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Steve Hilton’s ‘Street Taco’ Flub Becomes a Campaign Flashpoint

The flap tests his cultural savvy with Latino voters ahead of the June primary.

Overview

  • Hilton posted a Barstow Del Taco clip calling his order a “Barstow street taco,” drawing near‑million views and mockery on X.
  • Food writers said the fast‑food hard‑shell item was not a street taco, explaining that street tacos are small soft‑tortilla tacos typically sold from carts or trucks.
  • Hilton said, “It’s what they call it,” and spokesman Hector Barajas called the coverage trivial compared with costs, crime, homelessness and infrastructure.
  • Opinion pieces, including in the Los Angeles Times, cast the episode as a test of his judgment and Latino outreach strategy as voting nears.
  • The store he visited uses “Original” signage, though reporting notes Del Taco’s first location opened in nearby Yermo in 1964.