Midnight Tacos

Their sales pitch may target the late-night, beer-soaked, campus crowd, but anyone with an eye for convenience can appreciate the Midnight Tacos gimmick. Here's the deal: You call them anytime between 5pm and way into the wee hours of the morning, and they'll bring tacos, fajitas, nachos, quesadillas, and burritos to your doorstep. No, they're not just another delivery service. Unlike standard takeout operations, Midnight Tacos pulls up to your stoop in a kaleidoscope-colored, generator-outfitted truck and prepares your food on site. They say this promises customers a fresher plate, which, it turns out, is generally true.

Midnight Tacos doesn't do gourmet, so when you order, expect taqueria-type fare minus the glazed-over look it would have if you brought it home yourself. Portabella-spinach quesadillas ($6.95) is about as designer as Midnight Tacos food gets. The golden round comes with a layer of cheddar cheese atop the vegetables and is paired with pico, sour cream, and guacamole on the side. Simple, but satisfying -- especially when doused with the medium-hot, notably onion-y "Tommy Gun Salsa." On the heavier side,Midnight Tacos makes some pretty mean nachos. Mounds of light, crispy chips arrive smothered in black beans, pico, velvety queso sauce, and sour cream. Ace's Infamous Nachos ($5.95) fill you up with a generous helping of taco-seasoned ground beef, while Fajita Nachos ($6.95) include a dollop or two of guacamole in addition to the marinated strips of chicken or beef.

Midnight Tacos has made its name on its tacos, the best of which is the California Black Bean Taco ($2.95). I suppose the alfalfa sprouts or maybe the guacamole is behind the taco's moniker, but in addition to them, you get a Texas-sized serving of black beans, Spanish rice, portabella mushrooms, salsa, and cheese -- all stuffed into a 6-inch flour tortilla. Vegetarians can find their cornucopia at Midnight Tacos, too, with the Veggierito ($4.50), a burrito that has one up on the basic bean-and-cheese-r, given its additional filling of bell peppers, onions, tomato, sprouts, mushrooms, and guacamole.

Although it's ever-changing, and you might be able to talk them into coming your way, Midnight Tacos' official delivery zone extends from Cherrywood to MoPac and MLK to 183 for an $8.00 minimum order and downtown (ask them for the boundaries) for a $20.00 minimum order. The ambulant restaurant requests that you tip your driver, who, as they put it, does a lot more for you than the typical pizza guy. They're right. Midnight Tacos may not be fancy, but it hits the spot when you're hungry. And the best part is you don't have to do anything but make a phone call to enjoy this new take on takeout. --Rebecca Chastenet de Géry