One of Oakland’s hottest taco trucks is becoming a Fruitvale restaurant

Tacos El Último Baile, one of the most highly sought-after food trucks in the East Bay, is putting down roots. This fall, chef-owner Dominic Prado is opening his first brick-and-mortar inside the Fruitvale Public Market in Oakland.

Last week, Prado signed a lease to take over the former Nyum Bai space across the street from Fruitvale BART. He is hoping for an Oct. 1 opening at 3340 E. 12th St., Suite 11, where he will sling smoked brisket barbacoa, al pastor and Ensenada-style fish tacos. On weekends, expect an all-day menu, with specials — chilaquiles, pozole, birria, menudo — plus craft beer and DJ-spun tunes.

Prado describes his food as Northern Mexico-style, with influences from Tijuana, Sonora and his family’s native Chihuahua. Última El Baile means “the last dance” and is a nod to Prado’s boogie-loving grandmother, who raised him and taught him the value of scratch-cooking.

“She left her mark on me,” he says. “The love of a grandmother can never be replaced or replicated. She’s been gone five years, but she was able to see me get my start.”

Prado grew up in the Central Valley working odd jobs for minimum wage. A job with an organic produce farm brought Prado to the Bay Area in 2015. Inspired by the city’s street food culture, he bought a grill in 2016 and started making and selling his wood-fired and char-grilled tacos on Friday and Saturday nights outside Legionnaire Saloon on Telegraph  Avenue.

Three years ago, he invested in a trailer and took his grill on the road, popping up at breweries and other locations throughout the Bay Area. The Oakland A’s are among his corporate clients.