Keepin' it Fácil 

• Alex Springer

I love it when local food trucks find a nice spot to settle down. They've spent all this time living like culinary nomads as they build buzz and social media presence, so when they finally find a location to put down some roots, I'm always gunning for their success.

The subject of this particular mobile-meal musing is Fácil Taqueria (4427 S. 2950 E., 801-878-9969, faciltaqueria.com), which recently opened shop in the Holladay foothills. It's a cozy spot with a farm-to-table menu that offers a stellar view of the valley stretching off into the Oquirrh mountains. If you're on the east side and in need of a taco binge, it's definitely worth your time.

Fácil Taqueria has been building its audience since 2016, when it first launched as a food truck. If you're already a fan of Fácil, there's a good chance you got your first taste at Fisher Brewing Company, which has been a longtime host of the mobile version. After five years of catering events and popping up at community festivals, the team at Fácil Taqueria has fully transitioned into the neighborhood taco joint it was meant to be. Their menu—thank heaven—still has all the features that made them popular in the first place: homemade corn tortillas for their street tacos, responsibly sourced ingredients and a savvy command of flavors, both plant-based and otherwise.

The new spot suits the laid-back vibe that Fácil has cultivated. It's in a tiny commercial spot perched on that 4500 South hill leading to I-215. They've made great use of the space, and they've got a bar near the chefs' prep area, like unto a sushi place—kinda cool if you like chatting with the chefs while you enjoy their handiwork.

Even though their selection of tacos is nice and sparse, it's hard to decide what taco adventure you want to take. I had to get the Nashville hot chicken taco ($6); spicy fried chicken in taco form seems like something tailor-made for my dining persona. I also wanted to check out their cauliflower taco ($4) to get a sense of Fácil's plant-based game.

After placing my order, I snagged a spot at the counter near the entrance so I could get a look at the Salt Lake Valley. Fall is still playing all kinds of nice with the Wasatch Front, and watching those autumn vibes explode from Holladay all the way to Magna isn't a bad way to kill time while waiting for a pair of tacos to arrive.

It didn't take long for my food to get to me, though, and both tacos were dressed to kill. As they are open-faced when they arrive, you get to see all that goodness within. The Nashville hot chicken presents itself as a well-fried chicken strip, which comes slathered in a spicy agave glaze and topped with clover-shaped pickled cucumbers. It's also pre-brined in adobo, so that first bite captures the ideal mix of crunchy exterior and juicy interior that makes fried chicken spectacular. The heat on this little guy is a sneaky sort—it doesn't quite hit you until the last quarter of the taco, but it's ever so nice when it does.

The cauliflower taco was no slouch in the flavor department, either. I know jackfruit is like the go-to plant-based meat alternative nowadays, but we often underestimate how good roasted cauliflower is on its own. The team at Fácil adds some shredded carrot and chile de arbol sauce to the mix, while topping the whole thing with some mashed avocado and lime ash. It's a perfectly balanced taco that lets the nuttiness of that roasted cauliflower stand out against the creamy backdrop of the avocado, and the chile de arbol sauce packs just enough spice to keep things peppy.

It's safe to say that Fácil Taqueria knows what it's doing when it comes to tacos, but a sleeper hit on the menu is their soup ($10). The soup in question changes based on seasonal ingredients; I was first attracted to the concept when I saw that they were serving up albondigas soup a few weeks ago. During my visit, the albondigas soup was off the menu, and had been replaced by a riff on pozole that included brisket, chile de arbol and a poached egg. It was an ideal fall soup experience for me: the brisket was tender; the potatoes, celery and hominy were hearty; the poached egg was decadent; and the broth was so unexpectedly comforting that I will keep in mind once the snow starts to fall. It made me realize that I need to take a deeper dive into Latin-inspired soups come winter.

Though it's only been open for a few months, all those years operating a food truck has helped Fácil Taqueria hit the ground running. It's a comfy spot to enjoy tacos and burritos, but don't sleep on whatever heady soup they're whipping up on the daily. I for one will be relying on this place to keep my spirits bright through the icy days to come.