Taco Casa
603 15th St E, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35401
Taco Casa Menu
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Diabetics at Taco Bell
The biggest concern for diabetics is to find healthy food with less sugar at restaurants. The hunt for the right food becomes even more challenging for diabetics when dining at a fast food restaurant. Well, Taco Bell changes that with Fresco style. Simply ask or order an item from the Taco Bell menu in Fresco Style.
Food Suggestions for Diabetics at Taco Bell:
Crunchy Taco Supreme
Nutrition Fact: 190 calories, 11g Fat (4.5g Sat. Fat), 340mg sodium, 15g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 3g Fiber, 8g Protein
Fresco Steak Soft Taco
Nutrition Fact: 150 calories, 4g Fat (1.5g Sat. Fat), 460mg sodium, 17g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 10g Protein
Fresco Soft Taco – Shredded Chicken
Nutrition Fact: 150 calories, 6g Fat (2g Sat. Fat), 430mg sodium, 16g Carbs, 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 9g Protein
Fresco Soft Taco Beef
Nutrition Fact: 160 calories, 6g Fat (2.5g Sat. Fat), 480mg sodium, 18g Carbs, 1g Sugar, 3g Fiber, 8g Protein
Veggie Power Menu Bowl
Nutrition Fact: 480 calories, 19g Fat (5g Sat. Fat), 970mg sodium, 65g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 13g Fiber, 14g Protein
Bean Burrito
Nutrition Fact: 380 calories, 11g Fat (4g Sat. Fat), 1060mg sodium, 55g Carbs, 3g Sugar, 9g Fiber, 14g Protein
Mini Skillet Bowl
Nutrition Fact: 180 calories, 11g Fat (2g Sat. Fat), 430mg sodium, 16g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 5g Protein
Foods to Avoid at Taco Bell for Diabetics:
You must avoid all kinds of Drinks and Freezes at Taco Bell if you have diabetes. Almost every beverage offered at Taco Bell contains high sugar content.
High Cholesterol at Taco Bell
Fast food restaurants are known for serving high calorie, greasy food with lots of sugars. Taco Bell changes this trend by offering Fresco Style option where your favorite food item is prepared using pico de gallo as it will cut down 20 – 30 calories easily from the original meal.
Food Suggestions to Maintain Cholesterol Level at Taco Bell:
Mini Skillet Bowl
Nutrition Fact: 180 calories, 11g Fat (2g Sat. Fat), 430mg sodium, 16g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 5g Protein
Breakfast Soft Taco – Egg & Cheese
Nutrition Fact: 170 calories, 9g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 330mg sodium, 15g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, less than 1g Fiber, 7g Protein
Spicy Tostada
Nutrition Fact: 210 calories, 10g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 440mg sodium, 22g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 5g Fiber, 6g Protein
Fresco Crunchy Taco – Beef
Nutrition Fact: 140 calories, 7g Fat (2.5g Sat. Fat), 300mg sodium, 14g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 3g Fiber, 6g Protein
Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadilla
Nutrition Fact: 200 calories, 10g Fat (3.5g Sat. Fat), 490mg sodium, 15g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 1g Fiber, 10g Protein
Crunchy Taco Supreme
Nutrition Fact: 190 calories, 11g Fat (4.5g Sat. Fat), 340mg sodium, 15g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 3g Fiber, 8g Protein
Spicy Potato Soft Taco
Nutrition Fact: 230 calories, 12g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 460mg sodium, 27g Carbs, 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 5g Protein
Foods to Avoid at Taco Bell for High Cholesterol:
It is best to avoid Bacon or Steak dishes at Taco Bell as such dishes contain a lot of fat. Also, try to avoid all kinds of Drinks and Freezes which are full of sugars resulting in empty calories.
Visit below restaurant in Tuscaloosa for healthy meals suggestion.
High Blood Pressure at Taco Bell
People with high blood pressure must avoid food with high sodium levels. You can either ask the people at Taco Bell to add less salt in your food or choose the food items with less sodium content or customize your order using Taco Bell's own nutrition calculator.
