Behind most taquerias lurks former burger joint

A few years ago, they were empty or outdated Hamburger Stands, Wienerschnitzels, Burger Kings and Dairy Queens.

Now, they're part of Colorado's hottest, and spiciest, fast-food trend -- the taqueria retrofit, the conversion of old fast-food locations to Mexican mom-and-pop outfits.

This is just the latest twist on a taqueria explosion that started almost a decade ago.

"You could say the taqueria trend started when salsa replaced ketchup as the leading condiment in America in the late 1990s," says Lynn Bronikowski, public relations consultant for the Colorado Restaurant Association.

It started in California and headed west three years later.

"Colorado consumers are not only looking for convenience and value in dining out today, but their more sophisticated palates crave spicier, more adventurous foods," she said.

Coloradans have always liked Mexican food, but now they're also looking for healthy eating, foods that are low in fat and cholesterol, Bronikowski says. "'Healthy Mexican food' was an oxymoron before the emergence of taquerias, as lard, MSG and other preservatives often were found in Mexican food kitchens. But today taquerias offer whole pinto and black beans as alternatives to fatty refried beans; soft tacos are steamed tortillas rather than deep- fried; and chips are made without lard."

The restaurants also provide great mom-and-pop business opportunities.

Many local taqueria locations had previous lives and came complete with zoning, kitchens, customer-service counters and drive- through lanes in place. Here's a sampling:

La Casita on 8th Street was a Burger King, its location on North Academy Boulevard, an ice cream shop.

Albertaco, south on Highway 85/87, was a KFC.

Monica's Tacos near Fillmore and Nevada was a Burger King.

Where there's a Taco Express, there's usually a memory. Many were former Hamburger Stands and Wienerschnitzels; one was a China Express and several were flower shops.

Rita's, corner of Garden of the Gods Road and Mark Dabling, was a Taco John's and a King Taco. Alfonzo's is a former Dairy Queen on Fountain Boulevard near Circle Drive.

Burrito favorite El Super Taco on South Academy Boulevard inhabits a former Hamburger Stand turned Monica's Tacos. And we've only scratched the surface.

Fazoli's gets chicken

Fazoli's, the place that said, "hey, spaghetti can be fast food, too" has a new grilled chicken panini. Now, experience has shown that paninis can be good, bad or ugly. And Fazoli's has shown they can also be undistinguished.

For $4.99, the grilled chicken breast comes on a round bun- looking disk of bread with just enough crust to nudge it into the panini category, topped with romaine lettuce, tomato slices and a piece of toasted provolone cheese. The chicken was moist and tender, though not tender enough to keep from slipping out of the bread with each bite, lubricated by "Lite Italian dressing."

The lettuce was crisp and fresh, and the cheese had been toasted on the panini so it was warm and sticky. It wasn't a bad sandwich, and is relatively healthy as fast food goes, but it did not leave a lasting impression. Chicken sandwich lovers who lunch can do a lot better.

Copyright 2005
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