Austin Taco Truck Discada Wrecked in a Car Crash, Closed Until Further Notice

One of the city’s best taco spots Discada is now temporarily closed indefinitely as the Central East Austin food truck was totaled in a car crash last week on 1319 Rosewood Avenue.

No one was hurt, according to co-owner Anthony Pratto, noting that the gas lines used for cooking were turned off for the day at the time of the accident. “It’s sort of a miracle because it could have gone very badly.”

On Friday, August 13 at around 5:30 p.m., a car first knocked over the city trash can that was bolted to the ground, and then crashed into the Discada vehicle so hard that the food truck spun around. There was one employee, John Page, working inside of the truck at the time, and co-owner Xose Velasco was out serving food to a group of diners at the outdoor dining space. When the car smashed into the food truck, Page had to “dodg[e] knives, grease, and boiling water,” shares Pratto, “but he came out okay.” He was able to climb out of the window of the truck since the door couldn’t open. “That was very scary for him.”

Outside, after the car hit the truck, the car kept moving straight towards Velasco who “literally Spider-Man jumped up” and landed on the hood of the car, which was stopped by one of the concrete-filled barrels that serve as a dual planter and foundation for the food truck’s covered awning. The impact still moved the whole awning structure by half a foot.

Discada [Official]

Someone from the group dining at the truck posted their experience on Reddit.

The driver reported feeling lightheaded as he drove east on Rosewood Avenue, according to Pratto. The driver told the second person in the car with them, a friend, that he wasn’t feeling well and asked if they could switch off driving. He then fainted while the car was “probably going 50 [miles per hour],” says Pratto, “and it completely veered up on the curb.” After the accident and the driver woke up, he got out of the car, but then passed out again at the tables.

As a result of the crash, the Discada truck has “been totaled,” says Pratto. The truck’s gas tanks and gas lines were ripped and the new air-conditioning unit was ruined. The car wreck destroyed some of the truck’s refrigeration systems, the hood vent was messed up, and the two axles are broken, which means that they can’t even move the truck.

Because the Discada team is still waiting for the insurance adjuster to come out and inspect the accident scene (Pratto filed the claim on Saturday and was told it takes about two business days), they’re not able to start repairs or even remove rotting food from the premises. He did note that their custom-welded burners and discs — used to cook the truck’s specific discada tacos — were safe. A police report was also filed, and no one was arrested.

Nixta Taqueria co-owners Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi, who are good friends of the Discada team, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help them with the future truck repair costs, loss of products, and the team’s salaries. Already, they’ve met and exceeded the goal. “​We were overwhelmed with support,” says Pratto, “so we definitely feel the love. There’s just a lot, but I think, all in all, it’s gonna work out. I have faith in the community.”

Discada co-owners Pratto, Velasco, and Sean Donahue opened the truck in 2018, focusing on the namesake Northern Mexican style of taco preparation where layers of beef, pork, and vegetables are cooked in the juices of the previous layer in a specially built plow disc, essentially a round, deep cooking pan.

Discada [Official]

• Help Discada With Truck Repairs & Team Relief [GoFundMe]
• Discada [Instagram]
• All Coverage of Discada [EATX]