It was on a motorcycle trip through Austin, Texas where Tom McCusker found himself eating simple, delicious tacos several times a day. Returning home, Tom decided he wanted to bring these flavors to the streets of Philadelphia with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Some bank loans later, he purchased a lunch truck and got to work. As a graduate of the Hotel/Restaurant Management program at Drexel University, Tom had acquired the cooking chops and know how to develop tacos of his own.

During the week, Honest Tom’s khaki-colored truck can be found stationed at 33rd and Arch Streets, in the heart of Drexel University’s campus. The location was selected for the amount of foot traffic, as Tom explains. Drexel’s co-op program ensures that students are there year-round, unlike the ghost town that is the University of Pennsylvania in the summer. On Saturdays, the truck pulls up to the south side of Clark Park to during The Food Trust farmers’ market, where Tom frequently buys his eggs and produce. Tomatoes are sometimes sourced from a student-run garden at Drexel, and Tom plans to start planting more vegetables in the near future.

If all goes well, Tom arrives at his regular spot at 8:00 am, and prepares his homemade pico de gallo and guacamole. The morning menu consists of breakfast tacos served in a warm tortilla with scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheddar cheese, topped with a heaping serving of the pico and guacamole. Tom proudly brews coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters, and is one of, if not the only person in Philly to serve it. You’ll only find iced coffee on the menu in summer months, due to the lack of demand for hot brew.

As lunch rolls around at about noon, one or two of four possible tacos are offered. Chicken and steak tacos are in the rotation, but when we visited, fish and vegetarian sweet potato were on the menu. The fish tacos are made with the most fresh, white fish that can be found in the Italian Market that day; usually tilapia, basa or flounder are used. A corn salsa with tomato, onion and citrus adds a coastal inspired, summer flavor. Tom is working on several more vegetarian options but currently only offers the sweet potato taco, made with the signature pico de gallo, guacamole, and cheddar cheese. The sweet potatoes are chopped and grilled on the flat top and are easily one of the tastiest uses for the orange tubers we’ve come across.

Honest Tom’s only opened several months ago, but already commands a loyal gathering of regular customers daily. The truck typically stops serving food at 2:00 pm because that’s how quickly they sell out of tacos. With bold flavors, local ingredients and a price that can’t be beat, it’s obvious Tom has crafted a winning formula and is a welcome addition to the Philly street vendor scene.

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Honest Tom’s Taco Shop
33rd Street and Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Google Map)