Grand Junction is full of different shops and cafés that show off its unique western culture, but when it comes to Highway 6 & 50, it’s all business.

The recently redone strip of road just west of Old Chicago is a gateway to corporate America with every mega-mart, national food chain and car dealership that a city could need lining both sides of the highway. It is the only part of town that has no distinctive features of the Western Slope other than the view of the Monument looming in the background. There is one shop, however, that doesn’t scream big business.

Loncheria Rubi is a Mexican food truck quietly parked between Sprouts Farmers Market and the Grand Junction Climbing Center.

The two owners of the specialty food truck serve up some of the most authentic Latino cuisine that can be found in Grand Junction, Fruita or Palisade. They open up shop everyday at 7:30 a.m. and serve the worker bees as they come and go from the buzzing highway. Their motto is as plain as the truck they cook in: “simple Mexican food.”

Loncheria Rubi offers the traditional array of dishes from across the border like burritos (breakfast and the rest), tacos and quesadillas, but what sets this portable café apart from other Mexican eateries is the rest of the menu. Gorditas, tamales, pambazos and even Mexican sodas are all available for those who want to stray from the average latino meal.

All of the ingredients are fresh and cooked right in front of you for a pretty good price. The final product is nothing to revel over, but it definitely will not disappoint. Probably my favorite aspect is that when I asked for green chili sauce, I was given a container fresh from the cook rather than having to fish my own out of a witches brew stirring pot like I have had to at some other places.

The ambiance of the concrete jungle around Loncheria Rubi isn’t much to look at, but it gives patrons a chance to have a meal at a local joint and avoid the crowds of people at every other fast food place around the area. There are barstool-style seats attached to the truck where people can sit and enjoy their food and have a chance to speak with the cooks, who are quite pleasant to chat with.

You won’t find a website for Loncheria Rubi or anything around Grand Junction telling you to eat there, and I think that adds to the local feel of it. The food truck is able to bring a little bit of individuality to a side of town that is dedicated to Big Brother.

It will never be on the list of things to do in Grand Junction before you die, but I would recommend it to anyone looking for some cheap fresh Mexican cuisine from people who are more concerned about making you full than making their wallets full.

★★★☆☆

mfreter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu