The Applebee's Sister Restaurant All Taco Fanatics Must Try

Finding a good taco can be hit or miss these days. Depending on the location, you may love or hate what you get at more popular Mexican fast food chains like Taco Bell, Chipotle, Del Taco, or El Pollo Loco. As more chains try to feed customers' cravings for good Mexican food, some underrated chains are seeing more opportunities. And the more successful ones are ripe to get bought out by larger fast food and casual dining conglomerates.

That's what happened with Fuzzy's Taco Shop in 2022, when it got bought by Dine Brands – the same parent company that owns Applebee's and IHOP. If you're not familiar with Fuzzy's, it's a mostly regional chain that opened in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2003 before franchising in 2009. The chain now has nearly 150 restaurants across 14 states, most of which are in Texas, Oklahoma, and the Midwest.

Fuzzy's takes a quirky approach to their marketing and menu — somewhat reminiscent of Moe's. That said, Fuzzy's Taco Shop menu is a bit more robust with multiple tacos, nachos, enchiladas, burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, salads, and even all-day breakfast tacos and burritos. On top of that, Fuzzy's has a fairly extensive drink menu, with a wide range of margaritas, sangrias, and even a "beerita" — the frozen house Fuzzyrita topped with a 7-ounce Corona.

Those aforementioned breakfast tacos and burritos are a huge hit with Fuzzy's fans. In fact, Fuzzy's breakfast burritos are some of the best you'll find among fast food chains, in our opinion. They are super flavorful and packed to the brim with fillings. Options include the classic bacon, egg, and cheese, but there's also a chorizo, egg, and cheese, as well as other options. One TikTok user reviewed the burrito and had this to say: "Clearly better than, like, what I would cook at home, and I make the best breakfast tacos and burritos."

Generally speaking, Fuzzy's Taco Shop receives pretty good reviews from customers. Like any other chain, your experience may vary across locations, but even notoriously critical Yelpers tend to lean positive toward Fuzzy's. Referring to the Colliersville, Mississippi location, one reviewer says, "Great queso, great tacos, and great atmosphere. Definitely going back." Beyond breakfast, other standout dishes include the baja fish tacos, the tacos dorado, and the tortilla chips sprinkled with "Fuzzy dust" — a blend of spices so popular the brand sells it by the container.

When it comes to Mexican fast food, Americans have plenty of options. Still, it's often the same big names — like Taco Bell and Chipotle — that dominate the landscape. Here's hoping regional favorites like Fuzzy's Taco Shop continue to expand, giving more people across the country a chance to see what they've been missing.