Food Suggestions to Control Blood Pressure at Taco Bell:
Fresco Chicken Soft Taco
Nutrition Fact: 150 calories, 6g Fat (2g Sat. Fat), 430mg sodium, 16g Carbs, 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 9g Protein
Spicy Tostada
Nutrition Fact: 210 calories, 10g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 440mg sodium, 22g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 5g Fiber, 6g Protein
Grilled Breakfast Burrito - Sausage
Nutrition Fact: 340 calories, 17g Fat (5g Sat. Fat), 730mg sodium, 36g Carbs, 3g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 11g Protein
Veggie Power Menu Bowl
Nutrition Fact: 480 calories, 19g Fat (5g Sat. Fat), 970mg sodium, 65g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 13g Fiber, 14g Protein
Foods to Avoid at Taco Bell for High Blood Pressure:
Taco Bell offers a wide range of Grande Scrambler Burritos, Crunch wraps, and Quesadillas which are high in sodium. It is important to limit the sodium intake at Taco Bell and avoid any meal with over 750-800mg sodium.
Visit below restaurant in Tuscaloosa for healthy meals suggestion.
High Cholesterol at Taco Bell
Fast food restaurants are known for serving high calorie, greasy food with lots of sugars. Taco Bell changes this trend by offering Fresco Style option where your favorite food item is prepared using pico de gallo as it will cut down 20 – 30 calories easily from the original meal.
Food Suggestions to Maintain Cholesterol Level at Taco Bell:
Mini Skillet Bowl
Nutrition Fact: 180 calories, 11g Fat (2g Sat. Fat), 430mg sodium, 16g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 5g Protein
Breakfast Soft Taco – Egg & Cheese
Nutrition Fact: 170 calories, 9g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 330mg sodium, 15g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, less than 1g Fiber, 7g Protein
Spicy Tostada
Nutrition Fact: 210 calories, 10g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 440mg sodium, 22g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 5g Fiber, 6g Protein
Fresco Crunchy Taco – Beef
Nutrition Fact: 140 calories, 7g Fat (2.5g Sat. Fat), 300mg sodium, 14g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 3g Fiber, 6g Protein
Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadilla
Nutrition Fact: 200 calories, 10g Fat (3.5g Sat. Fat), 490mg sodium, 15g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 1g Fiber, 10g Protein
Crunchy Taco Supreme
Nutrition Fact: 190 calories, 11g Fat (4.5g Sat. Fat), 340mg sodium, 15g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 3g Fiber, 8g Protein
Spicy Potato Soft Taco
Nutrition Fact: 230 calories, 12g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 460mg sodium, 27g Carbs, 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 5g Protein
Foods to Avoid at Taco Bell for High Cholesterol:
It is best to avoid Bacon or Steak dishes at Taco Bell as such dishes contain a lot of fat. Also, try to avoid all kinds of Drinks and Freezes which are full of sugars resulting in empty calories.
Visit below restaurant in Tuscaloosa for healthy meals suggestion.
Q&A on Taco Bell
Who owns Taco Bell?
Taco Bell is a restaurant chain subsidiary owned by Yum! Brands, Inc. which controls the restaurant division of PepsiCo.
When does Taco Bell stop serving breakfast?
Taco Bell starts serving breakfast from 6 a.m. which is one hour later than other competitors. However, the restaurant chain continues serving breakfast till 11 a.m. which is half an hour later than other competitors.
When is Taco Bell happy hour?
Happy hour at Taco Bell starts from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Are Taco Bell beans healthy?
Beans are rich in protein, fiber, and minerals like iron and phosphorous. Hence, Taco Bell beans are healthy in nature. However, there are claims that Taco Bell uses a rehydrated slew of mystery ingredients instead of beans. So, simply inquire about the beans before ordering items serving Taco Bell beans.
Which Taco Bell is closest to me?
Use our Restaurant Listings directory to find Taco Bell nearby.
Which Taco Bell sauce is hottest?
Diablo is the hottest Taco Bell sauce.
Which Taco Bell sauce is best?
In terms of popularity, the Mild sauce is undoubtedly the best Taco Bell sauce favored by Americans.
Which Taco Bell sauces are vegan?
Hot and Mild sauces are certified vegan.
Which Taco Bell has nacho fries?
Taco Bell has a habit of discontinuing and relaunching Nacho Fries. You can find the Taco Bell locations nearby to see if the Taco Bell store has Nacho Fries.
