Twitter

For what seems like an eternity now, the Taco Truck has been a mainstay of your typical Los Angeles neighborhood. Ask locals of a good truck to check out, and chances are they could tell you of at least one if not two in the area simply because these trucks never really moved.

Well, times are changing and not surprisingly, technology is at the forefront of this change. A growing number of Asian-themed taco trucks are popping up sporadically through the streets of LA with legions of foodies tracking their every movement thanks to of all things – Twitter. These web-savvy mobile businesses are using Twitter both as a means to communicate with customers as well as an inexpensive way to market and spread their brand name. The phenomenon arguably started with the Kogi BBQ Taco Truck late last year and now, more and more Asian-themed trucks are joining the Twitter craze.

I had the opportunity to check out one such Taco Truck this Friday, which also happens to be run by two of my friends. The truck name? Don Chow Tacos. Their website? None other than http://www.donchowtacos.com/. Don Chow Tacos specializes in a mixture of traditional Mexican and Asian influenced meats – in both tacos and burritos. In an effort to differentiate themselves from the roving competition, Don Chow tends to specialize in Chinese-inspired recipes such as Kung Pao Chicken, Chinese BBQ Pork, Soy-Ginger Tofu, and Soy-Ginger Shrimp.

Here’s a glimpse of their menu – yes.. it’s a simple but effective menu:

So how was the food you ask? Pretty darn good – the near-perfect meal to have after a long night of hanging out at a club or a bar. I had a taste of their BBQ Pork Taco, their Kung Pao Chicken, and their more traditional Carne Asada Taco.. and YUM is all I have to say. My personal favorite – the BBQ Pork Taco which had a nice short zing to it.

Yet ordering and eating the food really is only a portion of the overall experience of eating at trucks like Don Chows. The real fun comes in trying to locate the trucks at any given point in time and this is where Twitter comes into play. All of these food trucks post their status and location updates via Twitter (as well as their respective websites). Customers get to “follow” and interact with business owners and there’s a real sense of community – even if it’s partially virtual. Just think about it.. if you’re curious as to where your favorite food truck is tonight – simply check out their twitter feed and find them. For the record, Don Chow Taco’s Twitter feed can be found at http://twitter.com/donchowtacos.

So to recap, all you need to do is find yourself a food/taco truck online – look up their website/twitter feed, find it on a map, and then hop in your car and drive off to it. Yes, it’s a bit more of an adventure than say driving to McDonalds or Jack in the Box but go with a group of friends and it can be down right fun. I had a blast navigating the streets of Venice looking for Don Chow Tacos myself! And let’s face it – there’s nothing like hanging out with crowds of slightly inebriated individuals on a Friday night in Venice. As of now, Don Chow Tacos plans on being available Friday and Saturday nights – Friday nights in the westside and Saturday nights generally somewhere in Hollywood (by Area I believe).

None of this would ultimately matter of course if the food itself wasn’t worth traveling to and clearly from the popularity and buzz these trucks are generating, there’s something definitely to this.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out one of these food trucks then do yourself a favor and make sure to find one for yourself. Heck – check out Don Chow Tacos if you happen to be in Venice or Hollywood this coming weekend. And of course, if you’re particularly hungry and you feel like traveling, why not travel to as many Asian food trucks in you can handle in a single night?. Our next stop? Kogi BBQ Tacos followed by Yuri Truck and then Calbi Korean BBQ.

Oh and BTW – who thinks a Taco Truck Turf War will start up? I’m kidding..

Here are more shots of our Friday night visit to Don Chow Tacos: