At 4:15 on a Thursday afternoon, an empty lot next to a tire shop on East Rosedale in Fort Worth was full. Drivers were so eager to squeeze in that they actually started blocking each other as other cars circled the scene. The crowd had gathered for a new taco truck, Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez, but it had not arrived yet. The truck’s Facebook page originally said service started at 11 a.m., then it was updated to 4 p.m.
But the truck’s mysterious owner, Rogelio Cortez Jr., was onsite. He walked around, shaking everyone’s hands, thanking them for their patience, and assuring them the tacos were on the way. In fairness, he just opened on Feb. 16, and he is learning the ropes while serving unexpectedly large crowds since Day One.
Cortez initially only agreed to interview under the name “Baby Cortez.” He also demanded credentials before interviewing, but settled for a driver’s license after glancing at a few of my published articles I showed him on my phone.
The truck finally arrived and began taking orders at about 4:45. Cortez, 24, said he was doing all of this alone, but others brought the truck, took orders, and started making the food.
The line was long and it moved slowly. It was 46 degrees outside, which may as well be 16 degrees for Texans. Some people were wearing coats and hats, but others waited it out in shorts and T-shirts. When asked why it was worth it, one guy said, “I saw it on Facebook,” and another quipped, “Because they’re [expletive] good!”
The menu lists several different kinds of tacos, as well as burritos and tortas, but tacos de birria and quesatacos were the only items the truck was selling that day. No one in line, however, had second thoughts, and I was handed my food around 6:15 p.m.
Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez’s signature item, tacos de birria, are beef barbacoa street tacos with a cup of seasoned beef broth for dipping. They are not something you want to eat in the car, as I learned. The broth is greasy, and it turned my lips and hands orange. Napkins were not enough to get rid of it. The quesatacos offered here are grilled, cheese-covered barbacoa in a tortilla.
The truck offers decent food that could make sense as a late-night option, but does not have the spiciness or depth of flavor that I’ve experienced with other birria. You can get a good bowl of this spicy soup with tender lamb pieces at Birrieria Aguiñaga’s six D-FW locations for $6.
Sometimes social media hype and long lines are meaningless. But the truck is still selling out most days, including Thursday, which Cortez described as a below average turnout.
Genuinely shocked by the crowds, Cortez said he did not have a social media strategy, although his truck has certainly made the rounds on Facebook and Instagram.
“If you put God first, social media will help you,” Cortez said.
Inspired by his grandmother’s recipes, he simply started making tacos for parties. The response was enough for him to get the truck going. But Cortez feels passionate about bringing something positive to his neighborhood, Polytechnic Heights.
“This neighborhood made me tough and taught me how to work hard,” he said. “This truck is all I have, but I want to figure out how to help the community as much as I can. God will show me how.”
