It is an article of faith that many of the best restaurants can be found hiding in strip malls, often tucked between bail-bonds offices and dental outlets. But this can also be said for gas station parking lots, which is where I recently found some of the best tacos I’ve had since moving to Baltimore from Los Angeles.
Parked on the side of a Marathon gas station lot off York Road in Timonium sits El Taquito Leon #3, one of the trucks—or, more technically, a trailer—run by the folks who also have a Rosedale brick-and-mortar and three other mobile operations around the area.
Bright green, with a massive red sign advertising a long menu and pictures of various dishes, #3 (open at 2415 York Road from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily) is bright, cheery, and helmed by two very friendly women. There’s a bench nearby, as well as lots of parking—unsurprising, given that it’s in a parking lot.
What makes El Taquito Leon #3 remarkable is the breadth of its menu: sopes, flautas, tortas, empanadas, huarachas (oblong grilled disks of masa topped with various fillings that are harder to find than they should be), desserts in the form of churros and tres leches cake, and tacos. Lots of tacos. Among them: barbacoa, quesabirria, lengua, asada, and camarones.
But what truly makes any trip here worth it is that they can make your tortillas by hand if you ask, a remarkable option for many taquerias these days—even more so in a truck-stop parking lot. It should be noted that the women speak very little English, so if you learn zero Spanish in your life except for the phrase “tortillas hechas a mano, por favor,” you’ll be well-served. Hand-made tortillas mean you’ll pay a $2 surcharge and wait a bit longer, but it is very well worth it, and you can gas up your car while you wait.
Quesabirria tacos—tortillas topped with melted cheese, folded around birria, and accompanied by a cup of consomé for dipping—are hearty, blissful items. They’re usually constructed with pre-made, purchased tortillas because it’s easier, cheaper, and the factory tortillas crisp up better. But they’re stunning when built with just-made tortillas, though admittedly messier. Your order will come with three tacos and a cup of broth, as well as radishes, lime, and a little knotted bag of hot sauce, should you require more heat.
ETL #3 has been parked at Marathon for about a year. I’d seen it before, but hadn’t stopped until I needed a fortuitous tank of gas. (I’d never been to any of the other ETLs, either.) Which begs the question: How do you know if a roadside truck or stall is any good?
Well, you don’t. In this case, a quick look at the menu and a check of the Instagram account they’d tagged (@eltaquitoleon) were very encouraging. And then I asked if they made their tortillas by hand—not thinking it possible, but asking anyway—and one of the women miraculously said yes. In my mind, any place that makes their own tortillas is a cut far above the rest.
But mostly, you don’t have a clear sign. You just have to give it a try. You’ll get a meal either way. And sometimes you’ll get lucky and find a place as good as this one.
Will I now be driving to Timonium just for tacos? Si, absolutamente. I’ll get a fantastic meal, and I’ll be able to get gas for the long drive home.