Yermo, California, a secluded town near Barsto in the Mojave Desert.

It has a little to distinguish itself from the countless other scattered enclaves along

Interstate 15, the highway that connects Los Angeles to Las Vegas, with one exception.

In 1964, Ed Hackbarth and David Jamison chose Yermo as the site of their Mexican fast food

restaurant, giving it a Spanish name that literally translated to House of the Taco.

The duo dropped Kasa and, with the help of a kitchen equipment industry professional

named David Nagel, expanded their business across SoCal's inland empire and subsequently

throughout the Golden State at large.

The 80s saw expansion across the Western United States, and the decision to have locations

be open for 24 hours.

Over the decades, value conscious consumers have benefited from the race to the bottom

between this chain and its much larger rival, Taco Bell, as they attempt to provide Mexican-inspired

menu items at the lowest price point possible.

Yet this restaurant distinguishes itself from the global number one by offering American

items like burgers and fries, in addition to the Taco's burritos and quesadillas that

formed the bulk of their menu.

Now with over 50 years of operation in over 500 locations, this frequent, scorch-awing,

hot topic here on the podcast is finally getting a full episode of its own.

This week on Doe Boys, Del Taco.

Welcome to Doe Boys, the podcast about chain restaurants.

I'm Nick Weiger, alongside my co-host Mike Mitchell, the spoon man.

How are you doing, spoon man?

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