LEO's Eat'N'Blog: Mexican hat trick - tacos three ways

[Robin Garr]

<table border="0" align="left" width="320"><tr><td><img src="http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/tacotico_leo.jpg" border="1" align="left"></td></tr><tr><td>Lining up for lunch at Taco Tico. LEO photos by Nicole Pullen</td></tr></table>LEO's Eat 'n' Blog with Louisville HotBytes
((Taco Tico, Taco Bell, El Zarape))

Way back at the dawn of time (oh, all right, during the 1970s), back when most people in Louisville thought "nacho" was just a cool way of saying "righto" and even the cognoscenti pronounced "taco" as "tack-oh," indeed even before the first Taco Bell rang the region's chimes, there was <b>Taco Tico</b>.

(Actually, for the sake of historical accuracy, the first Taco Tico was founded in Wichita, Kan., in 1962. Glen Bell opened his first eponymous taqueria in Downey, Calif., that same year. Louisville, however, slow during that era to embrace culinary change, failed to embrace the fast-food taco for a while.)

Taco Bell, of course, prospered and grew. Now a property of Louisville-based Yum! Brands, it boasts about 6,000 outlets around the world. Taco Tico, on the other hand, topped out in the '80s with about 120 outlets before falling off to about half that peak. It's in just eight states, the lion's share in Kansas and nearby states, with a handful in Kentucky.

But now, after a 10-year hiatus, Taco Tico is back in Louisville, to the immense joy of a hard-core coterie of fans. Although the new location is out of the way for many in the Metro - it's in a small shopping strip at the corner of Terry Road and Lower Hunters Trace - a crowd has been beating a path to its door, loudly singing "Hosannah."

What prompts this fanatical devotion? Pent-up nostalgia, at least in part. Still, I was a big fan back in the day myself, so when I heard about the new place, it didn't take me long to get out there.

Full reports in LEO and on LouisvilleHotBytes.

Never go to the 'Bell....I have a thing about YUM brands to begin with. I know that Taco Bell uses powdered reconstituted beans, guacamole pre-made from a tube, etc. Does Taco Tico use the real thing?
Even though Moe's isn't "authentic" at least they use all fresh ingredients.

Nice to see El Zarape get a little press. I work not too far from there and make it a point to get there a couple of times a month. Claudia, the owner is super nice - I must say that I never noticed any limitations with her English as called out in the article. I know she has been in Mexico for the past few weeks, maybe it was someone who works for her?
If you go, don't miss the sopes or gorditas. The wait is a little long as the tortillas are handmade (yes handmade - any other taquerias offering that?) and absolutely delicious.

Next idea for a review...Compare Qudoba's, Moe's, El Mundo and Salsarita's for the best, fast Subway style burrito and order the same ingredients at each one and see who comes out on top. IMHO, I'm a big fan of Salsarita's but I would love to hear a more balanced approach.

[Robin Garr]

Next idea for a review...Compare Qudoba's, Moe's, El Mundo and Salsarita's for the best, fast Subway style burrito and order the same ingredients at each one and see who comes out on top. IMHO, I'm a big fan of Salsarita's but I would love to hear a more balanced approach.

Fun idea! Just thinkin' here, Dan ... would you have any interest in taking on the challenge for us and writing it up?

I know that Taco Bell uses powdered reconstituted beans, guacamole pre-made from a tube, etc.

When I worked at Taco Bell, we made big vats of pinto beans and then used a Black-and-Decker power drill to mash 'em up. Of course, this was 20 years ago. We also had green sauce that didn't come in a packet and Bellburgers.

I suddenly feel old.

[Robin Garr]

When I worked at Taco Bell, we made big vats of pinto beans and then used a Black-and-Decker power drill to mash 'em up. Of course, this was 20 years ago. We also had green sauce that didn't come in a packet and Bellburgers.

I suddenly feel old.

I wish I didn't have to pick on a local corporation, but simple observation suggests that all of the Yum! Brands have undergone significant dumbing down in the past few years in an apparent effort to maximize profit at all costs. KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut all three have become significantly diminished in quality, it seems to me, yet people continue to line up at the counter. I guess this proves that Mencken was right about never underestimating the taste of the American public, but at some point this is just about certain to jump up and bite the company in the rear end.

Next idea for a review...Compare Qudoba's, Moe's, El Mundo and Salsarita's for the best, fast Subway style burrito and order the same ingredients at each one and see who comes out on top. IMHO, I'm a big fan of Salsarita's but I would love to hear a more balanced approach.

Fun idea! Just thinkin' here, Dan ... would you have any interest in taking on the challenge for us and writing it up?

Get out the Tums...I would love to, but it may be a little hard for me to be un-biased(I personally think that Qudoba sucks..) but I can take a different approch and let the food and service do the talking. Give me a realistic deadline sir, I can only handle one of these places every couple of days with out severe intestinal discomfort.

[Robin Garr]

Give me a realistic deadline sir, I can only handle one of these places every couple of days with out severe intestinal discomfort.

Whatever works for you, really. How's July 31 sound, with the idea of getting it into print a week or two later?

Shoot me an E-mail,
rgarr@louisvillehotbytes.com
and we'll work out details. Free-lance submissions even get pay (a little) for gigs like this!

I'll give up Taco Bell when I can get my chili-cheese burritos and Baja Blast somewhere else.

I finally made it out to Taco Tico Friday afternoon around 3:30pm. The line was to the door, but it moved fairly quickly. Probably about a 20 minute wait. I got the supreme sancho (a burrito) and a supreme taco rico (a taco with both a corn and flour tortilla held together with beans). People were right--the ingredients tasted very fresh, service was quite courteous, and the restaurant was kept clean. I will definitely be back!

P.S.--The drive through is still not open.