We met at the trailer and scanned the menu to decide what to eat. I was famished and already knew I was ordering two tacos. Luckily, I had looked at the menu online and read a few Yelp! reviews so I knew I wanted to order The Shroom taco. I was also in the mood for chicken and since the menu only offered one chicken-based taco (The Bowman) the decision was practically made on my behalf. I asked the man working the window, Adam (part owner), if those were good choices and he confidently stated that there were no bad choices at Izzoz. I trusted him. After Justin ordered (The Padre and Escobar), we stood at the window and chatted with Adam for a bit. He told us about the business and how it's a family enterprise and all about the feature they got on the new Cooking Channel show called Eat St. This made me wish I had cable at home so I could watch it!
About this time Justin called my attention to a sign saying there was a prize for the individual that could hula-hoop for 5 minutes. 5 MINUTES. Folks, that is a looooong time to continuously hula-hoop, but I was up for the challenge. I took the hoop for a test run to feel it out, then set about winning that prize (a free Old School taco). I felt like I looked like an idiot, but I was focused. About a minute and a half into the ordeal, I doubted I could finish but I pressed onward. This was a very interesting work out, but I was earning my tacos. A few times I momentarily lost my rhythm but quickly recovered and finished the entire 5 minutes! My stomach was numb where the hoop had been circling my body and my legs were fatigued from holding the same position, but that taco was mine! I sat for a much-deserved break and waited for our food to arrive.
The generously-portioned tacos each came with their own award-winning salsa and looked great. I started with The Shroom and was surprised at how fantastic it was. This was the most delicious vegetarian taco I've ever tried. I loved the homemade flour tortilla and the tomato chipotle aioli the most. I ate about half of that one before even attempting The Bowman and when I did take a bite, I just wanted more of The Shroom instead! Not to downplay The Bowman, it had a ton of chicken and the salsa fresca was delightful. I found the chicken to seem a bit dry, but I think it's only because I was comparing it to the texture of the mushrooms in my other taco and the very moist meats in Justin's choices (yeah, he let me take a bite of each and they were sooooo good). I was very happy with my choices and I didn't get order's remorse even in the slightest.
My free taco prize arrived a few minutes later and it was just what an old school taco should be. Crispy, freshly-fried shell with ground beef, tomatoes, lettuce (it was actually spinach I think), and shredded cheese. It was like your best childhood memory of a taco, only the grown-up, tastier version of it. Justin and I split that and even after finishing my two tacos and half of another, I didn't feel that gross, heavy fullness that you can get from some taco joints.
Both of the family members working that evening came out to chat with us and made sure we had everything we needed. The chef that evening even brought me some of the carmalized pineapple that Justin had 86ed from his Padre just so I could taste what it was really like. I enjoyed the relaxed atmoshpere at this trailer the most out of any of them. The beverages that we brought for ourselves probably didn't hurt. ;)
Izzoz gets a whopping 5 out of 5 trailers, and that's hard for me to give since I just gave out a 5... but they totally deserved it. I'm already craving that Shroom taco again and I desperately want to try those tortas with a side of garlic fries! I loved this trailer for their food, fun atmosphere (where else do you get to hula-hoop for prizes?), and all their friendly family members. I will be a repeat customer.
Guest Review:
I love tacos and would gladly eat them daily, and Izzoz has some of the best in Austin. After browsing their menu featuring quite a wide variety of options, I decided to order the Padre (pork, avocado, tomatillo sauce, and grilled pineapple) and the Escobar (carne guisada, pico de gallo, and cilantro). The Escobar was a fantastic choice, and the spices they used for their carne guisada were just right, going great with the other two simple ingredients. The meat was tender, the pico was very fresh, and the homemade tortilla finished off what was a delicious taco. Next up was the Padre. Not being a huge fan of pineapple, they were kind enough to put them on the side for me and unfortunately I think this was a mistake on my part. The taco just felt... incomplete, as if it was missing some sort of flavor. I couldn't be bothered to dwell on it for too long however, as Shalyn's hula hooping prowess paid off and a fresh Old School taco was served up for us to share. Now, as far as tacos go, this is as simple as it gets; crunchy shell, seasoned beef, spinach, tomatoes and cheese. And that's exactly why I thought this taco was the best of the three. It seems like no one wants to make a good old fashioned greasy crispy taco anymore, and Izzoz proved to me that they do still exist. The great traditional taco flavors, perfect meat to lettuce to cheese ratio, and a freshly fried-to-a-crisp tortilla made this a taco I will be coming back for when all those fancy options all over town are just not cutting it. Oh, and did I mention it is BYOB? Seriously, you just can't go wrong in giving this place a try.
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