Image via Sleeping Ranchero Instagram
Ready to take your taco night to the next level? Sleeping Ranchero’s got you covered with tacos for everyone — and I mean everyone!
Owned by local taquero Isaac Barreto, Sleeping Ranchero is a vegan taco concept that offers catering, at-home taco distribution, and pop-ups at some of Pittsburgh’s favorite breweries and coffee shops.
Sleeping Ranchero specializes in “avant-garde plant-based tacos,” which is sure to pique the interest of vegetarians and vegans taco lovers. I myself have been a vegetarian for over a decade, and I can easily recall the dark days of eating tacos with nothing but lettuce, tomatoes, some cold shredded cheese — maybe some sour cream or salsa, if I was lucky.
These tacos could not be more different.
Some of Barreto’s imaginative plant-based tacos include two fan favorites: barbacoa mushroom (topped with lemon pickled onions and an aji verde sauce) and watermelon basil. Pictured above are their spicy garlic tacos!
More familiar veggie-friendly flavors that Sleeping Ranchero has featured include buffalo cauliflower with avocado crema, sweet potato and black bean, and a taco with sweet tempeh and spicy slaw that evokes mouth-watering flavors from Thai cuisine.
An absolute must-try is the blackberry ginger taco, and while at first glance it sounds like a refreshing drink, it’s a complex, sweet-and-savory double-decker taco with seasoned rice, stir-fried vegetables, sliced ginger, tempeh, and blackberry jam on maize tortillas.
Image via Sleeping Ranchero Instagram
Of course, Barreto is always tinkering with upcoming recipes, so you never know what he might have for sale at one of his pop-ups around town. Could it be the Reuben sandwich taco, or the peanut butter banana? Pictured above are their broccoli tacos with red onions, black beans and radishes!
One thing’s for sure — the tacos won’t last for long, so next time you see a Sleeping Ranchero pop-up cross your timeline, get yours before Barreto sells out.
Local breweries often host Sleeping Ranchero pop-ups, primarily Trace Brewing and Necromancer Brewing, but Barreto has also taken his tasty creations to Arriviste Coffee Bar in Shadyside.
The big question is, where can you get your vegan taco fix? It’s simple. To get the scoop on Sleeping Ranchero’s upcoming pop-ups, follow Barreto on Instagram at @sleepingranchero — and turn on those story notifications to make sure you don’t miss out!
Looking for an at-home meal? Use the Sleeping Ranchero digital order form to place your order for some Sunday tacos to enjoy at home.
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.