Maiz De La Vida Food Truck
Taco restaurant · East Nashville
Outside Chopper tiki, 1100 B Stratton Ave, Nashville, TN 37206
Highlights
Birria tacos & handmade heirloom corn tortillas with cocktails
Birria tacos & handmade heirloom corn tortillas with cocktails
"James Beard Award semifinalist Julio Hernandez caught the attention of the culinary world with the well-made tortillas he slings from a truck that’s now permanently parked outside of Chopper Tiki in East Nashville. He nixtamalizes, grinds, and presses heirloom corn tortillas that can withstand the heft of fillings ranging from green chile chicken to cobia in a Topo Chico batter. But the true standout is his quesabirria tacos, ready to be dipped in a rich consomé and devoured alongside Chopper’s elaborate tropical cocktails. Stop by his brick-and-mortar restaurant that opened in the Gulch in 2024 for tacos, margaritas, and entrees like duck with mole negro." - 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, including at Maiz De La Vida. 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. —EF" - Ellen Fort
"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
