Taco Cabana

[BaconCheeseburgerDeluxe]

I was driving down Northwest Expressway this morning and I noticed that Taco Cabana has closed for good. There where workers taking the signs down, has anyone else noticed if the other locations in OKC had closed.

I only know of a few left in OKC, 122nd and May, Reno and Macarthur, Norman and I thought there was one in MWC. I could be wrong.

[writerranger]

I was driving down Northwest Expressway this morning and I noticed that Taco Cabana has closed for good. There where workers taking the signs down, has anyone else noticed if the other locations in OKC had closed.

I only know of a few left in OKC, 122nd and May, Reno and Macarthur, Norman and I thought there was one in MWC. I could be wrong.

Good food, but lousy service. We never could get an order right there. They would mess something up every time we went there. I wonder if North May is still open? I guess someone could call. Hint?

EDIT: I just called and North May said only NW Expressway was closing.

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[mburlison]

Good riddance, the menu not bad, and I liked the setup... but every single time I went the service was horrible and the cleanliness (read 'lack of it') was downright filthy where they assembled the plates. A lot of milling around by employees during slow times and no cleaning going on. I got to where I couldn't stand to go in there and I suspect I'm not the only one. Dang shame too, it was fun (for awhile) to get the margaritas w/ the fast food.

[metro]

Personally I'm sad to see them go. I love Taco Cabana and wish there were more around the metro. Sadly, they've slowly been closing them down over the last few years. They haven't even been in this market 10 years. Hopefully we'll keep a few for the long haul or it may look bad for other new chains wanting to enter the market. I sure wish they had the breakfast menu here in Oklahoma, it was great. They scrapped it years ago here in OKC though.

[jbrown84]

We go fairly often to the N. May location and have never had any problems. Doesn't ever seem too busy though. The one in Edmond closed 3 or 4 years ago.

They seem to do fine in other markets. I don't know what's hurting them here. Perhaps the additional competition from Taco Mayo and Taco Bueno, which are both regional.

[okclee]

I think that with all of the recent popularity of the Moe's and Qdoba's, etc., that they need to adapt and make a few changes. I am not much on the fast food, but my experience with the Cabana was good, although limited. I do like the fact that the serve beer and margaritas.

[Millie]

I doubt that Moe's and Qdoba had much to do with it. I was in Dallas last week and noticed that there were several places where Taco Cabana was across the street or in the same strip mall as a Chipotle or some other burrito chain that we don't have here (Burrito something... not sure what it is called).

[okclee]

Where would you rank Oklahoma City in the mexican restaurant scale?

For me I think that Okc is at the top. I travel regularly to Dallas and San Antonio, and I have not been impressed with the mexican food south of our border.

[Misty]

I hate the Mexican food here! It is the #1 thing I miss about Austin. The best mexican food and margaritas I've ever had! Has anyone ever had the infamous Purple Margarita at Baby A's in Austin???? Delicious.

[Millie]

I think the Mexican food here is pretty good. It isn't southern California, but pretty good.

[CuatrodeMayo]

I when to San Antonio with my wife back in May on our honeymoon. Her and I are both big fans of good mexican food and where looking forward to finding some good stuff close to the source. I did a little research before we went and located one the ones that the locals recommend. I was not impressed. Not to mention, I spend the entire night in bed with food poisoning afterwards (never a good thing on a honeymoon). Sometime after we returned we went to Ted's for dinner. Still the best I've ever had.

I always liked Taco Cabana...usually ate at the one on N. May and never had a problem. I can't figure out what happen to the rest.

[jbrown84]

Which San Antonio restaurant might that be?

Mi Tierra? Casa Rio?

[okclee]

My wife is not from Okc originally and she has family spread throughout the U.S. (dallas, san antonio, new york, minneapolis, denver, and kansas city). Whenever they come to visit okc, the first request is that we go out to dinner for mexican food.

[jbrown84]

The only better mexican food I have found is in New Mexico, and technically that's NEW Mexican food.

[CuatrodeMayo]

Which San Antonio restaurant might that be?