Which Taco Bell is open right now?
Taco Bell opens at 6 a.m. in the morning and stays open until 3 a.m. the next day at major locations. In New York city, the Taco Bell stores stay open till 11 p.m. or 12 midnight.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
About Taco Bell
Taco Bell is a haven for Mexican delicacies such as tacos, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, and other specialty items. Owned by Yum! Brands, Inc. Taco Bell is one of the fastest growing American chains of fast food restaurants. The restaurant operates from 7,072 different locations which are mostly run by independent franchisees and licensees.
The background story of Taco Bell is interesting and inspiring for budding entrepreneurs. The fast-food brand is the brainchild of Glen Bell, who started his first food venture as a hot dog seller in San Bernardino, California. The year was 1948. After witnessing long queues outside a Mexican restaurant called Mitla Café across the street, Bell saw the opportunity and demand for hard-shelled Tacos. He reverse-engineered the recipe and later started selling Tacos and called the venture Taco-Tia.
Later, the name changed from Taco-Tia to El Taco. Eventually, Glen Bell sold the company to his partner and opened the first Taco Bell in Downey in 1962. By 1964, the restaurant also got its first franchise in Torrance. The 100th Taco Bell restaurant was opened by 1965. PepsiCo acquired Taco Bell from Glen Bell in 1978 and the restaurant brand is currently a subsidiary of Yum! Brands which looks after the restaurant business of PepsiCo.
Healthy Food Options at Taco Bell
You may believe that a healthy lifestyle doesn't go well at a fast food restaurant. Well, that's not the case with Taco Bell. Surprisingly Taco Bell offers a variety of healthy options, thanks to the in-house registered dietician who monitors the whole menu. The dietician ensures that each item on the menu is free from additives and preservatives, colors, and artificial flavors. The dietician also ensures that the food served at Taco Bell doesn't contain high-fructose corn syrup, low sodium levels, and reduced use of partially hydrogenated oil.
More than 75% of food items served at Taco Bell falls under 500 calories. Taco Bell also features the Fresco Style option which helps the customers to maintain healthy diet plan without missing out on taste. In Fresco style option, Taco Bell switches pico de gallo with cheese, sour cream, guac, and mayo-based sauce. Taco Bell takes care of almost every health preference of its customers.
Tips for Dining at Taco Bell
Diabetics can also try other Fresco styled Taco items such as Fresco Crunchy Taco, Fresco Grilled Steak, and Fresco Soft Taco Beef. These are other healthy alternatives of Tacos for diabetics which contains an adequate amount of starch and minimum or no fat content. Switch the regular sauce or cheese with pico de gallo and you can easily reduce the sodium intake and fat content for your body. It will help maintain blood pressure levels and control high cholesterol.
Q&A on Taco Bell
Who owns Taco Bell?
Taco Bell is a restaurant chain subsidiary owned by Yum! Brands, Inc. which controls the restaurant division of PepsiCo.
When does Taco Bell stop serving breakfast?
Taco Bell starts serving breakfast from 6 a.m. which is one hour later than other competitors. However, the restaurant chain continues serving breakfast till 11 a.m. which is half an hour later than other competitors.
When is Taco Bell happy hour?
Happy hour at Taco Bell starts from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Are Taco Bell beans healthy?
Beans are rich in protein, fiber, and minerals like iron and phosphorous. Hence, Taco Bell beans are healthy in nature. However, there are claims that Taco Bell uses a rehydrated slew of mystery ingredients instead of beans. So, simply inquire about the beans before ordering items serving Taco Bell beans.
Which Taco Bell is closest to me?
Use our Restaurant Listings directory to find Taco Bell nearby.
Which Taco Bell sauce is hottest?
Diablo is the hottest Taco Bell sauce.
Which Taco Bell sauce is best?
In terms of popularity, the Mild sauce is undoubtedly the best Taco Bell sauce favored by Americans.
Which Taco Bell sauces are vegan?
Hot and Mild sauces are certified vegan.
Which Taco Bell has nacho fries?
Taco Bell has a habit of discontinuing and relaunching Nacho Fries. You can find the Taco Bell locations nearby to see if the Taco Bell store has Nacho Fries.
