Mexican Fast Food + Hawaiian Ices = A Fine Meal from Mobile Vendors

If you're a lover of great tasting, inexpensive eats and treats, make a point of stopping by the corner of Prospect and Bradley in north-central Champaign sometime soon.

This is the same corner where last fall you could find Lord and Lacy barbecue. I don't know what happened to that operation, but it has been replaced by the Mas Amigos taco truck and, more recently, the Hawaiian Ice trailer as well. Two mobile food vendors on one corner! Which is very convenient, because that way you can pick up dinner and dessert all at the same time.

The Taco Motorizado offers so much more than just tacos, as you see on the menu, but we can start there. I've had chorizo tacos and the steak variety ($1.85 each), and both were very tasty. These tacos are Mexican style: two small corn tortillas, lightly grilled, are topped with the meat of your choice plus onions and cilantro (you can have lettuce and tomato on top if you'd rather).

Counter person Ilyana will give you tiny cups of red and green sauce that you can dress up your tacos with, as well (be careful—both sauces will start a little fire in your mouth). And notice that you also get the traditional lime wedges for that extra flavor boost.

On another occasion I stopped by the truck after work and picked up a steak burrito ($4.99) and a quesadilla Suprema ($5.99). Both were very good—nice and hot, even after I'd driven home with them, tortillas and fillings very fresh, really great. The burrito was large, and as you can see, it had beans, meat, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, onions—all kinds of good stuff in there.

I ordered the quesadilla Suprema without meat, asking for avocado instead, and that was no problem. The final product was a delightful, big, chewy, cheesy mess, big and cheesy being the operative words. Loved it.

But wait, there's more. We haven't even gotten to my favorite Taco Motoizado items yet! Those would be the chicken torta ($4.99) and the elotes ($2.00).

A torta, as you may know, is a Mexican sandwich that comes on a giant bun and has everything but your smart phone on it: the meat of your choice, refried beans, mayo, avocado, jalapeno slices, lettuce, onions, cheese, etc., etc., etc. (Of course, as for all of these items, you can have it your way, so if don't want certain toppings, just tell Ilyana and she will take care of it.) I've had a pork torta and the chicken, and though the pork version was perfectly adequate, TM chef Gilberto does something to the chicken that's extra-good, so that's my standard order these days.

Now, elotes you may not be so familiar with. At its most basic, elote is corn on the cob on a stick. Yes, it's reminiscent of fair food. Boiled or grilled corn on the cob is coated with mayo (or a mayo-and-butter mixture), chile powder, and cotija cheese (which is sort of like Parmesan) and sprinkled with lime juice. The Taco Motorizado corn is very tender, and the whole deal is sweet, salty, tart, and a little zingy.

I urge you to try it right away, but you can't be prim and proper when you eat it, so be sure you take someone you don't mind getting creamy and sticky and messy with. Someone you can feel free to smack your lips and lick your fingers with.

Where was I? Oh, yes. What's to drink with all this food, you ask. The TM carries a full line of soft beverages including Mexican Coke and Pepsi, several flavors of Jarritos sodas, Boing! guava drink (my personal favorite), and bottled water.

You can call your order in and then go pick it up, if you want, so put the TM number in your phone: 217-372-0129. The truck serves lunch and dinner from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. every day but Sunday. There are no tables on the corner of Prospect and Bradley, so either take a card table and set up your own, eat in your car, or grab and go.

For dessert, or as an accompaniment for your Mexican food, take a few steps to the left of the TM and you'll find yourself at the window of the Hawaiian Ice trailer. There a very pleasant young man will make you a cup of shaved ice drowned in the sweet syrup of your choice.

There are more than 100 flavors (including Horchata!), so you should be able to find something you like. Ten of the flavors are calorie-free, even (sweetened with Splenda). I tried the flavor known as Tiger's Blood, which is a combination of watermelon, strawberry, and coconut, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I dare you to try Wedding Cake, or Red Hot.

Ices are available in three sizes: small ($2.00), medium ($2.50), and large ($3.00). I didn't get the volume figures on those, but my small looked to be 8 ounces, at least.

The Hawaiian Ice truck is open from noon to 9 p.m. every day, and the phone number is 217-722-9530. Go give owner Kyle a shout, he's a friendly fella and intrepid entrepreneur doing his best to keep you cool this summer. You can find out the latest by liking the Hawaiian Ice truck on Facebook.