The Vintage Fast Food Chain That Was Wiped Off The Map Thanks To Taco Bell

To many, Taco Bell is the king of Mexican fast food. While the Crunchwrap Supreme and the Beefy Five-Layer Burrito, arguably the best Taco Bell item, are undoubtedly iconic, there's a lot more Mexican fast food chains that aren't Taco Bell — many of them are pretty great. In fact, at one point in time before Taco Bell, there was a different fast food chain that briefly ruled the kingdom of fast food tacos.

Meet Pup 'n' Taco, a fast food chain based out of southern California that has sadly been forgotten. The chain thrived for almost 20 years on a combined menu of hot dogs, pastrami sandwiches, burgers, tacos, and more. However, the chain's success was halted by Taco Bell; not necessarily due to fierce competition, but because Taco Bell actually bought most of the chain's buildings. Taco Bell bought 99 of Pup 'n' Taco's locations in total, leaving only three left in New Mexico. Taco Bell repurposed the bought locations into new franchises. The combination of how swift the takeover was and the fact that Pup 'n' Taco never went national sadly meant only a handful of people still remember the chain today.

Pup 'n' Taco was founded in 1965 by Russ Wendell in California, the unofficial birthplace of fast food. The menu was a combination of American fast food classics and Mexican dishes, including tacos, bean burritos, pastrami sandwiches, tostadas, chili dogs, and hamburgers. The combined menu, along with cheap prices, proved to be a major selling point for many.

Throughout the years, Pup 'n' Taco spread primarily through southern California. It also spread to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Denver, Colorado. At one point, the chain was successful enough to expand to nearly 100 locations. According to Roger Wendell, son of founder Russ Wendell, the business was primarily run by friends and family. Despite its success and continuous expansion, in November of 1984, it was announced that Taco Bell would be buying and taking over 99 Pup 'n' Taco locations. Three locations remained intact in Albuquerque under a slightly different name: Pop 'n' Taco. Despite the name change, the menu stayed the same until these locations eventually closed down.