Which Taco Bell is open right now?
Taco Bell opens at 6 a.m. in the morning and stays open until 3 a.m. the next day at major locations. In New York city, the Taco Bell stores stay open till 11 p.m. or 12 midnight.
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Address :
603 15th St E
Tuscaloosa, AL, 35401 - Phone (205) 345-0751
- Website https://www.tacocasa.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:30 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Drive-Thru : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Stahler H.
Taco Casa has the best Mexican fast food in Tuscaloosa. The taco burger and the nachos are the best two things on the menu. It's cheap, fast, and better tasting than Taco Bell
(5)Shawn K.
5 stars because for what it is, it's the best. I can't think of a better fast food restaurant. Absolutely delicious. Very addicting. Their sauce is amazing. Gotta get the chicken tacos and chicken burritos hot, with an order of frijoles. Always great service and fresh food.
(5)Mary T.
I have eaten at Taco Casa all my life.. If you never been here before you must try it! They have the freshest ingredients! I love the shredded chicken tacos they are my favorite and the shredded chicken enchilada.
(5)Terrence P.
Meh, the two chicken tacos were a fine quick afternoon meal. Not great. Fine. I have to ask if the business models follows Spirit Airlines. I ordered the chips and discovered the salsa is extra. YOU HAVE TO PURCHASE IT! Seriously? The salsa was only $0.92, but it is offensive and a suspect practice.
(2)Roman S.
I really wanted to rave about Taco Casa. I had heard so many things about it, but was underwhelmed with my visit. We got there about a half hour before closing, and wanted to take our food to-go, when we ordered, we were not asked a preference, so we got it on trays. The person taking care of us walked away after putting the trays down so we could not even ask about getting it wrapped, when she saw us trying to stack three orders of nachos she asked us if we needed help and wrapped everything up for us. The beefy nachos were good, but were queso blanco with beef in them in a cup and a plate of chips. In other words, the food is probably something you will always love and remember if you grew up going to school in Tuscaloosa and ate it regularly, but objectively there isn't anything particularly mind-blowing about it. I was told by the people I was with that the food wasn't as good as it usually was, so if I am ever back in town, I would definitely give them another try - but if you are a nacho enthusiast like I consider myself to be, these just don't cut it.
(2)Ee Vonn Y.
This is basically a Taco Bell equivalent of local Mexican fast food in Tuscaloosa. The food was greasy, nasty, and exactly what I was looking for. I ordered a taco salad and they had it ready in less than 30 seconds. Scary! Please do yourself the favor and don't use the drive thru. It was hilariously appalling that on my stop here during lunch hour, there were more than 20 cars looping around the drive thru, the building, and out into the road, while the lot only had 3 cars and barely anyone inside. That's nothing on the restaurant's fault. That was just funny to observe.
(4)John K.
Spent 16 dollars expecting a rescuing size burrito for 2.50 a burrito abd received a burrito small as a pencil with a broken tortilla.. people were nice but not worth spending 20 for two people and still leaving hungry. Will not be coming back
(1)Carly M.
4 stars because the food is ABSOLUTELY amazing but some items are slightly over priced in my opinion. But the food is addicting! All my friends from out of state always talk about coming to visit Tuscaloosa and how excited they are to get Taco Casa! Impressive for a fast good Mexican restaurant. People look forward to eating here!
(4)Robin R.
There are so many items I love here: enchilada, taco burger, burrito, taco, frijoles. I get everything extra hot because it makes it that much better. Anything here is great! I eat here once a week.
(5)Casey S.
I saw good reviews and made the mistake of trying this place. It sucks, that's all I can say. Chili Burrito & Beef Taco tasted like gas station burritos.
(1)Sean M.
Probably the worst mexican food I have ever eaten. Stadium nacho cheese, soggy enchilada. Ew.
(1)Billy P.
Food was very bland. It did not have any flavor at all. I will say the sweet tea was fantastic. I will not get food from there anymore, but I will stop by for some tea.
(2)Smapdi B.
