Rene’s Mexican Kitchen

I've heard amazing things about Rene's Mexican Kitchen, especially regarding the steak and shrimp burritos. After studying the menu for nearly ten minutes, I decided to try the taquito box since I love taquitos. When I arrived, I was greeted by THEE Mr. Rene, who is a legendary figure in the Tampa taco scene, especially for those who remember when the original Taco Bus was in its prime. To my surprise, when I opened my meal, which was freshly cooked on the spot, I found a whole course! My plate was packed with meat, salad, and the taquito rolls underneath. "Wow!" I thought to myself. I certainly didn't expect all of that. I definitely need to return for the burritos, but I was also excited to learn that Mr. Rene offers cooking classes, special dinners, and events.Rene's Mexican Kitchen is a food truck open all week, and there's also a storefront that opens on weekdays for lunch.

We actually attended the Pinellas Park Taco Fest this past Sunday and wanted to order from his food truck. (We had the opportunity to meet Rene upon ordering and we had seen him on HGTV). We walked around looking at the menus of all the trucks and circled back to Rene's which did have the longest line. Rene had the most unique tacos offered: Octopus & shrimp, crab cake, ahi tuna, lamb, pork barbacoa, al pastor, spicy shrimp, and pork belly to name a few (see pictures posted)Friends had eaten from Rene's truck on Saturday and highly recommended both the lamb and octopus & shrimp (mentioned that the octopus & shrimp was soft as butter and juicy).We decided on:*Beef Barbacoa de chacete on a flour tortilla. Tasty, a bit spicy and delicious.*Octopus & shrimp on a flour tortilla. Unfortunately, it was overcooked; the octopus was tough as a rubber band and the shrimp were chewy. (It was actually inedible.) The 5-stars are based on my friend's experience. I hope to try it again one day soon.The truck was inviting, the service was fast and the staff was very friendly. There was a $3 upcharge to use a credit card but it wasn't visually posted.

We went to a home brew class across the street and were pretty hungry afterwards. We'd never heard of this place but O.M.G, best tacos I've ever had in Florida. I had trout tacos and shrimp tacos, mouth watering and the corn tortillas you can tell were fresh. We'll be back for sure.

So, you've been drinking at Southern Brewing. You need to sober up. Rene's is across the street waiting for you. Walk over, place your order and they will text you when it's ready. Tacos:1. Steak and baconBeefy. Smokey. Tastes like Texas bbq. 2. Chile relleno A small pepper stuffed with beef in a handheld taco. Genius and yum. 3. Carne asadaMaybe my favorite the smear of avocado makes it. 4. Fish tacoIf they have it. Get it. Try it with their tomatillo salsa. Yum. Ambiance... it's a food truck in a parking lot. Lol

We spend $81 on tacos and sad to say, they were just ok. We ordered two tacos of the following, pork barbacoa, chile releno, pork Al Pastor, rainbow trout and oyster mushroom. Aside from mushroom taco, alll the other tasted the same. I couldn't decipher what i was eating. Seasonings were missing from each taco. Heck, i would've been happy with a squeeze of lime to brighten up the food. Oyster Mushroom taco was the best taco we had that night. It was buttery, meaty, had alot of flavor.Overall, i had high hopes for this place.

My daughter and I ordered dinner via DoorDash. We absolutely loved our burritos! She ordered the El Pastor. I ordered the Campechana. They were delicious! A huge serving. The flan however is not good. It had no flavor. And it was $6! Very disappointing. We will order again and not get dessert.

I got a recommendation to try Rene's. We were around the area and wanted to give it a try. It's a food truck with a few picnic tables to sit at. The weather was nice so we decided to eat there, but the tables were pretty dirty.Based on the uniqueness we ordered the Pork Barbacoa burrito. It was pretty substantial, with rice and black beans filling. I didn't really love how greasy it was, literally dripping with oil, so I couldn't pick it up. I had to eat it with a fork instead. I'm actually glad I did because I realized something hard when eating a piece, it was a rock. I was so shocked, I went over to tell them, just so they didn't get it in anyone else's meal. They offered to make me another one and made me a new one but honestly I kinda felt off from finding it in the first one. I don't normally like writing reviews like this, I just can't believe this happened and glad I was able to find it before chewing on it.

Spectacular! Awesome food! Super tasty jugo frescas! Just really great quality offerings in a very casual location... I sat outside on one of the high chairs with the "table" attached to the wall. Order, pick up, and sit there and eat. Don't drive home...just wolf it down right there. Don't avoid the vegetarian tacos...so flavorful!! Rene is back and in top form. Congrats!!

Amazing food. I often have to skip food trucks as many of them don't have meatless options, but Rene's offers delicious oyster mushroom tacos with pico and cabbage (cheese optional) to satisfy your veggie needs. They are so good, and any of their fillings can be ordered as a burrito too. I also got the "side" of rice and beans which was a huge portion. Top it off with a Jarritos, and it was one of the best Mexican meals I've ever had.Rene's serves from a food truck at the corner of Nebraska and East Emma Street. There is a small parking lot and a few picnic tables, but it seems like most people were taking their food to go. They have a card reader, but probably appreciate cash like any small business.

Was looking forward to enjoying cold beers and good food. Unfortunately the food was colder than the beer....