Review: Troy Taqueria

I made two gas station taco stops on my way to Austin last Friday.  The Troy Tanqueria was an unplanned stop as I noticed a Tanqueria sign while passing an exit heading South on I-35. Unfortunately very few gas stations advertise they have food on a billboard or on a next exit sign, so you have to keep your eyes peeled while passing every exit ramp.  In this case, I noticed the sign as I already passed the exit causing me to drive another mile then turnaround to back track for some gas station tacos.

Troy Tanqueria in Troy, Texas was worth the back track.  The restaurant had a full selection of burritos, quesadillas, tamales, and of course tacos. They also sold hamburgers and a few other items.  The place was very popular with locals as I had to wait a good 15 minutes for my order as several people came in and enjoyed a meal at the red tables setup inside the gas station store and others picked up their to-go orders.

I ordered one beef and one al pastor taco (they also sold chicken tacos.) The tacos came wrapped in foil and included a couple limes and two hot sauces.  I ordered mine with cilantro and onions, but was asked if I wanted some pico de gallo. The hot sauce wasn’t very spicy; though, it definitely was homemade. The corn tortillas were doubled and the tacos were loaded with meat and I do mean loaded. There was a ton of meat in each which explained the $1.79 price per taco, as most gas station tacos run close to a $1 each.

While I did enjoy the al pastor, the real star here is the beef taco.  The beef is perfectly seasoned and trimmed of all fat.  It was also cooked to medium to medium-well temperature giving it a nice charred flavor.

My only complaint came from the heavy helping of meat that caused both tacos to fall apart, breaking about half way through my finishing each, causing the remainder of the taco to fall into my lap which fortunately was covered by a generous sheet of aluminum foil. This isn’t the best driving food so I had to set the pieces aside and enjoy one of my favorite drinks with tacos.

If you are lucky enough to find great tacos and some Senorial Sangria soda in the gas station’s refrigerator then you are in for a treat. I refer to Senorial Sangria as “fake Sangia” since it is non-alcoholic and tastes a bit like a Dr. Pepper.

So if you want some excellent tacos on your next trip from Dallas to Austin or vice-versa Troy Tanqueria is definitely worth a stop.  Hopefully, you don’t drive by during lunch hour so you can be in and out of the restaurant by the time your car’s tank is refueled.

Gas Station: Exxon

Address: 4 N Central Ave Troy, TX 76579

Rating (4 out of 5 oil drops):