A taco is a traditional Mexican food consisting of a small hand-sized corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and eaten by hand. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, pork, chicken, seafood, beans, vegetables, and cheese, and garnished with various condiments, such as salsa, guacamole, or sour cream, and vegetables, such as lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and chiles. Tacos are a common form of antojitos, or Mexican street food, which have spread around the world.
Taco Bell IP Holder, LLC, doing business as Taco Bell, is an American multinational chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, novelty and speciality items, and a variety of "value menu" items. As of 2018, Taco Bell serves over two billion customers each year, at 7,072 restaurants, more than 93 percent of which are owned and operated by independent franchisees and licensees.
The cuisine of California reflects the diverse culture of California and is influenced largely by Hispanic American roots, alongside East Asian and Oceanian influences, and Western European influences, as well as the food trends and traditions of larger American cuisine.
Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. is an American fast-food restaurant chain that specializes in American-style Mexican cuisine, as well as American foods such as burgers, fries and shakes. Del Taco is led by Brand President Tom Rose, and is headquartered in Lake Forest, California. On December 6, 2021, Jack in the Box announced it was acquiring Del Taco for $12.51 per share. The acquisition was finalized in March 2022. Del Taco has approximately 600 locations in 16 US states.
Naugles was a Southern California fast-food Mexican restaurant chain that existed from 1970 to 1995. A revived Naugles chain was established in 2015 by entrepreneur Christian Ziebarth, after it was ruled that the trademarks had been abandoned by the original company's successor, Del Taco.
Taco John's International, Inc. is an American fast food restaurant. The chain serves Mexican-inspired fast food as well as the company's signature dish, Potato Olés, which are bite-sized deep-fried potato nuggets coated with a proprietary blend of spices and seasonings. Taco John's CEO is Jim Creel, and it is headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming. As of 2022, the restaurant chain had 380 restaurants in about 22 states, primarily in the Midwest and Mountain regions.
Carne asada fries are a local specialty found on the menus of restaurants primarily in the American Southwest, including San Diego, where it originated.
A burrito in Mexico is, historically, a regional name, among others, for what is known as a taco, a tortilla filled with food, in other parts of the country. In modern times, it is considered by many as a different dish in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine that took form in Ciudad Juárez, consisting of a flour tortilla wrapped into a sealed cylindrical shape around various ingredients. The tortilla is sometimes lightly grilled or steamed to soften it, make it more pliable, and allow it to adhere to itself. Burritos are often eaten by hand, as their tight wrapping keeps the ingredients together. Burritos can also be served "wet", i.e., covered in a savory and spicy sauce, when they would be eaten with a fork and knife.
King Taco is a fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California, which offers a variety of Mexican-inspired dishes, including soft tacos, burritos, sopes, tamales, nachos, and rotisserie chicken. Additionally, they serve traditional Mexican drinks such as horchata and jamaica. The chain was founded in 1974 by Raul Martinez, and since then, it has expanded to over 20 locations throughout Southern California.
Kogi Korean BBQ is a fleet of five fusion food trucks in Los Angeles famous both for their combination of Korean with Mexican food and also for their reliance on Internet technology, especially Twitter and YouTube, to spread information about their offerings and locations. Highlights of typical fare include Spicy Pork Tacos, Kimchi Quesadillas and Short Rib Sliders. Its owner/founder, Mark Manguera, a Filipino-American, married into a Korean family and was inspired to combine Mexican and Korean food as a result. The food truck has won much recognition, including a Bon Appétit Award in 2009 and "Best New Chef" for Roy Choi by Food & Wine in 2010, the first for a food truck.
Korean tacos are a Korean-Mexican fusion dish popular in a number of urban areas in the United States and Canada. Korean tacos originated in Los Angeles, often as street food, consisting of Korean-style fillings, such as bulgogi and kimchi, placed on top of small traditional Mexican corn tortillas. Korean burritos are a similarly themed dish, using larger flour tortillas as a wrap.
A taco stand or taquería is a food stall, food cart or restaurant that specializes in tacos and other Mexican dishes. The food is typically prepared quickly and tends to be inexpensive. Many various ingredients may be used, and various taco styles may be served. Taco stands are an integral part of Mexican street food. Tacos became a part of traditional Mexican cuisine in the early 20th century, beginning in Mexico City, as what had been a miner's snack began to be sold on street corners in the city. Shops selling tacos have since proliferated throughout Mexico and other areas with a heavy Mexican culinary and cultural influence, including much of the Western United States and most other larger American cities. More typical taquerías specialize in tacos, as expected, but in some localities it can be used to refer to restaurants specializing in burritos, where tacos themselves are less of a point of emphasis.
El Pollo Loco, Inc., is a restaurant chain based in the United States, specializing in Mexican-style grilled chicken. Restaurant service consists of: dine-in, take-out, with some locations offering drive through options. The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, and operates about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants in the Southwestern United States.
El Pollo Loco, S.A. de C.V. is a Mexico-based restaurant chain specializing in Sinaloa-style marinated grilled chicken. It was founded by Juan Francisco Ochoa, whose family still owns the Mexican chain. The El Pollo Loco locations in Mexico are not affiliated with or operated by the American El Pollo Loco, Inc. El Pollo Loco operates in over 50 locations within Mexico City and the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, Michoacán, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas, of which 28 are located in Nuevo León.
Roberto's Taco Shop is a chain of Mexican restaurants in California and Nevada, with locations primarily in San Diego and the Las Vegas Valley. It is based in Las Vegas, and it had 77 locations as of 2020. The company originated with a tortilleria that was founded in San Ysidro, San Diego in 1964, by Roberto Robledo and his wife Dolores. They subsequently purchased several restaurants, before renaming them Roberto's Taco Shop around 1970. The chain expanded to the Las Vegas Valley in 1990, and was also operating in Miami by the end of the decade.
The El Cholo Spanish Cafe is a Los Angeles restaurant serving Mexican food. Founded in 1923, the restaurant is credited with the introduction of the burrito to the United States in the 1930s. The restaurant has expanded to a chain with six locations in Southern California. It celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023.
Mis Tacones is a Chicano and queer-owned vegan taquería in Portland, Oregon.
La Carta de Oaxaca is a Mexican restaurant in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, in the U.S. state of Washington.
El Borracho is a chain of Mexican restaurants in the U.S. state of Washington. The business operates at Pike Place Market in Central Waterfront, Seattle, and in Tacoma. Previously, El Borracho operated in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood.
Colloquially referred to as Loncheras, Taco trucks have become an iconic symbol of Mexican culture in the United States. Popularized in Los Angeles, Loncheras are often characterized by rough exteriors, bright colors, and bold murals. Operators have been able to build loyal clientele using familiar parking spots, social media, and after-dark hours. Though taco trucks are a staple food for Angelenos of every race, Loncheras in Los Angeles are chiefly owned and operated by Hispanic and Latino families in low to moderate-income areas. Since Raul Martinez's first mobile truck success, taco trucks have continued to serve as windows of opportunity for migrant families and prospective chefs to earn a living. Taco trucks, like all Mexican street food, have allowed Mexican Americans to stay connected to their heritage while adjusting to a new country, community, and way of life. Success among authentic Mexican taco trucks later inspired "fusion taco trucks". Roy Choi's Kogi BBQ food truck, a Korean-Mexican short rib taco truck, is considered to be the first "fusion" taco truck in Los Angeles. The opening of Choi's truck marked a gastronomic explosion on the Los Angeles taco truck horizon. Both regular and fusion taco trucks help meet the high demand for fast, affordable, and convenient street food in the Golden city.
