Royal Oak, MI — Even on a rainy day (Sunday), my determination for good vibes, music, and great tacos gave me the willpower to gear up some of my new equipment and head out for Royal Oak, destination: Taco Fest!
It had been raining lightly for most of the morning, but I was hoping to catch a gap in afternoon rainfall to scoot up to Royal Oak to scarf down some tacos. I finished my morning round of golf with friends a bit sooner than expected and had time to relax and unwind for a bit before I was in “taco mode.” It was, of course, during this downtime when we had a solid 2-hour or so break in the rain. So, naturally, when I planned to head out around 3, the next wave of rain had already begun to move in. I staved off the drizzle of rain for as long as possible and eventually set out to arrive in downtown Royal Oak around 3:45 p.m. I quickly found parking and picked up my media credential badge before heading in. Tacos are, without a doubt, one of my favorite and most cherished foods, so I’m a big fan of any and all taco festivals!
Returning for its second year, the Royal Oak Taco Fest found a new home occupying several streets in downtown to play host to more than 50 taquerias, taco trucks, and other eateries for five days! Organizers went full send and steam ahead this year to ensure patrons had at least 25 percent more options than last year and a wider variety and reach of styles and cuisines. Some great spots were set up this year, like close truck proximity pit stop high tables to eat food and rest at, the park area, or several tented seating areas near one of several live music stages. With more food trucks than one could ever want, surrounded by entertainment, it was bound to be an epic taco adventure!
I entered the venue through the 4th Street entrance, although there are several (6) to choose from around the expanded footprint of the festival. Three more entries were added this year, including 15 more food trucks. After such huge success from the first year, organizers were clearly focused on significantly expanding the space, variety, and number of options for its sophomore year.
“This year’s Royal Oak Taco Fest will be bigger and better, and we anticipate that the changes we’ve made to meet the demand we saw at the event last year will deliver an even greater experience for attendees,” said Jon Witz, the event’s producer.
Even as I battled balancing my umbrella, gimbal, and phone (while trying to avoid getting my equipment or myself wet from the rain), I was already getting a rush of excitement after I walked in and entered “b-roll mode.” There was a live band giving a solid performance near the entrance, and it really set the vibe and bar high as the tunes welcomed me into the venue. The experience was reminiscent of the multiple times I’ve walked into music festivals, typically encountering your basic festival food/beverage tents within a few steps after going through security. This time around, however, you were also greeted at the entrance by the fused aromas of carnitas, chorizo, chicken, barbecue, and roasted corn right as you walked in!
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I worked diligently, as I often do in those modes, ensuring that I captured as much of the happiness and satisfied foodies enjoying their environment as possible. Several groups watching that stage’s band perform had some fire in their shoes and danced a bit while kids scampered by and around tables laughing in joyous play. Families sat at tables, taking copious bites of tacos left and right, and discussed and joked amongst themselves. Even the steady rainfall couldn’t put a damper on these Michiganders’ spirits! They (and myself soon enough) were all there for the same thing: to enjoy some sensational tacos. Even more exciting is that most of these food trucks and eatery owners are all based around or operate in the Metro Detroit area.
As I walked through the venue and rows of food trucks, I noted a few that I’d circle back to investigate their menus further. After gathering a comfortable number of shots for my b-roll, it was time to ease some of the hunger in my belly. I spotted the legendary truck for Los Dos Amigos, a staple of Southwest Detroit since 1999, and knew I had to get a couple of tacos from this longstanding Detroit taco institution. I’m a fan of my onions and cilantro, and if I ever feel like there’s too much, it’s always easier to pick some off versus not having enough to work with. While I did pick off some of the greenery and onion, it was only so that I could fully enjoy the juicy and tender meats a bit more unfettered. The secret to standing out in the street taco game is having your meats stand out in terms of flavor and seasoning. Most tacos typically end with the same onion/cilantro combo finish, so the only room left to stand out is to look at the quality of the meat or vegetarian main ingredient. Los Dos Amigos has that aspect down to a science; the amount of flavor contained in those finely diced and seared meats is a mystery worth solving — through more tacos! The chorizo taco had a nice kick and notable tenderness to the meat. The Al Pastor was savory and slightly crispy with a fine texture and had an outstanding marinade that had become reasonably saturated into the pork, giving it even more flavor.
Next, I needed to switch it up and check out a side dish from another truck. I wandered about the venue, making my way northwest to 3rd Street, where I would work my way back east and then north on Troy Street. The rain began to ease up during this journey, and sure enough, I started noticing a few more shoes hitting the pavement. By the time I had reached the Michigan Lottery Stage in the northern quadrant (up to 11 Mile), the rain had all but dissipated entirely. I folded my umbrella and enjoyed the bluer skies and sunnier conditions. Although even the heat eventually became a bit of a nuisance, it did briefly turn into a decent summer afternoon in Michigan. And to top it all off, you’re surrounded by amazing chefs and fellow foodies!
