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Random Mon May 24 2010
When the Gas Costs More than the Meal
What am I doing at a Taco John's in Bourbonnais?
I got the call from friends of mine who love this upper Midwestern "West-Mex" chain restaurant, which is a much classier version of Taco Bell that is known for their potato oles--a smaller, crisper tater tot. And because my friends are true Americans (define that any way you want), they're willing to drive over sixty miles each way for Taco John's; the home of the Bears' training grounds is the closest one to Chicago. I came along for a thoroughly fun afternoon escape from the city.
I had a grilled, stuffed taco. "Grilled" implies I skipped over the common, fat-laden traps of Mexican dining; however, "stuffed" whips me back to the boarding platform of the hardening arteries express. But for someone who visits TJs (are we chummy enough to use nicknames?) once a year, I can splurge. My taco was a normal variety--seasoned ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese in a corn shell--that was then folded into a large flour tortilla, doused with a frying oil and then stuck on a grill for a few minutes. It stopped there--no pizzas or crepes were involved---and it was delicious, a perfectly seasoned match of crispy and chewy. The potato oles make no sense as a standard side dish at TJs--too starchy to properly contrast its main dish, and coupled with the jalapeno-flavored nacho cheese dipping sauce, would have been a better side for a sloppy joe being served at the sports bar across the street. TJs also throws potato oles into burritos, which may be a bigger error, but I can only stomach one value meal at a time, so that examination will be deferred to my next trip.
While some may balk at the effort to get there, Taco John's is worth the trip. We stumbled back into the car, giant sodas in hand, our starchy dreams fulfilled. Feels good to be an American.
Suzogoodie / May 24, 2010 10:31 AM
Thanks, Robyn. I, too, love Taco John's and am from that area so I go there whenever I am in town. Next year, I recommend you try the super potato oles. Yes, it's bad for you but I don't want to live longer in a world without it.