The D.C. food cart landscape is slowly but surely changing from a sea of hot dogs and half-smokes to a kaleidescope of world flavors. Hungry residents can now munch on the likes of bulgogi, schwarma, jerk chicken, and tacos. Taco carts are a particularly important addition because they appear to solve not one but two problems currently plaguing the District: lack of good street food and lack of good Mexican food. Moreover, tacos are an ideal to-go meal: they're compact, easy to assemble, come in a variety of flavors, and can be consumed entirely without utensils. So how do these tacos stack up? What follows is a tale of two very different taco carts.

El-Charro Mexicano Parked at the NW corner of Columbia Rd. and Mozart Place (Alicia Mazzara)

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El-Charro Mexicano

Parked at the corner of Columbia Road and Mozart Place in Adams Morgan, El-Charro Mexicano serves up beef and chicken tacos, pupusas, carne asada, carne guisada, and enchiladas. The truck is a family business, and the owners don't speak much English. But ordering is no problem for non-Spanish speakers; the menu is in pictures and their young daughter is more than happy to translate. All the food is prepared on the spot by the entire family inside the truck's narrow steel kitchen.

On a lazy Saturday afternoon, I sampled the beef tacos ($2 each) and chicken enchiladas ($3 each). The tacos come in double-layers of soft corn tortillas, are heavy on beef and a bit short on onions and cilantro. The tacos come with the traditional accompaniments - lime, radish slices, and red and green chili sauces. The slow cooked beef is little dry; the best bites contain crunchy bits of salty, caramelized protein.

The enchiladas are a messier affair: fried corn tortillas are spread with a thin layer of refried beans and piled with spiced shredded chicken, iceberg lettuce, avocado, tomato, and hard boiled egg. All of this makes for a riot of textures and flavors in each refreshing, cooling bite. These are not the Mexican enchiladas that many Americans have come to know and love (tortillas dipped in sauce, rolled with filling, and baked with a layer of cheese on top). I should have known as soon as I saw pupusas (a specialty of El Salvador) on the menu: these are Salvadoran enchiladas, similar to a tostada.

El-Charro Mexicano isn't as Mexican as the name would lead you to believe. While the cart serves Mexican-style tacos, the rest of the menu reflects the owners' Salvadoran heritage. That said, the tacos are tasty, meaty, and bear a strong resemblance to the Mexican tacos found at Taqueria Distrito Federal, which is about as authentic as D.C. gets.

On the Fly DC's Diego smartKart

Parked on the corner of 7th and F St NW, Diego Fundido's taco cart looks a little bit like a flying green alien, recently arrived from a more delicious world. His truck was the first in a new fleet of smartKarts, created by On the Fly DC. The carts run exclusively on electricity, feature a built-in cooler case, and use LCD screens to display the menu. Even the plastic bags used to pack up their dishes are biodegradable.

Like El-Charro Mexicano, On the Fly's tacos are $2 each. Filling choices include the chicken estofado, shredded chicken cooked in a dark brew of apple, cinnamon, and four chilies; garlicky pork carnitas; and a vegetarian medley of grilled squash, peppers, and beans. Tacos are served with cabbage and carrot slaw, cilantro, hot sauce, and a chipotle mayonnaise. Authentic Mexican tacos these are not, but they are exploding with flavor. While both are moist and juicy, the chicken is a particular stand out: sweet, spicy, with a smoky finish from the chilies. Unfortunately, On the Fly uses flour tortillas, which turn into a spongy mess as they absorb the various meat and vegetable liquids.

Aside from tacos, diners can order empanadas provided by Julia's Empanadas ($4, flavors are turkey, veggie, or Jamaican), Chile Lime Tortilla or Black Bean soup, or pre-packaged Brazilian salad with beef. For fans of the Whole Foods drink and snack aisle, you can take your pick of bottled juices and teas, mineral-enhanced spring waters, obscure brands of granola bars, and Pirate Booty vegetable chips. On the Fly has made a point of partnering with local businesses, like Julia's and Honest Tea, and offering local products at all their smartKart and smartKafe locations.

Both On the Fly and El-Charro Mexicano offer fast, flavorful tacos for a low price. But that's about where the similarities end; they are so different that it would be difficult to consider them direct competitors. Good food carts? Check. Authentic Mexican? Still working on it.

El-Charro Mexicano
NW corner of Columbia Rd and Mozart Place NW
Metro: Columbia Heights or Woodley Park/Adams Morgan

On the Fly DC Diego
NW corner of 7th St and F St NW
Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown
Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.