Although tacos have been a staple down in Mexico since ancient Aztec times, they didn't
appear in America until around the 20th century. It took years before fast-food eateries caught
on, and they're not all created equal. Let's see which you should skip and which you should
definitely visit.
It's risky ranking Chipotle at the bottom of a Mexican-American food roundup, considering
the sheer size and ferocity of the chain's die-hard fan club. These are fans who didn't
think twice after Chipotle was hit by a series of food-borne illnesses over the last handful
of years. Even after making headlines, Chipotle fans need their fix, and are willing to risk
anything to get it.
Still, the truth must be told. We're not one to hold a grudge when it comes to burritos,
but even after Chipotle closed its locations to talk about food safety, it's continued
to be hit by foodborne illness nightmare after foodborne illness nightmare, including an
outbreak in which hundreds of people were hit with food poisoning after eating at one
Chipotle location in Ohio.
And that's just not cool — you shouldn't feel like your lunch is a gamble with your
health. If gastrointestinal diseases aren't enough to keep you away, the annoying charges
Chipotle tacks on probably won't keep you out, either. But we're just sayin': In addition
to making you cough up for queso and chips, the chain notoriously charges an additional
$1.95 for guacamole.
First, the good: As food historian Jeffrey Pilcher explained to NPR, Taco Bell was largely
responsible for kicking off the obsession with Mexican food in America, a country that
had until then regarded it as weird, spicy, and potentially contaminated. Had there not
been a Taco Bell, would our love of tacos have blossomed as fast as it did — if at
all?
Now, the bad: America's first so-called "Mexican" chain is debatably the least Mexican joint
out there. Sure, there are variations of tacos and burritos that at least resemble their
Mexican counterparts — albeit covered in weird, bright yellow, fake-looking cheese.
And then there's things like Doritos Locos Tacos, which are definitely not authentic.
So un-Mexican is the menu of Taco Bell, it baffled Mexicans and had to be rebranded when
the chain attempted to open a location in Mexico in 1992. Taco Bell was chased out of
Mexico within two years of opening, and was chased out a second time when it attempted
to open again in 2007.
To end our compliment taco with a positive: There may not be any Taco Bells in Mexico,
but in here in the good ol' U.S.A, the chain has taken honors as America's favorite "Mexican
restaurant" — though this may constitute as more of a shame on Americans as it does
a compliment for Taco Bell.
"I'll have a cheesy chicken burrito, as well as one of everything else on the menu please."
Only six years after Glen Bell opened the first Taco Bell, Korean War veteran John Turner
opened the first Taco John's, originally called Taco House. Turner had been inspired to open
the chain after working as a McDonald's manager, if that tells you anything about the authenticity
of the cooking you can expect at Taco John's. But authenticity didn't matter much at early
Taco John's locations, which tended to pop up in rural areas of the Midwest where there
were few or zero Mexican restaurants. Now, the chain locations are concentrated in the
Midwest — there’s over 50 in Minnesota alone!.
Taco John's is perhaps best known for its signature Potato Olés, deep-fried potatoes
you can order topped with nacho toppings — so they're like nachos, but extra unhealthy.
Beyond that? It's hard to mess up taco shells, beef, and cheese. Our biggest gripe with Taco
John's is that their "crispy" tacos are often served quite soggy. Also, since 1989, the
Taco John has held tyrannical reign over their trademarked term "Taco Tuesday," occasionally
delivering cease and desist letters to Mexican eateries that used the phrase.
Taco Cabana was founded in San Antonio, Texas, which is at least geographically close to
Mexico, in the 1970s.
Maybe that's why Taco Cabana does deliver a number of attractive perks. First, it's
open 24-7. Second, Taco Cabana actually serves beer, margaritas, and sangria, which — as
we all know — make even the driest tacos go down smoother. Third, the chain has a whole
menu devoted to breakfast tacos, a distinctly Texan creation involving soft flour tortillas,
and various combinations of eggs, cheese, and meats. And finally, there's Taco Cabana's
self-serve salsa bar, which empowers you to shower your dishes with different salsas,
pico de gallo, sliced jalapeno, and cilantro to your heart's content.
So why doesn't Taco Cabana rank higher? Aside from their delicious breakfast tacos, their
dishes tend to lack the authenticity and flavor of the real deal, and miss increased focus
on fresh ingredients of many competitor chains.
The aptly named Baja Fresh places great focus on fresh ingredients. Opened in 1990, the
California-based chain was started around the same time as competitors Chipotle and
Qdoba — but is pretty far ahead in terms of clean eating.
