6 pax posted for today's uptown edition of #TacoTuesday, which took place at Tru Taco Zen Taco Chino Mexicano ….. wait, where were we again?
I #pb'd that #TacoTuesday was to occur at "Tru Taco aka Zen Taco," in the uptown Overstreet Mall. This is a frequent lunch spot for YHC on non-Tuesdays, and has been for quite some time. The burrito bowls are large and delicious. I'd only ordered tacos (or anything other than a burrito bowl) here once before, during the pax's previous official trip back on March 6. Today was YHC's second taco order.
Before I get into the tacos, there are a few other things that need to be addressed.
- Branding – perhaps this bothers YHC more than most because I'm an IP attorney, but the branding at this establishment is all over the place, and has been for quite a while. It initially opened as Tru Taco back in April 2016 and, per the Charlotte Agenda and some of the pax, like Roadie, who remember its predecessor, it replaced "a well-known and widely-loved sandwich shop" called "Brad's." At some point, perhaps in late 2017 or early 2018, YHC noticed that some of the signage and branding had transitioned from "Tru Taco" to "Zen Taco." YHC initially assumed that this was a re-branding effort that would be accomplished in stages, from replacing the paper menus and updating the website to eventually replacing everything – overhead menu, murals, physical signage, staff attire, etc. Many months later, the transition is still ongoing. Or perhaps given up on. Some of the signage says Tru Taco. Other signage says Zen Taco. Some menus Tru. Other menus Zen. Person serving food with a Tru shirt. Boy clearing tables with a Zen shirt. There is even a third "name" on the glass adjacent the Overstreet Mall hallway – "Chino Mexicano." And, oh yes, YHC's receipt read "Tru Taco" on one side, but on the other side? Fuel Pizza logos. Some of the pax commented that, during previous visits, they had received receipts that still listed Brad's, or some other restaurant name. Who knows what's going on. At least the food is tasty. But is it clean?
- 91.5 Sanitation Grade – Clubber noticed this while walking by earlier in this morning, and mentioned it on Slack. YHC also personally confirmed at lunch. I'm hesitant to do too much research on this right now, inasmuch as we still ate there today, but perhaps we should look into it before the next trip. All YHC knows is that there aren't many places not named NY Bagel that flirt with sub 90 ratings, and many pax won't eat at NY Bagel anymore.
- The Logo – one of the pax today (was it Jaws?) pointed out that the Tru / Zen Taco logo is actually meant to convey both the Mexican and the Asian nature of the food. If you view the logo one way, it resembles a man with a thick moustache and a sombrero, but if you turn it upside down, it resembles a man with a fu manchu and a bamboo hat. I suppose that's kinda cool. Why they can't get it together on their name, YHC has no idea.
Anyway, back to the tacos. YHC had three – one chicken, one pork, one brisket. YHC chose many fillings, to the point where the tacos were difficult to pick up and fillings were falling out all over YHC's plate (bowl). The tacos were all pretty good, but YHC would probably rank them as follows (with first being best): brisket, pork, chicken. Some pax also ordered chips, which was a smart move, since there were fillings to scoop up. YHC ordered a $2 drink, which might have been better spent on a fourth taco, unless the fourth taco would have just been crammed into the same bowl that was already full of tacos. $11 total was slightly steep compared to other spots we've hit. Overall score: 7/10.
Always great to spend Taco Tuesday with the pax.