While food trucks are relatively new to the North Carolina food scene, they’ve been a fixture on the West Coast for decades, and that is where Carolina and Hector Escobar got their start.
 
The couple operated a Los Angeles-based truck serving Mexican specialties from the mid-’80s through 1992, when the Los Angeles riots convinced them it was time to relocate. The Escobars joined family in the Chapel Hill area, and although it would be more than decade before they would again be in the restaurant business, they are now embarking on their second Captain Poncho’s location.
 
Captain Poncho’s will take the place of The Golden Chicken at 417 S. College Road. The Escobars have operated a Captain Poncho’s in Chapel Hill for about a year and a half, as well as a food truck by the same name. They’re now bringing their native Mexican fare to Wilmington, but also keeping the rotisserie-style chicken that The Golden Chicken, with its Peruvian menu, was known for.
 
“We really loved the rotisserie chicken at The Golden Chicken,” Carolina Escobar said. “We learned that it was for sale and figured that this was something we could combine with our menu.”
 
She said the chicken platters would be served with sides such as Mexican rice and beans, plantains and tostones. A variety of traditional dishes are on the menu: tacos, quesadillas, burritos and enchiladas as well as sopes and tortes. The burrito bowls have been their bestsellers in Chapel Hill, according to Carolina Escobar.
 
Nearly all menu items are gluten-free with the exception of the flour tortillas, and there are plenty of vegetarian options available. Captain Poncho’s offers catering and free delivery with orders of $25. A liquor license is still being processed, but beer and margaritas will soon be available and an outdoor patio will be added, the couple said.
 
The Escobars added there are also plans for an additional food truck to operate out of Wilmington.
 
“We are in transition right now but ready to serve our customers,” Hector Escobar said.
 
Captain Ponchos is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m., seven days a week.

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