Taco stand
{{Short description|Urban food stall, food cart that specializes in tacos and other Mexican dishes}}
File:Taqueria.jpg, Mexico]]
File:Taco de longaniza.jpg, Mexico]]
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.{{cite book |author = Jeffrey M. Pilcher |title=Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food |year=2012|pages= 4–10 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-974006-2}} - [https://books.google.com/books?id=h0CvArl9ft8C&q=taqueria Read online] at Google Books 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.{{cite book |author=Gustavo Arellano |year=2012 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=avFXqIIomuwC&q=taqueria |title=Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America |publisher=Scribner |location=New York |isbn=978-1-4391-4861-7}}{{rp|4–5}} 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.{{rp|139–148}}
In Mexico, taco stands are commonly referred to as taquerías, because originally a taquería was typically a street vendor. However, many taquerías today are restaurants located in buildings. Taco stands may be located at roadsides and in areas where people gather, such as at outdoor mall areas. Taco stands are typically located outdoors, although the term is also used at times to refer to taco restaurants. Some taco stands are temporary operations, set-up for events such as fairs and festivals.
Fare
File:Tijuana-taco-stand-goat.jpg, México, serving only goat meat (tacos de birria)]]
Meats used include beef (such as carne asada and cabeza), pork (such as al pastor), goat meat (such as tacos de birria), shrimp and fish, as used in fish tacos. Additional ingredients used include cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, various vegetables such as onion and cilantro, and hot sauce, among others.
By location
=Mexico=
Taco stands are common in Mexico {{cite web | url=http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/recipes/puebla/kgtacos1.html |title= Wrap It Up: A Guide to Mexican Street Tacos (Part One of Two) |access-date=17 February 2016 |author=Karen Hursh Graber |publisher=Mexico Connect}}{{cite web |url=http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/recipes/puebla/kgtacos2.html |title= Wrap It Up: A Guide to Mexican Street Tacos Part II: Nighttime Tacos |access-date=17 February 2016 |author=Karen Hursh Graber |publisher=Mexico Connect}} For example, Jalisco, Mexico has a diverse variety of taco stands in many of its neighborhoods. In Banderas, taco stands serve as gathering places for local residents, and stands develop reputations based upon variables such as food quality and variety.
El Taco de la Ermita is a popular outdoor taco stand in Baja California, Mexico that serves a diverse variety of gourmet-style tacos. Wait times can be an hour or longer, and the stand typically has an armed security guard on premises to maintain order.
File:TacoStandTacubayaDF.JPG|A taco stand in the Tacubaya neighborhood of Mexico City
File:TacoPlacesPetatlan.JPG|Taco stands along a street in Petatlán, Guerrero, Mexico
File:Tacos de suadero.jpg|Tacos with beef suadero being prepared at a taco stand in Mexico
=United States=
In the United States, some brick-and-mortar restaurants may be referred to as taco stands. Some American chefs and service industry professionals have left their employment positions to open their own taco stands.
Ninfa Laurenzo, founder of the Ninfa's restaurant chain, started out running a single taco stand in Houston, Texas.
Prior to establishing the Taco Bell restaurant chain, Glen Bell, the company's founder, opened a small chain of taco stands named Taco-Tia in San Bernardino, California. Bell owned and operated a hamburger stand prior to opening Taco-Tia. In 2012, Taco Bell sold over two billion tacos annually, and had around 6,500 locations in all U.S. states and in several countries.
==California==
Due to its proximity to the Mexican border California is home to many taco trucks. Although it is famed for its fusions of flavors within this cuisine, perhaps the most famous one is the Korean taco.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lamag.com/digestblog/fusion-food-gets-even-wilder-with-these-l-a-burgers-and-tacos/|title=Fusion Food|last=Matano|first=Angela|date=2015-04-28|website=Los Angeles Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-12}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20150130-the-taco-thats-taking-the-us-by-storm|title=The taco that's taking the US by storm|last=Farley|first=David|website=www.bbc.com|language=en|access-date=2019-12-12}}File:First Roberto’s Taco Shop 2.jpg{{cite book|author=Gustavo Arellano|title=Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mbUwNDfOBxQC&pg=PA154|date=16 April 2013|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-4391-4862-4|pages=154–156}}
{{cite news |last=Dotinga |first=Randy |date=8 October 2014 |title='This Is What We Eat': A Look at Mexican Food's Roots in San Diego |url=https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/food/this-is-what-we-eat-a-look-at-mexican-foods-roots-in-san-diego/ |work=Voice of San Diego |access-date=23 June 2018 }}
{{cite news |last=Alice |first=Matthew |date=16 March 2000 |title=How many variations are there of the fast-food Mexican restaurant Roberto's? |url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2000/mar/16/how-many-variations-are-there-fast-food-mexican-re/# |location=San Diego Reader |access-date=23 June 2018 }}]]
The Cielito Lindo Food Stand in Los Angeles, California is well known for its taquitos, and has been in business since the 1930s.
