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San Antonio Cuban food truck owner reopens after car crash left him paralyzed for months

A local Cuban-American chef and his wife had a warm reception reopening for the first time in seven months after they were hit by an alleged drunk driver.

SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio food truck owner is back in the kitchen after he says he was nearly killed.

In March—San Antonio Police say a drunk driver t-boned a car on Wurzbach and Babcock Road. Carlos Espino and his wife survived, but first responders had to cut off the car’s roof to get them out.

Carlos Espino was paralyzed from the waist down and was expected to take one year before he could walk again. Seven months after the crash, he’s up and moving inside Mi Corazon International Food Truck.

“It comes from my heart, my love, my passion,” Espino is one of a few chefs serving Cuban cuisine in San Antonio including Cuban sandwiches, fried plantains, and Cuban coffee.

His food truck is set up outside the Stellar Lounge off Blanco Road opened on Saturday night.

“It made me feel good to see a line of people and other food truck owners coming to buy food, and support and help and show me that love, you know, it means [a lot] to me,” Espino said.

Espino says when the COVID-19 pandemic began, he was laid off as a sous chef and decided to take the plunge into running his own food truck back in November.

In March, an accused drunk driver hit Espino and his wife who sustained serious injuries. According to SAPD, the other driver admitted to driving under the influence.

“I was in a wheelchair for about five months, you know, and then two or three months of physical therapy and doctors and my therapist said it was going to take a year to be able to walk again,” Espino recalls.

He says his passion for feeding people pushed him to get better.

“I was saved for a reason. God gave me a second chance at life, you know, so I’m not going to waste it,” Espino said.

Espino says he’s ready to continue doing what he loves. He has plans to convert his truck into a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the future.

“You want original Cuban food, Cuban coffee, come on out and say hi to me…Just show me that love, you know and you won’t regret it. The first bite of that sandwich, you’re going to love it,” Espino said.

Espino’s food truck is open outside the Stellar Lounge Thursday through Sunday. His hours are 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm Thursdays and Sundays, and he is open 7:00 pm to 1:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

You can learn more and view his menu on his Facebook page.

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