Without having to worry about rain any longer, I took more time inspecting and comparing menus in this sector. I ultimately decided to grab some elote (Mexican street corn) in a cup from Baja Tacos. I wanted something simple and light for this mid-adventure snack. After giving the corn a couple of stirs, everything had mixed well evenly. Every bite matched and delivered a good, zesty, buttery street corn. It was just what I needed, and while consuming the corn, I quickly spotted my next endeavor.
It was time… for more tacos! And within sight, my next target: Whiskey Taco Foxtrot. The truck, representing the taco restaurant based in downtown Clawson, had a cool and great system in place for ordering. You got to inspect a special event-catered menu offering up some of the restaurant’s most notable items and select the quantity by putting a number down in the corresponding menu item’s box. This time, I decided to be bold and ordered the Kimchi taco and Buffalo Chicken taco.
These tacos were absolutely amazing, and I sincerely complimented the truck’s staff regarding the ingenuity and success in pulling off the Kimchi taco. Between the hefty amounts of pulled pork underneath and kimchi on top, this taco was packed with savory and salted pork flavors and spicy, sour fresh bite from the fermented cabbage and vegetables. I really enjoyed every bite of that taco, and I strongly recommend it to any foodie willing to eat outside the box from time to time. I was starting to realize I was getting full, but I had a bit of room left for one more stacked taco. While you might not be able to see through the upper stratosphere of the taco’s lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream, and pickle slice, lurking underneath is heaps of mouthwatering shredded chicken. The moist chicken absorbed the buffalo sauce and ranch dressing into the meat. This taco was also on point; I was delighted with my taco choices and definitely want to check out their quesadillas if I ever find myself in downtown Clawson! Give Whiskey Taco Foxtrot a try if you’re able to at Royal Oak’s Taco Fest, or check out their restaurant in downtown Clawson!
I made my slow retreat back along 3rd Street, taking in the surroundings of endless food trucks once more and noticing quite a few more people out enjoying the day’s second temporary clearing of rainy weather.
As I neared Williams Street, I noticed a bright red food truck offering up all vegan taco options and decided I had juuuust enough room for one more taco! After all, when in Rome- er, Royal Oak, you enjoy Taco Fest! I was excited to see a truck specializing in vegan and some gluten-free options, as I know those can be hard to find for folks on different diets or who face certain food restrictions. The bright red food truck belongs to Nepantla Café, which has a brick-and-mortar location underway in Southwest Detroit near Mexicantown. Nepantla, which is currently only operating out of a food truck, made headlines recently for being one of several small businesses to win a Motor City Match Grant from the City of Detroit. According to Eater Detroit, the $75K in city funds will go to completing renovations for the café in the former Charlie Clark’s Bar.
I was in the mood to end on a spicy note, so the Stuffed Jalapeño immediately caught my eye. This taco featured a cheese blend and chorizo stuffed into (and overflowing from) a grilled half jalapeño topped with cilantro, fresh onion, and pickled red onion atop a crispy corn tortilla. It also had what I believe was a dousing of chipotle mayo down the middle of the taco, which seeped its way through the layers of chorizo and cascaded down and spread out over the melted cheese blend. The heat wasn’t overwhelming, with the pickled onion helping negate some of the heat from the chorizo and jalapeño. The jalapeño was properly de-seeded, ensuring no surprise spike in spice, and the melted cheese blended with the chipotle mayo to deliver an all-around delicious finish. While the Stuffed Jalapeño taco and the Kimchi taco from Whiskey Taco Foxtrot were hands down my favorites that I tried this year, there are hundreds more to check out at the Royal Oak Taco Fest!
My stomach had reached maximum capacity, so it was time to head home. On my way out, I stopped by one last food truck, The Drunken Rooster, to gather some final clips of the food magic at work. I briefly chatted with the truck staff about how the fest had been going and got some video of an elote getting buttered and covered in cheese. I eventually continued walking westward, exiting the venue and heading back toward where I parked. The day was filled with adventure, great tacos/food, and a fun-filled event experience.
For a food festival tackling five days during a holiday weekend, the Royal Oak Taco Fest really delivered and went above and beyond! The sheer number of food and drink options exceeded my expectations and provided a great variety of tacos, food, and more. There are plenty of great entertainment options, from live music to axe throwing, lucha libre wrestling, food contests, and even a kid zone for families. The food truck operators and vendors were all very friendly, and even despite the off-and-on gloomy weather, they remained in good spirits and served their specialties to the exuberant attendees without skipping a beat. Rain or shine, nothing was going to prevent Michiganders from enjoying some tacos on Sunday!
If you haven’t had a chance to stop through and enjoy some tacos yet, you still have time! Today, the 4th of July, is the event’s last day and goes from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., during and after which I’m sure you’ll start hearing and seeing fireworks from around Metro Detroit. If you’re able to make it out, have a great time and enjoy some tacos while supporting great local small businesses!
For more information on Royal Oak Taco Fest, or to see the full lineup of food trucks and vendors, click here.
For more photos from my Taco Fest adventures, click through the slideshow below:
MI Foodie Adventures 