Chipotle made a pledge to serve naturally raised meat back in 2008, and has since made
certain everyone understand its commitment to "real ingredients" through its Food With
Integrity campaign. But long before Chipotle launched their campaign, Baja Fresh was already
serving grass-fed beef, handmade salsas, and farm-fresh ingredients. Whole foods are folded
into a menu of diverse burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and salads, and it shows.
Founded around the same time and place as Chipotle, Qdoba managed to develop a cult
following even in the shadow of its more high-grossing competitor.
Fans know Qdoba is superior to Chipotle in several ways. Perhaps most notably, Qdoba
doesn't charge extra for guac or queso like Chipotle does. And while Chipotle's version
of queso was widely deemed a big fat flop, Qdoba's classic queso, by comparison, has
long been lauded for its velvety texture and smoky taste. And as Chipotle deals with menu
fatigue, Qdoba keeps it fresh with a more diverse menu of tacos, taco salads, burrito
bowls, nachos, soups, and even breakfast at participating locations.
Qdoba versus Chipotle is a debate as old as time, inspiring many a Reddit thread, blind
taste test, and nutrition analysis. In the end, Qdoba wins because it doesn't charge
for extras and gives us way more choices.
Speaking of debates as old as time, the Del Taco versus Taco Bell one is another one.
Like many great rivalries, Del Taco and Taco Bell's was born from a friendship: Del Taco's
founder Ed Hackbarth worked as a manager at Bell's Hot Dog alongside owner and future
Taco Bell-founder Glen Bell. After the two went their separate ways, Hackbarth opened
the first Del Taco in Yermo, California in 1964.
Del Taco sets itself apart from Taco Bell and the rest of the Mexican chains on this
list by not shying away from other types of food. This includes not just American-ized
tacos, but full-blown burgers and crisp, crinkle-cut fries. You want a taco but your friend wants
a burger? Del Taco it is!
Word on the street is you can order any menu item "bold", and they'll serve it to you stuffed
with fries and showered in their secret sauce. That means, unofficially, Del Taco serves
fry-stuffed milkshakes. So like, enough said?
El Pollo Loco is one of the few Mexican fast-food restaurants on this list actually founded
by a Mexican family. To be specific, it was founded by Francisco "Pancho" Ochoa, who immigrated
from Mexico with nothing but a dream and his mother's secret chicken recipe. When the restaurant
first opened in 1980, El Pollo Loco exclusively sold grilled chicken and red salsa that drew
long lines of hungry customers.
Today, the tiny storefront has expanded to more than 480 locations nationwide. At Pollo
Loco restaurants, poultry is marinated in citrus and fire-grilled over an open flame
behind the counter.
The staff hand prepares freshly grilled chicken into a fairly authentic selection of dishes,
including tacos, quesadillas, and chicken dinners. Their focus on grilled chicken makes
El Pollo Loco one of the healthiest chain restaurants in all of the U.S., and arguably
the healthiest choice on this list.
"Can tacos get any more kick-butt than this?"
"They're about to, all right!"
Another Texas-born taco chain, Torchy's Tacos, was hailed as the king in Austin for years
before expanding to locations throughout Texas, Colorado, and Oklahoma.
It's hard to even look at Torchy's menu without getting excited, as it focuses almost exclusively
on breakfast and traditional tacos, with creative, responsibly sourced fillings like hand-battered
fried avocado, portobello mushroom, slow-roasted green chile pork, and cornmeal-crusted catfish.
Aside from tacos, Torchy's offers street corn with queso fresco, made-from-scratch brownies,
and deep fried chocolate chip cookies. You can wash it back with frozen or on-the-rocks
margaritas, artisanal cocktails, and craft beer.
With its thoughtful, ever-evolving selection of secret and not-so-secret offerings, it
comes as no surprise that Torchy's is routinely heaped with awards and attracts fans like
former president Barack Obama.
Founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000, Moe's is a relative newcomer in the fast-casual
Mexican chain game. The newbie grew quickly, expanding to 700 locations by late 2017.
So what makes Moe's Southwest Grill so popular? Even though it's almost seven times bigger
than Baja Fresh, Moe's manages to offer the same — if not superior — caliber of freshness.
We're talking grain-fed pork, grass-fed steak, and organic tofu. At Moe's, there are no freezers
or microwaves, and grilled veggies are cooked on a separate grill for vegetarians.
Walk into any location in the country, and you'll be greeted with
"Welcome to Moe's!"
You'll also be treated to free, freshly fried tortilla chips which you can pair with natural
salsas from their salsa bar. Don't expect such a warm greeting or generous freebies
from certain other Tex-Mex chains, and it's all of this that secures Moe's our top spot.
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