New Heights Food Truck to Break Barriers — Cochi’s Taqueria is Female Owned, Farm Sourced and Chef Driven

For many Houston restaurateurs, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a time of forced adaptation. Navigating the new socially-distanced world is no easy feat. Many restaurateurs are getting creative and making it work, though. Count Victoria Elizondo, the chef and owner of Cochinita & Co., among them.

Elizondo is venturing outside of the walls of her closed Rice Village food hall restaurant to move on to her next open-air venture, Cochi’s Taqueria food truck. The entire food hall Cohinita & Co. called home, Politan Row, shuttered last November.

Steering away from the plated dishes of Cohinita & Co in favor of quick bites, Cochi’s Taqueria will focus more on street-style dining. The new food truck will call The Heights home, in the Shepherd and I-10 area.

“It’s one of the first female owned food trucks that works with locals, one of the first local taquerias that outsources ingredients from farmers,” Elizondo tells PaperCity.

Originally from Monterrey, Elizondo understands how varied Mexican cuisine truly is. Through Cochinita & Co. and now Cochi’s Taqueria, Elizondo is trying to enlighten more Houston diners on how vibrant and diverse authentic Mexican food can be.

“Here people think Mexican food is like Tex-Mex and heavy lots of grease, lots of beans, lots of cheese. And part of my goal is to show people that Mexican food is colorful,” Elizondo says. “It’s vibrant. It’s not just heavy dull food.”

Elizondo’s airy menu houses a rainbow of colors and fresh ingredients. She is creating dishes that are not only authentic, but that also incorporate modern elements. Although Cochi’s Taqueria will have a different menu than Cochinita & Co., the drive of delivering fresh made, locally sourced authentic Mexican food will remain the same.

Now, it’s just on wheels.

Community, Charity & Coffee

Elizondo’s cult-fave Tacos and Friends events will also continue. These food collaborations brings in chef friends of Elizondo, who make unique one-of-a-kind tacos with part of the proceeds going to a select charity. What could be better than chowing down on delicious tacos for a good cause?

“I would invite a guest over and they would make a special taco and then a percentage of the sales of that taco would go to whatever organization of their choice,” Elizondo details.

Besides food, Cochi’s Taqueria will serve caffeinated drinks. The Heights-area food truck will showcase Mexican-inspired coffee drinks like Horchata and Café de Olla on the menu. Elizondo’s investor is also the owner of Apolonia Coffee, which sources its beans directly from Guatemalan family farms.

Cochi’s Taqueria will debut as something of a Houston food truck pioneer, potentially breaking barriers for women in the industry. Elizondo expects to open up around March.