Mi Tierra? Casa Rio?

Those are what I was told were tourist restaurants. Supposedly everything at those places "comes from cans".

The places I was told to eat at were El Mirador and Rosarita's (off the paseo) of which we ate at the former. Case Rio's salsa looked kinda crappy when I walked by and I usually eat at La Margarita in El Mercado, althought I have heard Mi Tierra is better.

[AFCM]

I remember when drive thru was open 24 hours a day. Man, I used to love stopping by for a Cabana Bowl while staying out late on a weekend. After coming back to OKC, I first noticed something was wrong when another restaurant (can't remember which one) was occupying the old Taco Cabana building on I-240; then I noticed they stopped staying open 24/7.

As for the Cabana on NW Expressway, it seems too far away from anything to really stay in business. I usually munch at the Cabana on N. May, and while it is dirty and severely lacking in customer service, I can't resist a Chicken Cabana Bowl for a lunch time meal. I also enjoy eating on the patio when the wind isn't gusting at 30+ MPH. Taco Cabana was one fast food chain I didn't mind seeing in OKC.

[BaconCheeseburgerDeluxe]

I noticed Don Pablo's on 240 has also closed. I guess the mexican food market is somewhat oversatuarated in OKC.

I cannot belive that Pancho's Buffet is still in business. The last time I ate their the food was lousy and the place was just flat out nasty inside.

[jbrown84]

Uh, oh. My dad will be saddened to hear the last Don Pablo's in the market has closed. It was one of his favorites.

That has to be a corporate issue. We can't lose every Don Pablo's location just because of oversaturation.

[Tim]

Those are what I was told were tourist restaurants. Supposedly everything at those places "comes from cans".

The places I was told to eat at were El Mirador and Rosarita's (off the paseo) of which we ate at the former. Case Rio's salsa looked kinda crappy when I walked by and I usually eat at La Margarita in El Mercado, althought I have heard Mi Tierra is better.

I have to defend Mi Tierra! My wife and I eat there every time we're in San Antonio and it is always fantastic!

[jbrown84]

We ate at Casa Rio a couple weeks ago and it was pretty good. Not my favorite but better that Poblano or Ricky's.

[BFizzy]

Has anyone else noticed that just about every local Mexican restaurant tastes nearly the same? Ted's is great, but it seems like Chelino's and all the other local Mexican restaurants are cheap knock-offs of Ted's. The salsa is just about identical. It's also great that the OKC Mexican restaurants give out free queso, but it is always watered-down and tasteless.

It would be great to get some Fresh Mex (SoCal) and NEW Mexican restaurants in OKC. I know everyone says "Oh great, just what we need... another Mexican restaurant." The fact is that we basically have a thousand of the same Mexican restaurant.

Taco San Pedro and Cantina Laredo are the only places that I have been that seem like they aren't faded carbon copies of Ted's.

[jbrown84]

I agree with you for the most part. I find Chelino's to be very different from Ted's, but I think most every Mexican restaurant is a rip off of either Chelino's or Teds.

Poblano = Ted's
Ricky's = Chelino's

[Misty]

I agree with you BFizzy, I've never even seen queso like that in any other city and every single restaurant here does it. The queso at Deep Deuce Grill is good and I like Abelo's queso too.

[fromdust]

It would be great to get some Fresh Mex (SoCal) and NEW Mexican restaurants in OKC. I know everyone says "Oh great, just what we need... another Mexican restaurant." The fact is that we basically have a thousand of the same Mexican restaurant.

there used to be a new mexican restaurant on penn and memorial called something like "blue corn". or something to that effect. didnt last long, though. i didnt care to much for it.

[metro]

I hate to say it but Chili's queso is good. Now on the other hand, I wouldn't recommend their "Mexican" food. Yeah, the Blue Corn Cafe was NEW MEXICAN food but it was darn good. High quality. I really miss that place but their overhead was way to high. They should have leased a smaller place. We were talking about Blue Corn Cafe yesterday in fact. I think it was in the Best Mexican Food thread in the Food Court.