I get it. Taco Casa has been around for a long time, it's super cheap, it's a cult favorite, their commercials are funny, people have fond childhood memories, etc. These are the reasons Taco Casa has such high reviews. It's certainly not because of their food, and because I'm not a Tuscaloosa native, I unfortunately have to judge this place by the food it serves. Their "enchiladas" are tiny, unidentifiable tubes of meat drowned in the same neon yellow nacho cheese gloop that you find in gas stations. Their "sancho" is a dry, microwaved soft taco. Their "chili" smells like Alpo and tastes even worse. Words can't adequately convey the horror of Taco Casa. It's absolutely disgusting. My boyfriend warned me that it would be the worst meal of my life, but I've eaten some pretty horrible food before (just read my other Yelp reviews), so I was skeptical. HE WAS NOT EXAGGERATING. Even by fast food standards, Taco Casa is serving things that are barely edible. They make Taco Bell look like a gourmet Tex-Mex restaurant. If you think you might be one of the many people who get off on how cheap and gross it is, then have at it. You won't be disappointed. Personally, I would rather eat my own feces than go back to Taco Casa. Some things aren't worth enduring even for kitsch value.
(1)Ben T.
Obviously, this is a fast food restaurant but its one of my favorites. Better than taco bell. Maybe a little more expensive but definitely worth it.
(5)April K.
Taco Casa is soooo delicious. I live in Atlanta and it's my first stop every time I come to Tuscaloosa. The sauce is so very delicious and comes in mild, hot and extra hot. I'm a vegetarian and always get the bean burrito. The beans are seasoned very well. I'm pretty sure every burrito and taco are just microwaved, but it's a delicious magic microwave!!!
(5)Robert M.
I'm not sure why I like Taco Casa. Frankly, I'm not sure anyone knows why they like Taco Casa...but the greasy (to the point of surely being nasty in any other context) pseudo-Mexican food has a certain addictive quality to it and it keeps local coming back (and in droves.) It's not really worth burning too much fuel describing the food itself in detail, although I will add the soft tortillas are uniquely doughy, but it's certainly worth a try if you're looking for a guilty binge (there's always a time for it.) It's best to avoid the working lunch hours, as the crowd can be overwhelming.
(4)Hibiscus O.
Good lord. No wonder us southerners lead the world in obesity. If you order enchiladas, you will get two shriveled up taquito thingies drowned at the bottom of a deep, thick SOUP of NACHO CHEESE. Why don't you just throw some frozen taquitos into a can of Campbell's nacho cheese soup? (Granted, that'd probably cost about the same, but at least you wouldn't have to deal with the drive-thru.) I mean, come on y'all.
(1)Tanner T.
Tired of taco bell? Want some mexican restaurant quality food cheaper and faster? Come on man (or lady), what are you doing? Put that greasy s**t down and get yourself what you deserve... ...Yeah you know what I'm talking about... ...a nice hot burrito, or two, coupled with a deliciously satisfying cup of southern sweet tea... ...but maybe you've had a long day and want to indulge yourself... ...you know what I mean, maybe you want a little more... ...like some saucy beefy nachos... ...What?? You've never heard of Taco Casa's Beefy Nachos??? ...Dude...(or dudette)....what are you doing with your life? ...just close your eyes and imagine this s**t.... ...Fresh, hot, crispy tortilla chips.... ...a nice spicy cup of nacho cheese with taco meat mixed in... ...mmmmm...yeaaaaahhhh.....can you smell it? ...can you taste it?? ....of course not, you're sitting here (or standing) reading this... ...yeah I know you think it sounds (smells and tastes) good.... .. you know why?.... ...Because it is.... ...It really is....
(5)Amanda S.
You know, it really is "all about the ice". Taco Casa is so, so yummy! There's just the right amount of spice on the tacos and the freshness of everything makes drive-through a great experience. Being a true Southern girl, I've become a sweet tea connoisseur and Taco Casa's tea is the best! There used to be a radio spot for the Casa that mentioned "it's all about the ice" and that's a huge part of what makes the tea so craveable! It's that chippy pellet ice that keeps your drink cold for hours without melting. (Not that the tea stays in the cup that long in my car!) So, so good.
(5)Michelle W.
I grew up in Tuscaloosa and in college ate Taco Casa sometimes twice a day. Now that I'm living in California, I missed it SOOOOOOOO bad. I even had a dream about it. 2 hot tacos, a combination burrito, and large sweet tea = Party in your mouth!