Tito's Tacos is a family-owned taco stand in Culver City that has been in operation since 1959.{{cite web |url=https://www.kcet.org/food-living/titos-tacos-famous-red-salsa-57-years-in-the-making|title=Tito's Tacos Famous Red Salsa, 57 Years in the Making|first=Jean|last=Trinh|date=December 16, 2016|access-date=May 19, 2019|work=KCET}} Featuring a short menu that has not changed in decades,{{cite web |url=https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2012/electric-mexican-titos-tacos/|title=Plates of the Union: Tito's Tacos|first=Nathan|last=Thornburgh|author-link=Nathan Thornburgh|date=August 26, 2012|access-date=May 19, 2019|work=Roads & Kingdoms}} the stand sells American-style hard-shell tacos filled with shredded beef and topped with shredded iceberg lettuce, and cold, grated cheddar cheese.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2fzboe5BbE|title=How Tito's Tacos Became LA's Favorite Hardshell Taco (video)|date=December 23, 2018|access-date=May 18, 2019|work=Food Insider}} It has a loyal customer base and is frequently seen with long lines, though the lines "move quickly".{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-07-23-fo-3915-story.html|title=Man Bites Taco|first=Jonathan|last=Gold|date=July 23, 1992|access-date=May 19, 2019|work=Los Angeles Times}}
Henry's Tacos was a well-known taco stand restaurant in North Hollywood, California that was in operation for 51 years. It went out of business in January 2013.
Prior to establishing Jimboy's Tacos, Jim and Margaret Knudson ran a mobile taco stand named Jimboy's Spanish Tacos in a converted trailer at King's Beach, Lake Tahoe, California.
La Reyna is a well-known taco stand in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles that serves tacos in front of its identically-named brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Alebrije's Grill Taco Truck based in Santa Ana is a bright pink truck home to the renowned 'Battleship Taco.' This consists of breaded steak, with rice, grilled onions, roasted cactus and hot sauce on a fresh tortilla.
This style of taco has become very popular in the area.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/04/23/150886690/the-california-taco-trail-how-mexican-food-conquered-america|title=The California Taco Trail: 'How Mexican Food Conquered America'|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=2019-12-12}}
==Texas==
In August 2006, "hundreds of taco stands" existed in Austin, Texas. AVATACO is a business association of taco stand owners in Austin that was formed circa April 2006.
==Wyoming==
Taco John's began as a small taco stand in Cheyenne, Wyoming named "Taco House" that opened in 1968.
== Kansas ==
In early 2021, Forbes magazine named Kansas City, Kansas as the "true taco capital of the United States".{{Cite web|last=Schultz|first=Brandon|title=America's Taco Capital Isn't Where You Think|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/brandonschultz/2021/03/08/americas-taco-capital-isnt-where-you-think/|access-date=2021-03-09|website=Forbes|language=en}}
See also
{{Portal|Food|Society|Mexico}}
References
{{reflist|30em|refs=
{{cite web | title=Why Noma's Pastry Chef Left to Open a Taco Stand | website=Bon Appétit | date=July 1, 2015 | url=http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/hija-de-sanchez | access-date=September 16, 2015}}
{{cite web | last=Moskin | first=Julia | title=North of the Border, It's Everyone's Mexican Food | website=The New York Times | date=April 30, 2012 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/02/dining/north-of-the-border-its-everyones-mexican-food.html | access-date=September 16, 2015}}
{{cite web | last=Kahn | first=Howie | title=Ex-Noma Chef Opens Taco Stand in Copenhagen | website=The Wall Street Journal | date=June 22, 2015 | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ex-noma-chef-opens-taco-stand-in-copenhagen-1434989177 | access-date=September 16, 2015}}
{{cite web | title=Ninfa Laurenzo: Taco Maker Turned Millionaire | website=NBC Learn | date=May 23, 1981 | url=http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/flatview?cuecard=46279 | access-date=September 16, 2015}}
{{cite web | last=Smith | first=Dakota | title=Henry's Final Taco | website=Huffington Post | date=January 13, 2013 | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/13/henrys-tacos-closed_n_2467488.html | access-date=September 16, 2015}}
{{cite web | last=May | first=Michael | title=The Taco Kings, Besieged | website=The Austin Chronicle | date=August 11, 2006 | url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2006-08-11/394219/ | access-date=September 16, 2015}}
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{{commonscat}}
{{Street food}}
{{Mexican cuisine|state=collapsed}}