Quick Take:
Location: 1099 FL-60 E, Lake Wales
What Mike Ordered: 4 Tacos (Asada, Pollo, Chorizo & Al Pastor)
What Katie Ordered: Quesadilla
Extra Order: Torta
Gluten Free Options: Yes
Vegetarian Options: Yes
Final Score: 4.75/5
Price: ~$1-10 per person
For our thirty second stop on our Polk Food Quest, we visited Taco Riendo in Lake Wales.
Taco Riendo is a food truck that has their regular spot right in the same parking lot of The Lake Wales Art Center and Advent Health.
They have a nice little set up with table, chairs and an umbrella — so you can even sit down and have a nice lunch if you'd like.
We've heard great things about their tacos (and their prices); so we had to make the trip to Lake Wales to give them a try.
Spoiler Alert: They did not disappoint.
Taco Riendo is only our third food truck, after reviewing NYC Cart Halal (shoutout to one of our all-time favorites), and Swamp Boys BBQ a few weeks ago — and we'd love to feature more spots like them in the future — so please let us know what you think in the comments below.
By the way: if you're new here, the concept of my Polk Food Quest is simple: every week I try a local spot, order the most common thing people get, try a few extras, and rank it on taste, value, vibes, and overall.
This week: Tacos!
Which means I ordered four different tacos (one of each meat) and Katie ordered a quesadilla and a torta!
How Does This Work?
I order the standard item for that category (for tacos that's every type of taco on the menu), plus a few extras so I can get a full feel for the menu.
Then I rank the experience on four things:
Taste | Value | Vibes | 
Overall
Taste focuses on the standard item.
The rest reflects the entire experience.
Taste: 5/5*
Everything we tried was great.
There was only one thing that we tried that didn't land in the same 4-5/5 category with the rest, but that wasn't enough to knock it down a peg.
These were the best tacos we've had so far on our Polk Food Quest, which is why it's coming in as a 5/5 score.
Are they the best I have ever had in my life? No.
But these are the best I've had in Polk, so until someone beats them, they're keeping the 5/5 and are my current standard [for tacos specifically].
Here's a quick breakdown for my quick scanners, though:
- Tacos (5/5): The best I've had so far in Polk. There are quite a few places I still need to try, so these might drop to a 4-4.5 in the future, but right now they're the top spot to beat.
- Quesadilla (4/5): Quesadillas are one of those things that I think are hard to mess up, so I always leave it to Katie for this one. She said it was good, not great. She enjoyed it, but nothing special.
- Torta (3/5): Let me start by saying this was maybe my second or third time ever having a torta, so it's not like I'm a connoisseur. That said, I thought it was very plain and would not order it again.
If you are basing the overall scoring on ALL of the items, this one is probably a 4/5 or so. That said, the tacos were a sure 5/5, and the rest of the review matches.
Vibes: 4.5/5
Food trucks are hard to score for vibes, obviously, but we're giving Taco Riendo a bump up from 3.5-4 range to 4.5 because of their set up.
We gave NYC Cart Halal a 4/5 because they have a permanent location, and Swamp Boys a 3.5/5 for no semi-permanent location and a fairly on-and-off schedule, so I think a 4.5/5 here works nicely.
Here's how I rank vibes:
- The Physical Location (Where it is on a map)
- Hospitality/Service
- The Interior/Space
The hospitality/service was a 5/5.
The physical location isn't necessarily a 5/5 for hanging out, considering you are on a busy road — but it's hard to beat as a quick spot to grab lunch and maybe sit and hang on your break.
Tack on the fact that you actually DO have the option to sit and hang out a bit and it gets a big boost.
Value: 5/5
This part was the easiest out of the whole review.
- The tacos are $2.
- The quesadilla was $10.
- The torta was $10.
Also: the tacos were $2, and that wasn't a Taco Tuesday special. That was an everyday special.
Taco Riendo is a no-brainer 5/5 for Value.
Great food all around. Good location. Can choose to quickly grab and go, or sit and hang for a quick lunch break.
If you're in Lake Wales or see Taco Riendo visiting a brewery or spot near you, go check it out.
Overall: 4.75/5
Overall I'm giving Taco Riendo an awesome 4.75/5.
I don't think the entire menu blows you away enough to give a perfect score; and they're a food truck that's perfect for lunch, but not immaculate vibes.
That said, the 4.75 makes them as close to perfect as you can get with all things being considered.
Would I bring my visiting family there?
Yes.
This is a perfect lunch spot, so if we were going through Lake Wales we'd definitely make a stop; and if we saw Taco Riendo was going to be at a local brewery I'd probably go out of my way to be there.
Here’s how I’d sum up Taco Riendo:
Go for the tacos.
The Asada, Pollo, Chorizo, and Al Pastor were all great, and they’re the best tacos we’ve had in Polk so far.
At $2 a taco every day (not just Taco Tuesday), you can try all of them without thinking twice.
The quesadilla is solid, but nothing special.
The torta was pretty plain, so I’d skip it and grab a few extra tacos instead.
The service was great, and they have tables, chairs, and an umbrella set up so you can sit down and enjoy your lunch.
It’s on a busy road, so it’s more of a quick lunch stop than a place to hang out all afternoon.
You’ll find them in the parking lot of the Lake Wales Arts Center and AdventHealth on FL-60 in Lake Wales, and keep an eye out for them at local breweries too.
Between the $2 tacos, the friendly service, and the easy lunch setup, it’s 100% worth the trip. Just order more tacos than you think you need.
Before You Go....
Hey!
I want to know what you think of Taco Riendo.
Leave a comment below.
The more you share, the better, but anything is appreciated.
Each comment helps The Best Of Polk articles and eventually, the yearly awards!
Have a place you want me to try?
Make sure to comment that as well.
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