Get Out! Magic returns with Texaco Taco Time

I’ve been taken to task a time or two recently for including a few fast-food joints in my spectrum of reviews. I’ve been told it’s not kosher to pick on the fine folks who make their living at these places and that I’m not bringing anything to light that everyone doesn’t already know. We’ve all experienced a Big Mac, so why do a review of Micky D’s?

OK, even I might find it hard to glean some entertainment value from a visit to the golden arches, but I like a good challenge, so you never know.

However, I’ve also been told it’s a good thing to cover places that the average working person actually can afford. And since I’m certainly not made of money, I include myself in that category.

Basically, I’ll write about any place I find interesting, from grocery-store delis to fine French bistros. Granted, a quick jaunt through the Taco Time drive-through is not going to provide one with an exquisite gourmet experience, but it will provide a hollow form of temporary satisfaction without totally emptying the pocketbook.

When I was just a wee tater-tot, a trip to Taco Time was kind of an exciting thing. Back then, it was at Seventh and Sherman in Coeur d’Alene in the oddly shaped building that now houses another taco joint, and I’m pretty sure it was the only Mexican place in town at the time.

The big deal was to sit in the upstairs dining area (I vaguely remember it being the smoking section at one point) and eat huge amounts of deep-fried Cinnamon Crustos.

Over time, the upstairs area became less and less accessible due to the bad kids who found great fun in throwing random bits of food over the edge and snickering uncontrollably (Who, me? Certainly not.)

After Taco Time relocated in the mid-‘80s to the trendier location at Silver Lake Mall, the magic sort of ended. The chaotic food court there simply did not have the same charm that the downtown place had had.

I’ve never been a big fan of hanging out at the mall, so Taco Time basically dropped off my radar for quite a number of years. Thankfully, the food at Senor Froggy was nearly identical, so the Time wasn’t really missed.

But, not too long ago, I noticed the big “Taco Time” signs decorating the outside of the Texaco gas station at Appleway and Ramsey. I was delighted to discover a drive-through was set up there. What a wonderful world of possibilities this opened up.

I always tell everyone how much I dislike greasy fast food, and I generally do try to avoid it. But sometimes, I’m just tired and lazy and don’t feel like getting all gussied up for a trip into a store or restaurant.

I truly can’t stomach many of the drive-through food options offered in this area (and I’m getting a bit burned out on Subway), so I was excited about another option, a place that might offer something semifresh and semihealthful.

For those of you who might prefer inside dining, I did notice a handful of tables, but the ambience is obviously nonexistent and the vibe is pure Texaco convenience mart – complete with fluorescent lights and country radio.

“Thank you for choosing Appleway Taco Time; how can I help you?” squawked the drive-through girl immediately when I pulled up.

“Uh, just a minute,” I said. I gazed over the menu, giving serious consideration to sensible options such as rice burritos on whole-wheat tortillas or maybe a salad.

However, freshness and health went out the window in favor of the nostalgia of a classic crisp meat burrito and a gloppy Saturday nacho special. Oh, the decadence!

The girl at the window was an absolute delight, smiling and polite and asking about my hot-sauce preference as if it were a window to my soul. Good customer service is so rare these days that it can take me quite by surprise, especially at a fast-food joint.

I got home and dived in.

My crisp meat burrito was pretty good, but not as good as I remembered, even dipped in plenty of that Thousand Island-esque sauce. The operative word should be “crisp,” and this rather floppy, soggy roll-up struggled to fit that description.

The nachos had me totally thrown off at first because I swear Taco Time always had used real cheese in the past. These were covered in that same “jalapeno cheese” sauce served at places such as Taco Bell. “How terrible,” I thought at first, until I realized that I actually do have an unexplainable fondness for slimy fake cheese sauce.

The main problem with the nachos was that they were quite cold and became soggy after re-nuking them. Nothing terribly original here – just some clumpy refried beans, a tease of taco meat, chopped tomatoes and onions and sour cream and certainly not enough chips.

The toppings-to-chips ratio was like 2-to-1, making it necessary to use a fork because the weight and wetness of everything had rendered what few chips there were totally useless. C’mon kids: Throw in some extra chips. They can’t be that expensive.

Overall, however, I’m happy to have Taco Time in the mix of drive-through possibilities. Its food can be a little hit-or-miss, but it does have some creative healthful-ish options on the menu (which I’m getting next time, I swear).

Surely, the Baja fish taco is less artery-clogging than the traditional ground-beef variety, all stuffed with cabbage and fresh tomato salsa and served with a wedge of lime. The veggie burrito comes in a wheat tortilla and even includes sunflower seeds. The grilled chicken fiesta salad is piled high with black beans and sweet corn.

Now, please pass the deep-fried Cinnamon Crustos.