhomes starting at $600,000 were touted to potential buyers, sellers and scenesters. . . . ‘This is a taco truck which we’ve driven to a $5 million home. You arrive, and the truck becomes part of the party.’ Instead of simply bringing chafing dishes filled with taco fixings to a catering gig, Palacios drives his $100,000 truck and cooks food to a client’s order. . . . But Palacios’ truck is a more ostentatious version of the typical taco truck. Just like MTV program Pimp My Ride upgrades clunkers, Palacios ‘pimped out’ a taco truck, giving it a custom paint job. He promotes the catering truck with the slogan, ‘We burn rubber and chipotles.’ ‘It’s like urban chic,’ said Cinda Ward, Armandos co-owner and Palacios’ wife.” [Houston Chronicle]