The road marquee read, “VIVIAN’S KITCHEN FRESH MADE TACOS THANK-YOU,” and it had a pair of antlers attached to it. We were traveling down Hempstead Road when we spotted Vivian’s Kitchen (8515 Hempstead Rd., no phone), a taco shack that looked abandoned but wasn’t. It was like something you would see in a remote part of Mexico: a roadside hole-in-the-wall that serves hungry truckers.
We ordered two tacos and some Jarritos soda and sat outside. The corn tortillas were fresh and handmade, the brisket was tender and plentiful, and one taco filled us up and felt like a brisket brick in our stomachs. It didn’t take much of the creamy, spicy green salsa to heat up the meat, either. The tacos were tasty, but what made our experience great was the atmosphere. Thank you, Vivian!
This article appears in Jun 24-30, 2010.