Maiz De La Vida Food Truck

"Maiz de la Vida is a food truck permanently parked in front of Chopper Tiki that happens to serve some of the best tacos in the city. They transcend just about anything else you’ll find locally thanks to their top-notch tortillas, which are made through a traditional nixtamalization process using corn imported from Mexico. That’s all to say they’ll hold anything you can throw at them without breaking apart and devolving into a pile of random mush that requires a fork. The quesabirria tacos—served with a side of rich consomme that’s perfect for dipping—is the move here, but don’t forget to throw in an order of churros for a crispy, sugary finish to your meal." - jackie gutierrez jones 2, ann walczak, adam sloan

"A Nashville restaurant where chef Julio Hernandez was nominated in the Best Chef Southeast category." - Missy Frederick

"What started as an uber popular food truck has made the leap to a full-fledged restaurant in the Gulch. Chef Julio Hernandez uses masa from freshly ground heirloom corn for a variety of “masa shapes” for burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, chilaquiles, and sopes. Composed plates — like flautas stuffed with salmon, potatoes, and requeson topped with a tangy green peppercorn slaw and wallowing in a pool of salsa verde — are on offer at the new restaurant, which is also open at dinner." - Ellen Fort

"Heirloom corn is at the center of all of chef Julio Hernandez’s efforts, which he painstakingly nixtamalizes and mills into fresh masa himself. Tender, flavorful tortillas result from that labor of love — perfect vessels for carne asada, green chili chicken, or crispy fish. Stop by the food truck that started it all in front of East Nashville bar Chopper Tiki, or head over to Hernandez’s newly opened restaurant in the Gulch for drinks and elegantly composed plates like duck mole alongside greatest hits like his quesabirria and fish tacos. —Ellen Fort" - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones, Ellen Fort

"Everyone has that special taco spot. The one you swear by to get you through a long day of work, a hangover, or a breakup with your pilates studio (it’s not you … it’s definitely them). Maiz de la Vida, a permanently parked food truck in front of Chopper Tiki, is that taqueria for us. This is where you’ll find the pinnacle of taco construction: a soft corn shell that can hold any and all toppings without falling apart. And those tortillas are the foundation for the best quesabirria tacos in Nashville, a.k.a the reason why you hauled your friends here after biking around Shelby Bottoms. Maiz de la Vida will soon have an actual dining room of their very own in the Gulch with more space for taco feasting. And we can’t wait." - jackie gutierrez jones 2, carlo mantuano, ann walczak