Taco John’s (Wyoming)
1730 28th Street SWI have a weird relationship with fast food. I don’t really like most of it, but it seems to be a necessity a lot of times.
There are a few chains out there I really like. There are also a few chains that really bring back the nostalgia from my childhood.
My family was a chain restaurant family. We very, very rarely ventured outside of the comfort of the big chains. We ate at Arby’s a lot growing up..especially during their 5 for $5 roast beef promotions. We also ate at Ponderosa and Old Country Buffet more than I’d like to admit.
The 80’s and 90’s were a weird time. A couple of big chains ran promotions to get families in the door with school aged children…seriously, it’s no wonder I’m…..uh…big boned….now.
Pizza Hut‘s Book-It promotion was great but the one I always looked forward to was Taco John‘s Taco’s for A’s promotion. You’d literally bring in your report card and they’d give you a taco for every A on it.
I really like Taco John’s and always been bummed there isn’t one in Kalamazoo. There was one in Stevensville for a while but that one closed. Now, Meritage Hospitality is bringing Taco John’s back to West Michigan starting with a store in Wyoming.
Taco John’s opened up earlier this month on 28th Street near Burlingame in Wyoming. The site is where Main Street Pub in Wyoming used to be but that building was torn down and a new design Taco John’s was built in it’s place.
Taco John’s is fast food. Nothing about this place is really going to surprise you. There is an order counter up front that looks like every other fast food place you’ve ever been in.
There’s also a small dining room if you choose to eat in. It seems like most people do carry-out from fast food anymore so the dining areas in new construction fast food is getting smaller.
There are a lot of things people really like about Taco John’s but I only need one thing. The tacos. Man, do I love their tacos. I could easily eat a dozen…or two of them.
I showed some restraint and ordered five crispy tacos and a large drink. That set me back about $15 and it took less than five minutes for my name to be called. I barely had time to fill up my drink before the bag of tacos was set on the counter.
I will take Taco John’s tacos over any fast food taco any day. There really is no comparison. The shell’s are fried in house every day which makes them a little more brittle but much more fresh tasting than the somewhat stale ones you get at Taco………well you know where.
The thing that really makes Taco John’s so much better is the sauce they put in the taco. The meat is mixed with a mild sauce. You don’t have to fight with little packets to get sauce because it’s already there and the meat is swimming in it. That one little step makes the tacos sooooo much better than the competitions. The rest of the taco is the same. Meat, cheese, lettuce…but the sauce….
Taco John’s has always been such a guilty pleasure of mine. We J and I lived in Peoria, we’d hit the Creve Coeur Taco John’s at all hours of the night and day…but especially on Tuesday when tacos where cheaper. I know people like the Potato Ole’s and the churros but just give me the tacos…and give me a lot of them.
SW Michigan Dining 