El Sancho Taco Shop owner Joel Cordes holds, from left, the rice and beans plate; the fried plantains plate; and the carnitas, beef babacoa, and chorizo tacos plate.

Bend loves its tacos and its food trucks, and El Sancho has diners covered in both areas, making it a no-brainer for Where to GO! for tacos and food trucks. The El Sancho Taco Shack opened in 2010, putting it at the vanguard of the food-truck boom that’s still booming in Central Oregon. Owners Joel Cordes and Jon Barvels opened the El Sancho Taco Shop on Dekalb Avenue in 2015. The taco cart makes the rounds every summer at Bend’s numerous street festivals and events.

All serve Mexican cuisine with a Northwestern twist, but the tacos are undeniably the favorite here. The pork carnitas and beef barbacoa varieties are particularly popular, according to Cordes.

“We have good quality ingredients and we try to be really consistent,” he said. “And our staff is pretty amazing. I think that is probably our biggest asset.”

Contact: El Sancho Taco Shop, 335 NE Dekalb Ave., Bend; elsanchobend.com or 458-206-5973.

Tacos

No. 2: Parrilla Grill

No. 3: Worthy Brewing Taps & Tacos

Honorable mentions: Barrio, Westside Taco Co.

Food truck eats

No. 2: Barrio

No. 3: A Taste of Thai

Honorable mentions: Himalayan Bites, Scoutpost, A Broken Angel Sustainable Food Cart & Catering, Food Fellas