Skip to Content

Taco ’bout this: Inside Taher chef Emilio Candia’s food truck

TACO 'BOUT DELICIOUS. El Coronel serving up food for locals in Stillwater last summer. (Photo submitted by Emilio Candia)
TACO ‘BOUT DELICIOUS. El Coronel serving up food for locals in Stillwater last summer. (Photo submitted by Emilio Candia)

Emilio Candia is a regular at the upper school cafeteria, working as one of the cooks to serve lunch to students every day. Working as a chef at SPA is only one of his jobs, though; Emilio is also a well-known food truck owner serving delicious food.

Candia and his family own a food truck in Stillwater named El Coronel, specializing in Mexican food from the Northern region of Chihuahua, where he is originally from.

“We also have street tacos. We make the corn tortillas, cook the meat, and season the food all on our own,” Candia said.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by El Coronel Food Truck (@elcoronelmn)

Candia is always looking for more people to check out his taco truck. So, when asked whether he would be happy with students coming out to Stillwater to get a bite to eat at El Coronel, he said, “Yeah, for sure, that would be great to get more customers.”

The pricing is also very good, as it is very affordable. Tacos and burritos cost anything from eight to 14 dollars, depending on how many toppings are added. Chips and dip cost six dollars, and drinks all cost around four dollars, with many different options.

Owning a food truck with one’s family and working as a cook in a high school kitchen at the same time is a large amount of work for anyone, but in addition to that, Emilio also has another job as a cook at a restaurant called Fiesta Mexican Grill near Lake Elmo.


“It’s a lot because I have another job too, so I have three jobs right now, and with the food truck, it is just me, my wife, and my kids doing all the work,” Candia explained.

If you are eager to check out the food, El Coronel is opening up for the summer season in about a week with an event in Stillwater planned. For anyone who is stopping by, support a family business that will serve up some delicious Mexican food.

More to Discover