Shook: Fayetteville's favorite taco brought tears to my eyes

Taylor Shook, The Fayetteville Observer
Updated ·2 min read

Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here. 

Birria tacos from Fayetteville Taco Madness winner Taco Arepa, a food truck typically parked at 6474 Yadkin Road.
Birria tacos from Fayetteville Taco Madness winner Taco Arepa, a food truck typically parked at 6474 Yadkin Road.

Hi foodies,

Fayetteville taco madness has crowned a winner.

Taco Arepa, a food truck typically found just outside the Yadkin Road gate to Fort Bragg, was the last one standing after a round of nominations and three rounds of voting.

I had the pleasure of interviewing owner Josef Lemus, who worked his way up from dishwasher to food truck owner over the last two decades or so. His full story is well worth a read.

I tried the most popular menu item, the birria tacos. Made with stewed beef sirloin, mozzarella, cilantro and onions, the tacos are griddled to crisp perfection in a corn tortilla and served with a small side of the consomme in which the meat is stewed, red and green salsas, and rice and beans.

The meat, which is cooked overnight, is incredibly rich, savory and spiced. It’s well-complemented by melted cheese and a crunch from the tortilla. Dipping the whole affair into the consomme practically moved me to tears, it was so delicious. It’s safe to say that the dish was one of my favorite Fayetteville bites thus far.

The Fayetteville Taco Madness winner is Taco Arepa, a food truck typically parked at 6474 Yadkin Road.
The Fayetteville Taco Madness winner is Taco Arepa, a food truck typically parked at 6474 Yadkin Road.

What’s happening

  • Symphony on Tap, a series where the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra performs at area breweries, is playing at 6 p.m. tonight at Gaston Brewing Taproom, 421 Chicago Drive. Can’t make it tonight? There are several more performances through June 16.

  • Bethany Food Truck Festival & Craft Fair is Saturday at Bethany Crossroads, 7064 Maxwell Road in Stedman. Fayetteville food trucks like Fry Papi, Noth’n Fancy, C&S Ice, Some Ting’s Cooking and Chrison’s Cuisine will serve food on-site alongside Gaston Brewing Company, which will offer their signature beers. Sip and eat as you enjoy the DJ and craft vendors as kids take to the bouncy house.

  • Carolina Drag Brunch will host two shows at Gaston Brewing Taproom on Sunday. Tickets to the 11 a.m. show start at $25 and include brunch, tickets to the 1:30 p.m. show start at $10.

  • La Fogata will host Noche de Rumba at 5 p.m. April 22. A live band will play salsa, bachata and merengue. Entrance to the event is free.

Taylor Shook covers food, dining and business for The Fayetteville Observer. Click here for her most recent articles or reach her at tshook@gannett.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: This is Fayetteville's favorite taco