Taco Casa

[OkieinGeorgia]

As a kid growing up in Wichita - I’m a 6th generation central Oklahoman but my mom got a teaching job in the 316 and my folks moved there before I was born - I was extremely partial to Taco Tico. We also had another solid chain there called Taco Grande, though I have no idea regarding whether it still survives.

Anyway, when I moved to OKC in the mid eighties I was super happy to find Taco Tico, including the aforementioned one in Edmond but also one on May just south of Mayfair. Now that one is Sheesh Mahal. I was terribly bummed when it closed. The entire Tico chain folded but various attempts were made to revive it using the original recipes. I ate at one on a trip to Wichita maybe a decade ago; not sure if it still survives. It was a pretty close approximation but not precisely as I’d remembered it.

Taco Bell’s off-menu enchirito was a pretty close approximation of the Taco Tico enchilada, which was my favorite thing at Tico. Now I can’t even get THAT.

So, reading your post was surreal for me. I am a 3rd generation Okie but in 1983 we moved to the Wichita area to take care of my Grandmother who wouldn't leave Kansas. I was in the 5th grade and I essentially grew up there and lived there off and on between my time at OU for college, until 2001 when I moved back to OKC. Grew up on both Taco Tico and Taco Pronto. I actually loved Pronto even more than Tico and would frequent the location in Derby until it closed in the 90's. Looks like there is still one last Pronto and one last Grande still open there. Taco Shop had rapidly expanded there when I last lived there in the late 90's and it was very good as well.

Part of why I love Taco Casa is because it reminds me so much of those places I grew up with.

Speaking of the Taco Bell Enchirito/Tico Enchilada... The Chilada at Taco Casa is the exact same thing, even down to the black olives. You NEED to go have one if you haven't.

[bamarsha]

Off topic, but I am dying to know Wichita people... what was the name of that "popular" burger joint (I know it was open in the late 80's early 90's, could still be open now). I heard commercials all the time back then on KEYN - the KJ103 of Wichita (back when I was sitting by the radio waiting to record a good song without the DJ talking through half of it). Thanks.

[corwin1968]

Off topic, but I am dying to know Wichita people... what was the name of that "popular" burger joint (I know it was open in the late 80's early 90's, could still be open now). I heard commercials all the time back then on KEYN - the KJ103 of Wichita (back when I was sitting by the radio waiting to record a good song without the DJ talking through half of it). Thanks.

Sort of off-topic, but actually a PSA for people who might find themselves in Wichita and who like tacos. Taqueria El Fogon #2 has the best pastor I've ever had. Carved off the spit of meat, traditional style and served with pineapple, if you choose. Plus, they are located in an old Taco-Tico building!!

Photo pulled from Yelp:

[Roger S]

As a kid growing up in Wichita - I’m a 6th generation central Oklahoman but my mom got a teaching job in the 316 and my folks moved there before I was born - I was extremely partial to Taco Tico. We also had another solid chain there called Taco Grande, though I have no idea regarding whether it still survives.

There is still at least one Taco Tico remaining in Oklahoma in Duncan.

Been a couple of years since I've been there but last time I was in Newton the Taco Tico there was still open.... I was born in Hutchinson and grew up on Taco Tico sanchos and taco burgers.

[citywokchinesefood]

Sort of off-topic, but actually a PSA for people who might find themselves in Wichita and who like tacos. Taqueria El Fogon #2 has the best pastor I've ever had. Carved off the spit of meat, traditional style and served with pineapple, if you choose. Plus, they are located in an old Taco-Tico building!!

Photo pulled from Yelp:

A couple spots do proper trumpo and it hits way harder than any other al pastor.

[corwin1968]

A couple spots do proper trumpo and it hits way harder than any other al pastor.

I'm not familiar with "trompo", although I just googled it. Is what you are referring to substantially different from El Pastor? It sounds like pastor is a trompo dish.

Where would you recommend we try this? We get up there a few times a year and I assume you are meaning Wichita.

[citywokchinesefood]

I'm not familiar with "trompo", although I just googled it. Is what you are referring to substantially different from El Pastor? It sounds like pastor is a trompo dish.

Where would you recommend we try this? We get up there a few times a year and I assume you are meaning Wichita.

Trumpo is the vertical rotisserie grill that you see used to make gyros/shawarma. It is a style of cooking brough by Lebanese immigrants to Mexico city. The Al Pastor style of taco originates from this cooking technique. You would have layers of marinated pork and onions cooked slowly and shaved off the spit. Traditionally a carved pineapple is put on top and small amounts of pineapple are served with each Taco. Taqueria Cardenas, Trumpudos, and El Chilango also have Trumpo al pastor.

