Have you ever walked by 4th and garden and seen a taco truck on the corner and thought “hmm, I wonder if that’s good?” Spoiler alert: it’s amazing! This food truck — called Tastebuds Taco Truck — is owned and operated by best friends and Hoboken born-and-raised residents Jiovany and Angel. Read on for a Q+A with the owners and what to expect from this new pop-up business in Hoboken serving up delicious tacos + other #eeeeeats.
About Tastebuds
Tastebuds is owned by two best friends Jiovany and Angel, who were both born and raised in Hoboken —going back three generations. With the two of them being best friends, they decided to open up a business together, and by the looks of it, it was a great idea as they just celebrated their one year anniversary in September. They made it through a pandemic and came out on the other end with an additional truck to cater events off-site.
Locals can find them on 4th and Garden by Church Square Park in Hoboken Monday through Friday from 12PM to 8PM, weather permitting.
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The best friends recently launched their newest venture via the food truck, birria tacos. Birria is a sweet, sour, slightly spicy, Mexican beef stew that’s slow-cooked until the beef is tender and falls apart. Tastebuds makes it with hot beef consommé to dip, just in time for the colder days to come.
The truck also has several types of tacos as well as nachos and quesadillas with beef, chicken, and veggie options. There are seven types of toppings, but don’t forget to try the avocado pineapple sauce. It’s homemade and absolutely delicious.
And now, some Q+A for the owners:
Q: What inspired you to open a taco truck?
Jio: My experience with tacos dates back to college. We would hang out in the dorm and play games, and I would always make tacos for us. Everyone loved them so I figured why not turn this into a business.
Angel: Growing up in Hoboken and seeing the lack of authentic tacos and delicious taco truck options paired with my background in business and my partners love for this cuisine made it a no brainer.
Q: You just celebrated your 1-year taco-versary. How does that feel?
Angel: We put a lot of sweat-equity into this venture, being here through the winter and roughing that out because we knew we had a passion and were here for the long haul. I think now that we have added an event truck to the roster, we are truly going further than we thought we could and it’s only up from here.
Jio: If you told me Angel and I would have started a business and been working it through a pandemic I would not have believed it. We have been very blessed with an amazing customer base. I’m happy with where we are but I’m excited to do more.
Q: Tell us about the name Tastebuds. Why did you name it that?
Jio: Every time I cook for someone I always ask “are your tastebuds happy?” I do this instead of asking “do you like it.” It stuck, and I said if we ever do something food-related, we have to name it tastebuds and here we are.
Q: What made you want to make these new birria tacos?
Angel: It’s trendy on the West Coast but we felt like it was missing in our neighborhood. Why travel out of our amazing town for something when we can bring it to you.
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Jio: We dubbed ourselves the best tacos in Hoboken. How can we be the best if we don’t have the traditional and trendy items? It would be a disservice to the community not to layout these amazing flavors if we have the means to do it.
Q: What are your hopes for the future of Tastebuds?
{Photo credit: @tastebuds_hob}
Jio: Outside of a franchise and brand in the future {hopefully}, we just want to be a staple in town. We want to be involved in the local sports and maybe sponsor a little league team. We want to be involved in the community and help as many people as we can.
Angel: It’s not always about making a profit, it’s about making a difference. We strive to get to know our customers’ names and remember their orders. We like to see them return and know they’re coming back because they enjoy the food but also the experience.
Q: What catering services do you offer?
{Photo credit: @tastebuds_hob}
A+J: We have a separate event truck and can bring the truck to your party, serving up custom menu items named and crafted especially for you. Weddings, birthdays, showers, taco Tuesdays, we can be available for anything you need. We also do dinner parties. We can serve you on-site {socially distancing and masked} or provide delivery. We are open to chatting about any events and crafting something special for our customers to fit their needs and expectations.
Q: How can people reach you?
A+J: You can find us on Instagram @tastebuds_hob or our website www.tastebudstacos.com. Customers can email us via the website, DM us on social, or stop by.
