Specials are the Specialty at El Nevado Fransico’s Taqueria

Looking for something beyond the typical taco truck offering? Consider checking out El Nevado Fransico’s Taqueria in Franklinton. I won’t skip over their tacos as they are certainly delicious, but I would be remiss if we didn’t highlight their diverse daily and weekend specials.

As is often the case, the Fransico family came to Columbus a couple of decades ago following their cousin who enjoyed the opportunities the city had to offer. The family hails from the city of Toluca which is about 45 minutes from Mexico City. Toluca is located next to beautiful, snow-capped volcanic mountain named El Nevado, and as the cap is snow covered, hence the name of the truck. In the warmer months, one can expect to be greeted with a smile from jovial Elias (brother) hanging out of the window of the truck, taking orders or chatting and joking with customers. The brother-and-sisters team is rounded out by Petra and Esperanza, whom are very nice as well, but aren’t seen as much as they are most often handling the cooking.

Elias brings more than 20 years of restaurant industry experience to the table, or truck. He has been honing his culinary skills the last seven years at La Tavola, an amazing Italian restaurant in Grandview. Petra and Esperanza have been cooking up Mexican specialties for friends and family at various parties, events, etc. Everyone had always raved about the sisters’ food, so the family decided to take the plunge and buy a food truck right at the beginning of the pandemic. They struggled to get open at first as obtaining the necessary permits and inspections was difficult with government offices being closed or having limited hours. After a couple of months though, they finally opened and have been busy ever since. 

During the week, check out their tacos with asada (steak), al pastor (marinated pork) and of course, chorizo as Toluca is known throughout Mexico for its chorizo making (learn more about taco fillings here). On the weekends, they offer a couple of taco specials. A lot of trucks offer carnitas, either regularly or as a special, but the El Nevado’s version is on another level. They offer a good mix of tender leg and juicy deliciousness from some other fatty parts of the pig. They throw in a unique twist I haven’t found anywhere else as they top the taco with a tasty sort of guacamole salsa combination that cuts through the fattiness of the pork.

There are very few trucks that offer chivo (goat), so their special chivo tostadas are a can’t-miss. They’re a mix of a taco and a tostada with a fried shell folded in half like a taco. Enjoy them with a super tasty salsa made with habanero peppers that is only offered with this weekend special. El Nevado’s also offers the red and green salsas you find at most trucks, but you can tell they make theirs fresh as the spice level varies slightly day to day.

The following is what you can typically expect to find for El Nevado’s daily specials, but of course depending on availability of ingredients, they can vary. On Mondays, they double up on specials, with Elias bringing his cooking experience from La Tavola with fettuccine alfredo, with either chicken or shrimp as the protein accompanied by various fresh vegetables, while the sisters whip up chuletas ahumadas (smoked pork chops). On Tuesdays, they offer enchiladas verdes (with a mild green sauce) topped with fried eggs and crema. On Wednesdays, the special is costillas de puerco en salsa verde (pork ribs in a mild green sauce). On Thursdays, one can find Albondigas Mexicanas or Mexican meatballs. They round out the weekday specials with milenasa de res, which is thinly sliced beef that is breaded and quickly pan fried to perfection. (Note that most of the daily specials are accompanied by tortillas, rice and beans.)

In addition to their delicious tacos and unique specials, they do offer the typical taco truck lineup of burritos, tortas, huaraches, gorditas and quesadillas. Most Americans think of a flour tortilla when it comes to a quesadilla, but some trucks make them with corn tortillas. The El Nevado offers both, but I would encourage you to try the corn. It is a little thicker than the tortillas made with flour and packs more flavor. They also offer some American items like hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers and milkshakes, which may come in handy if you are bringing children with you. They have several dining tables with a canopy tent overhead to enjoy their delicious food onsite.

El Nevado Fransico’s Taqueria can be found at 1386 W. Broad St. in Franklinton.

For more information, visit their Facebook page.

All photos by Elwood Ellis