This New Food Truck Specializes in Mexico City-Inspired Al Pastor Tacos

For Jorge Aguilar, the journey from software engineer to food truck owner did not begin with a carefully crafted master plan, but rather a longing for the vibrant flavors of his hometown, Mexico City. "When I got here to the States, I was in Austin, Texas, so I was expecting good food. You know, like something competitive to home," he recalls. "Couldn't find anything at all. Everything was Tex-Mex. And even the places that you learned of by word of mouth, like, 'Hey, this spot has a good pastor, good tacos.' I tried them — I kept trying them, and they were so disappointing. I tried them all, but I missed my food, especially pastor tacos."

Aguilar made the move to the U.S. just over a decade ago. A skilled software engineer by trade, he hadn't grown up cooking, let alone envisioned a career in the culinary world. But his frustration with the lack of authentic flavors in Austin led him to take matters into his own hands.

Determined to re-create the tacos al pastor he so desperately craved, Aguilar knew he needed to learn how to make them. "So what I did is, I hired somebody from Mexico City to teach me how to make them," he says. "My nephew used to be a chef, so he knew somebody and got me the contact for this person that has a chain of taquerias. It was the perfect person to teach me, and everything was remote. I paid for consulting, learned the process and practiced on my own."

At first, Aguilar wasn't sure what he had gotten himself into. The learning curve was steep. "Back at home, everything seemed so easy, you know. You find them everywhere. But you don't realize the amount of work. When I started, it was like, 'Wow, this is a lot," he recalls. "Obviously, my first tries were horrible, but even if they were horrible, they were still better than anything I could find in Austin."
Over time, he perfected his recipe and technique and began sharing his hobby with friends. "I started hosting parties, because when you cook al pastor, you can't make a small batch — you have to go big. And my friends loved it," says Aguilar. While his confidence in cooking continued to grow, so did his disdain for the Texas heat, prompting him to relocate to Colorado.

Landing in Fort Collins, Aguilar continued working his day job as a software engineer but found himself leaning into his taco hobby more and more. "I decided to make it a side gig. I got a trailer, and it took a lot to equip everything because I didn't know anything. Everything was a learning experience. So it took me a while to get things going, and then once everything was ready, I found out that Fort Collins does not allow food trucks to park on the street. You have to have a fixed, physical location. And it has to be private property. You cannot park on public property," he explains.

Given the challenging environment and strict regulations in Fort Collins, Aguilar knew that if he wanted a shot at growing his business, he needed to make a move. He decided to come to Denver, and within a month of moving, he acquired all his licensing, finalized the truck setup, and offically launched La Capital Del Taco in September.
Now running the truck full-time, Aguilar quickly admits, "My first day was scary. ... What kept me going was seeing people come back for seconds right away. That kind of response told me I had something special."

Aguilar's menu is refreshingly simple: Tacos al pastor (offered three different ways) and a poblano pepper quesadilla for vegetarians. He recently began offering chips and salsa to satisfy customer cravings. But what really makes his food stand out is the fact that he's meticulous about his ingredients, importing seasonings directly from Mexico to maintain authenticity.

His dedication extends to the tortillas and salsas. "I eventually want to make my own tortillas, but for now, I've found a great supplier. The red and green salsas, though, are all mine," says Aguilar.

In addition to serving authentic al pastor tacos, Aguilar is on a mission to educate customers. "I want to teach the market what pastor should be like, you know, the taste and how you eat it," he notes. "I was amazed that here in the States, lime is not used in a taco like it should be. It has to be there. Salsa and lime make the taco. So I'm always chasing people: 'Hey, don't forget about the salsa and lime!'"

And while the pastor tacos are the star of the show, don't sleep on the homemade horchata.

For more information, follow @lacapitaldeltacodenver on Instagram.