We escaped the time vortex on Monday, December 21 and proceeded to drive south.
We were coming into Waco around lunch time and were hungry. Knowing from a past life the distance between Waco and Austin, which is to say one of my previous regenerations (either that or when I was living in Texas with my personal prodigal -- before his metamorphosis, of course), I told Anne to look in the GPS for Fazoli's. We both like Fazoli's and I knew there was one in Waco right off of I-35 from when my sister attended Baylor University.
Anne picked up the GPS and, thinking quickly, asked, "Fazoli's? Not +Taco Cabana?"
To which I instantly replied, "Oh, yes! Taco-bana!!" (Of course.)
She plugged it into Garmin and we proceeded directly there. Guess where it is? About two blocks beyond where Fazoli's is. Boy! Am I ever glad Anne was with me to remember in time to go there!
Let me explain. For residents of Texas, Taco Cabana is nothing special. "It's like a Taco Bell," someone told me before I ever went. I wish that person had held her tongue because her words caused me to hold off visiting for several years. (Just think of all the flauta combo's I missed out on!)
I figured, "Why try something new when I already like the original?"
Wrong.
First, Taco Bell carries Pepsi products. Taco Cabana: Coke. I prefer Coke. (It goes better with rum. I tried Pepsi with rum once and it was really not good. Hence, my loyalty was won for Coke products. Bonus! Coke also goes well with whiskey, though I have never tried whiskey with Pepsi.)
Second: Do you see the veranda in the picture?Here. Let me give a better view of it.
They all have these. Of course, they are also all located in Texas. So there are no worries about snow.
Third, and this is an important one, they have a fresh salsa bar. (Except the one in Houston we went to. But that is a different story.) Now, in Wisconsin, there is a little fast food restaurant called Taco John's. It has a "salsa bar." But the salsa bar at Taco John's is not at all like the one at Taco Cabana.
Fourth, I love to watch their fresh flour torillas being made on the automated tortilla press. It is cool.
Fifth... Fifth... You have to see pictures to get a full grasp of fifth. Now remember that this is a FAST FOOD restaurant and the prices are fast food prices. But, when you order, you get a number and they bring your food out to you.
Enchilada Platter
Quesadilla (Options are cheese, chicken and steak. Cheese is cheapest at $3.99.)
Note for northern Wisconsinites (eh hem, they know who they are): See how the quesadilla comes with guacamolr, sour cream and lettuce instead of french fries. This is the way it is supposed to be.
Inside my steak quesadilla. Note that there is also pico de gallo inside. That is a free option if you want it.
Taco Salad (Called a "bowl," if I remember correctly.)
Cheese Enchiladas with chili sauce (much better than their regular enchilada sauce if you ask me)
Of course, there is also my favorite lunch, the Flauta Combo. Somehow, though, I missed taking a picture of one. (I ate several over my two week visit.)
Yes, Taco Cabana is like Taco Bell because it is fast food Tex-Mex. But no, Taco Cabana is not like Taco Bell.
After lunch, the highlight for the day, Anne and I proceeded through Austin to arrive at my son's house. His car was in front, but there was no answer when we knocked on the door. So I turned the knob and found the house open. He was inside, in bed. He'd gotten food poisoning that day and was as sick as a dog inside. Thankfully, his mother arrived just in time to help him out with a run for medicine to the local Wal-Mart.
Guess what? On the way to Wal-Mart (about a 15 minute drive from the house), Anne and I found another Taco Cabana! (Yay!) We had, however, eaten an early dinner at a favorite bar-be-cue on our way into Austin (more on that later). So our next visit to Taco Cabana would have to be another time.
Ohhh... Taco Cabana and authentic Texas bar-be-cue. How I miss Texas all over again. Anybody want to take a short, 1500 mile trip with me for lunch tomorrow?
We were coming into Waco around lunch time and were hungry. Knowing from a past life the distance between Waco and Austin, which is to say one of my previous regenerations (either that or when I was living in Texas with my personal prodigal -- before his metamorphosis, of course), I told Anne to look in the GPS for Fazoli's. We both like Fazoli's and I knew there was one in Waco right off of I-35 from when my sister attended Baylor University.
Anne picked up the GPS and, thinking quickly, asked, "Fazoli's? Not +Taco Cabana?"
To which I instantly replied, "Oh, yes! Taco-bana!!" (Of course.)
She plugged it into Garmin and we proceeded directly there. Guess where it is? About two blocks beyond where Fazoli's is. Boy! Am I ever glad Anne was with me to remember in time to go there!
Let me explain. For residents of Texas, Taco Cabana is nothing special. "It's like a Taco Bell," someone told me before I ever went. I wish that person had held her tongue because her words caused me to hold off visiting for several years. (Just think of all the flauta combo's I missed out on!)
I figured, "Why try something new when I already like the original?"
Wrong.
First, Taco Bell carries Pepsi products. Taco Cabana: Coke. I prefer Coke. (It goes better with rum. I tried Pepsi with rum once and it was really not good. Hence, my loyalty was won for Coke products. Bonus! Coke also goes well with whiskey, though I have never tried whiskey with Pepsi.)
Second: Do you see the veranda in the picture?Here. Let me give a better view of it.They all have these. Of course, they are also all located in Texas. So there are no worries about snow.
Third, and this is an important one, they have a fresh salsa bar. (Except the one in Houston we went to. But that is a different story.) Now, in Wisconsin, there is a little fast food restaurant called Taco John's. It has a "salsa bar." But the salsa bar at Taco John's is not at all like the one at Taco Cabana.
Fifth... Fifth... You have to see pictures to get a full grasp of fifth. Now remember that this is a FAST FOOD restaurant and the prices are fast food prices. But, when you order, you get a number and they bring your food out to you.
Note for northern Wisconsinites (eh hem, they know who they are): See how the quesadilla comes with guacamolr, sour cream and lettuce instead of french fries. This is the way it is supposed to be.
Of course, there is also my favorite lunch, the Flauta Combo. Somehow, though, I missed taking a picture of one. (I ate several over my two week visit.)
Yes, Taco Cabana is like Taco Bell because it is fast food Tex-Mex. But no, Taco Cabana is not like Taco Bell.
After lunch, the highlight for the day, Anne and I proceeded through Austin to arrive at my son's house. His car was in front, but there was no answer when we knocked on the door. So I turned the knob and found the house open. He was inside, in bed. He'd gotten food poisoning that day and was as sick as a dog inside. Thankfully, his mother arrived just in time to help him out with a run for medicine to the local Wal-Mart.
Guess what? On the way to Wal-Mart (about a 15 minute drive from the house), Anne and I found another Taco Cabana! (Yay!) We had, however, eaten an early dinner at a favorite bar-be-cue on our way into Austin (more on that later). So our next visit to Taco Cabana would have to be another time.
Ohhh... Taco Cabana and authentic Texas bar-be-cue. How I miss Texas all over again. Anybody want to take a short, 1500 mile trip with me for lunch tomorrow?
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