There’s a well-kept secret tucked away on Summer Avenue, and believe it or not, it’s named after a notorious cartel hit squad.

Taco Antrax began as a small operation in 2020, serving a modest menu of tacos, champurrado (a Mexican spiced chocolate drink) and menudo (chili pepper tripe soup). The operation has since expanded into a full-fledged taco truck where you can order at the counter outside and, after paying inside at the check counter, sit down and eat at a table or take your food to go.

The truck sits outside of the AB Latino Services building near N. Perkins Road, and it’s hard to miss. Enormous signage advertises Taco Antrax’s name in big, bold letters adjacent to a cartoon balaclava-clad woman with a taco for a body, holding an assault rifle that appears to be shooting a torrent of taco-shaped bullets. It’s an absolutely absurd logo, and part of its name, Antrax, is derived from the Sinaloa Cartel’s ruthless Los Ántrax enforcer unit whose own name is derived from the lethal disease anthrax.

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Say what you will about the name and the graphics. Taco Antrax draws attention, and it certainly caught mine and kept it. I’ve eaten at Taco Antrax many times, first out of curiosity, and then out of sheer pleasure.

The menu at Taco Antrax is bigger than it once was, boasting a wide array of Mexican classics: tacos, tortas, flautas, quesabirrias and tamales.

None of the prices are listed on the menu, and — to my knowledge — none of the staffers at the truck speak English, so it’ll behoove you to have some Spanish under your belt or come with Google Translate. But for all intents and purposes of this story, I got you.

Only two menu items are under $10: the gorditas, which come in fours, and the quesadillas.

I decided on the latter because of the choices of fillings, which reminded me of being back in central Mexico. One in particular excited me so much that I had to get it when they told me they had it: huitlacoche.

Corn fungus.

Before you turn your nose up at the word fungus (and probably at the word antrax), you must know, if you don’t already, that huitlacoche is a Mexican delicacy.

This black mold attacks corn seeds as they grow, causing them to engorge and turn black. Huitlacoche is considered a blight to American corn farmers, but in Mexico, it’s gold. It’s not appetizing in appearance if you haven’t had it before. But there’s a reason Mexican natives have been eating the stuff since the Aztec Empire. It’s absolutely delicious. It’s also extremely hard to find in the U.S., especially at a reasonable price.

The quesadilla de huitlacoche at Taco Antrax is served traditionally, much different than your average Mexican-American quesadilla. The tortilla is made of thick masa folded in half like a long taco. It’s filled with cotija cheese, shredded lettuce and the dark charcoal-colored huitlacoche, sauteed with onions.

The flavor of huitlacoche, which dominates the quesadilla, tastes a lot like mushrooms. It’s sweet and earthy with a delicate but notable umami. The black corn partially dissolves when it cooks, creating a saucy consistency that retains some of the structure and texture of the corn for a satisfying and complex bite. The quesadilla comes with a pair of thick and spicy salsas, roja and verde, which I lathered the quesadilla in liberally. I also asked for some extra lime on the side and doused it in that as well, which brightened up the huitlacoche and masa nicely.

It’s a well-sized meal for only $7. You’ll finish it feeling full, but not overwhelmingly so, as one often can after a too-cheesy burrito or quesadilla. Plus, you’ll still have a few bucks left over to buy a Jarritos or a Modelo if you want.

One thing to note: huitlacoche is messy. Your hands will probably be black by the time you finish if you eat with them, as if you dipped your fingers in a bowl of mole negro. You can use a fork and knife if you like, but honestly, it’s good enough to lick your fingers clean. I promise.

Taco Antrax is located in AB Latino Services, 4556 Summer Ave., and is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, Mondays through Saturdays, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.