[OkieinGeorgia]

Off topic, but I am dying to know Wichita people... what was the name of that "popular" burger joint (I know it was open in the late 80's early 90's, could still be open now). I heard commercials all the time back then on KEYN - the KJ103 of Wichita (back when I was sitting by the radio waiting to record a good song without the DJ talking through half of it). Thanks.

Probably Spangles. I remember in the 80's they did a contest to name the restaurant and that was the name they picked. Expanded with more locations in the late 90's. Pretty good place.

EDIT: Terrible commercials. For some reason they picked the one person to do the commercials that had a lisp. Poor lisp lady had to "Spangles." lol

[nickeljoshua]

Sign is up on the building at Penn/Memorial.

[Wishbone]

Taco Mayo was my favorite taco chain (does this count as a chain?), but covid killed it. Most of them closed and the one I still know exits (Britton) has the dinning room closed for years (it may still be closed for all I know). I don't like soggy tacos (or getting tacos all over my car). I do like the Del Taco, though! I am partial to Taco Bell, though... spent a summer working there in college. The number if items they can make with the same 10 ingredients is amazing!

There is a Taco Mayo next to the Outlet Mall at Reno and Council and it's pretty good. I like the Indian Taco on Tuesdays.

[bamarsha]

Probably Spangles. I remember in the 80's they did a contest to name the restaurant and that was the name they picked. Expanded with more locations in the late 90's. Pretty good place.

EDIT: Terrible commercials. For some reason they picked the one person to do the commercials that had a lisp. Poor lisp lady had to "Spangles." lol

Yes! That's it! Thanks! How can I forget that?

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Spangles started out as a hot dog place named Coney Island. I was in high school when they changed the name. They did it because they had plans to franchise outside of Kansas and they knew they wouldn’t be able to use the Coney Island name in other markets. If I recall correctly they had a former Pizza Hut corporate employee driving the franchising, but I may be wrong about that. During that time there were a number of fast food startups in Wichita inspired and/or influenced by Wichita being home to Pizza Hut. Big Cheese Pizza was another.

No connection to Pizza Hut, but I also always thought it was interesting that White Castle started in Wichita but that there hadn’t been a White Castle there for probably more than half a century. Edit - just looked it up and there hasn’t been a White Castle in Wichita since 1938!

Anyway, I just thought it was interesting that a place which began life as a coney joint now apparently doesn’t even serve hotdogs and is known as a burger place.

[corwin1968]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Spangles started out as a hot dog place named Coney Island. I was in high school when they changed the name. They did it because they had plans to franchise outside of Kansas and they knew they wouldn’t be able to use the Coney Island name in other markets. If I recall correctly they had a former Pizza Hut corporate employee driving the franchising, but I may be wrong about that. During that time there were a number of fast food startups in Wichita inspired and/or influenced by Wichita being home to Pizza Hut. Big Cheese Pizza was another.

My hometown had Taco Tico, Pizza Hut and Big Cheese Pizza, all about 5-10 feet apart. Literally the width of a sidewalk separated each of them. Now, the space those three buildings occupied is a larger Pizza Hut. Pizza Inn was right across the street.

[OkieinGeorgia]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Spangles started out as a hot dog place named Coney Island. I was in high school when they changed the name. They did it because they had plans to franchise outside of Kansas and they knew they wouldn’t be able to use the Coney Island name in other markets. If I recall correctly they had a former Pizza Hut corporate employee driving the franchising, but I may be wrong about that. During that time there were a number of fast food startups in Wichita inspired and/or influenced by Wichita being home to Pizza Hut. Big Cheese Pizza was another.

No connection to Pizza Hut, but I also always thought it was interesting that White Castle started in Wichita but that there hadn’t been a White Castle there for probably more than half a century. Edit - just looked it up and there hasn’t been a White Castle in Wichita since 1938!

Anyway, I just thought it was interesting that a place which began life as a coney joint now apparently doesn’t even serve hotdogs and is known as a burger place.

Oh wow, I completely forgot about Big Cheese Pizza. We always had their plastic cups in our cupboards when I was growing up. Those cups were awesome. lol

[corwin1968]

Oh wow, I completely forgot about Big Cheese Pizza. We always had their plastic cups in our cupboards when I was growing up. Those cups were awesome. lol

What about the yellow, "Big Cheese Pizza" rubber keychains?

Photo from the net. I certainly don't still have any.

[PM1]

We occasionally went to the Big Cheese in Wellington when visiting my grandfather. I haven't been there since the day of his funeral 19 years ago, but it's still open. A guy who used to blog about remaining locations of mostly-dead chains wrote about the Wellington location in 2020: https://www.brokenchains.blog/2020/0...of-olives.html