(5)Rebekah O.
Wow, I don't even know how to begin to review Taco Casa because it is simply amazing! Do NOT compare it to Taco Bell because they're not even in the same category. TC is a million times better! You have to get a taco! Order mild, hot, extra hot or no sauce...I like mine hot! With my taco, I either get the yummy sancho or the enchilada (with a bag of chips. Trust me you'll need them for dipping). Occasionally I get the chimalupa which is their taco salad (amazing)! Their ice is the best in town. I used to order their sweet tea, which is also the best in town, but now that I'm older, I go with the half and half tea (half sweet, half unsweet). This is the first place I go when I'm in Tuscaloosa and the last place before I leave (not to mention the countless times I go while I'm there.) A MUST for anyone visiting T-town!
(5)Roll T.
I received the messages from BMR, AF and BH mostly in a series of ellipses. You know it's bad when communication amongst my lawyer brethren doesn't even take the form of complete sentences. From what I could gather, an entire swath of the town where I attended college had been decimated beyond repair, a fading memory with no corpus. Do you remember what it was like when you were a child and your parents would prematurely rip a bandaid from your skin only to reveal an open wound they previously thought had healed? That continues throughout the course of life. There is an old Death Cab lyric that speaks to finding pictures in a glove compartment that the lyricist had tried to forget. I remembered that line the first time I stupidly uncovered some pictures from gmail of a girl I had also tried to forget. Open wound. Hadn't healed. Wish I left the bandaid in place. I thought I had forgotten about Taco Casa. Sure, every now and then when BH brought up how she went back to my favorite Tuscaloosa Taco Casa, I was likely visibly jealous, but I doubt even I realized the connection until yesterday's events reduced the one I probably visited most frequently during my lifetime into an unrecognizable pile of rubble where the corner of 15th and MacFarland used to stand. It's funny how something as trivial as a local taco chain can provide such great substance to an individual. Taco Casa was not only my first memory of an introduction to Mexican cuisine, but it was among the first non-Indian introductions to ethnic cuisine I had in my life. Sure, a foodie might justifiably scoff at the melted "cheese" sauce and extra hot red chili pepper sauce that were generously poured over my tortilla wrapping seasoned taco meat. But I loved it. Growing up, it was a treat to spend $4 on one of these concoctions. I was happy I could order "extra hot" in a state where spicy cuisine was an afterthought. I loved how the cheese sauce somehow wouldn't spur on an allergic reaction like the cheese used at nearly every other fast food restaurant I had previously tried -- a problem that lasted well into my late teens. In short, I had forgotten how much I loved this place. Now it's gone. Most of America doesn't realize what happened in Tuscaloosa, Alabama or, even worse, they do not care. They care more about two straight white people in England getting married or our President's valid birth certificate to focus on an uninvited tragedy in small town Alabama where people's livelihoods were instantly and irrevocably ruined through absolutely no fault of their own. We send money to Japan in droves, but somehow, I doubt that people outside the state of Alabama will organize fundraisers for natural disaster victims located in the United States. It's a problem I have always had with domestic policy. Why are we sending money overseas (yes, including to India during the tsunami) when towns like Flint, Michigan are rotting in despair? I was lucky. For me, it was just memories of a place I loved. For others I know, it was their homes or their businesses. Some people haven't been able to get in touch with loved ones yet. But hey, keep waving your English flag and go have some drinks celebrating a wedding of two people who don't even know who you are and will never care. After all, that is clearly more constructive than focusing on an actual domestic tragedy that could use your collective attention.
(4)Liz G.
Though they don't offer nutritional information anywhere, it's delicious. I highly recommend any of the affordable combos. Good amount of food that is fresh and quality for fast food. The interior is clean and the outside is well kept. The cashiers and service members are always polite and extremely helpful. The enchiladas are a personal favorite. I highly recommend the chicken with extra hot sauce. It's doused in a cheesy to-go pod. Delicious! Pro tip on the tacos. Eat them fast because the sauce they use on them does make it get soggy. Still delicious though.
(5)Brittany N.
Always get chips or a taco with your enchilada to dip into the cheese when you're done ;)
(5)