Pittsburgh Taco Festival offers 'something a little different'

Creative chefs all over Pittsburgh are reimagining the recipe for tacos.

The Mexican dish traditionally consists of a fried tortilla folded and filled with seasoned meat, cheese and lettuce — but visitors to the 3rd annual Pittsburgh Taco Festival on June 1 at Highmark Stadium will be able to experience some taste bud-tempting variations on the popular street food.

More than 30 taco trucks and restaurants will be serving up their specialties in two four-hour sessions throughout the afternoon and evening. There will be live entertainment by Gavas Beat, a Pittsburgh-based Latin band focused on fusions of salsa, merengue and contemporary tropical rhythms and other local artists.

A unique food festival

Kevin Johnston, general manager at Highmark Stadium, said the festival “is something a little different than a regular food festival.”

“We’ll have piñatas for kids at each session and plenty of cold beverages for the adults,” he said.

The Latin American Cultural Union, a volunteer-based, nonprofit organization in Pittsburgh whose membership promote Latin American and Caribbean cultures, will have activities and a children’s play area will be available.

Optional VIP tickets for $60 will include free parking, early admission 30 minutes before general admission, access to the indoor VIP Lounge and private VIP bars with an additional buffet, a festival T-shirt and free tequila tasting.

Johnston said the Pittsburgh Taco Festival is becoming increasingly more popular, attracting some 5,000 visitors throughout the day in 2018. There will be 34 vendors this year, compared to 25-28 last year.

Variety of taco options

“There’s a ton of variety with the foods available,” he said. “We try to get as many authentic taco vendors as possible.”

Among the vendors will be Jamie Gatewood of Duquesne, a single mom that owns and operates her Mobile Chef Food Truck and Catering Services with assistance from her dad, James Gatewood. She has two children, Jonnieco, 11, and Jaséda, 13, who also pitch in to help.

“We specialize in world fusion cuisine and our signature item is our Buffalo Chicken Dip, which can be paired with our American flavor to make our American Buffalo Chicken Dip Street Tacos,” Jamie says.

Some of her other options are Japanese Seafood Tacos, Caribbean Pulled Pork Tacos, Indian Chicken Tacos, Mexican Steak Tacos and Italian Hummus Tacos.

She opened her food truck in June 2017, after earning degrees in hotel restaurant management and culinary arts at Community College of Allegheny County, where she currently is an instructing chef for the programs.

Vegetarian options

Jesús Martinez, co-owner of La Palapa Mexican restaurant on the South Side, will have five types of tacos at the festival: chicken, ground beef, chipotle pork, chorizo and potatoes, and a vegetarian option made with poblano peppers and potatoes.

“This festival is a great way to show people all the different varieties of tacos and flavors that are available in this city,” he said. “It’s also a good way to see the great diversity Pittsburgh has.”

The taco festival is open to all ages; children ages 5 and up require a ticket.

Some of the vendors provide strictly vegetarian and vegan menus; others offer vegetarian options in their traditional menu. Details are on the vendor page at pghtacofest.com.