Taco trucks and surf towns go together like salt and pepper. So, it’s not surprising to find places like Tacofino, which has grown from a truck located in a parking lot in Tofino to several brick-and-mortar locations across British Columbia.

For my first taste of these handheld treats, I had to go straight to the source… and its long winding line in the corner of a parking lot. The wait will have you summoning your inner Zen master, our Sunday afternoon visit meant it would take us over 30 minutes to order and another 15 minutes of prep time before digging into our food. The only saving grace is the long wait allows space on the communal picnic tables to free up, you’ll find a place to sit by the time you get your food.

Grab yourself a large bottle of water as things are salty at Tacofino. Perhaps it was just a heavy-handed chef making my order, but I found the soy marinade in the tuna-ta taco ($8.50) so prominent that it was all I could taste (my friend, on the other hand, found theirs fine). It could be that the tuna wasn’t seared long enough so that the soy didn’t have a chance to burn off and caramelize, the fish tasted like it was dunked in soy and quickly swished onto the flat top, so it was barely warm.

Along with the heap of pickled ginger and wakame (sweet seaweed salad), this taco is certainly bold in flavours. It’s a shame as the tuna taco would have been outstanding if the condiments weren’t so overpowering. Despite the decent portion of tuna stuffed into the taco, I could barely taste it.

The Baja-style fish taco ($7.50) was better. The batter was thick but helps to soak up the chipotle mayonnaise and keep the shredded cabbage and pico de gallo adhered to the tortilla. Again, it incorporated some good flavours, and the tempura ling cod was flaky and fried to perfection.

Both are sizeable tacos and would have been sufficient to leave me satisfied. Yet, after waiting so long, I was ravenous and added a pork and kimchi gringa ($8). What exactly is a gringa you ask? To me, they are like quesadillas, but according to Taro Sushi Brooklyn there are three differences between the two toasted tacos: gringas are traditionally eaten cold, filled with beans and cheese, thicker and flatter, and made using wheat flour tortillas. Gringas are also from Mexico while quesadillas originate from Spain.

At Tacofino, their pork and kimchi gringa includes a cheese and slow-cooked pork filling (not just beans) and it is hot (not cold) and toasted until there is a lovely golden crust… the ideal first bite after waiting outside in the cold for so long. Out of the three, this was my favourite. The filling so rich as the juices and grease from the pork and cheese mix together with the pickled kimchi to create a messy gooey bite that is a hit of flavours. Gringa or quesadilla? Who cares, just get it.

Having had my fair share of tacos, what makes Tacofino stand out, aside from their flavourful creations and fresh ingredients, is their flour tortillas. They are grilled until toasted air pockets and edges develop and somehow holds together despite being so thin. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll still need at least a napkin per taco to get through the meal, but the tortillas surprisingly hold up quite nicely.

In the end, is Tacofino worth a visit? If I were to return, I’d opt for a location that keeps us out of the elements while we wait – food truck be damned. I’d also ask if they could put less salt and/or sauce on everything, especially on things with seafood so that the proteins can stand out better. But it’s certainly worth waiting - when in the East Coast, eat like the locals.