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Monday, April 17, 2006

Pup 'n' Taco, RIP

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Here's another memorial to a long-gone, kitschy, 1970's phenomenon. Pup 'n' Taco served hot dogs and tacos. Both were very basic and mass-produced. I think all their restaurants were A-frame buildings. But the best thing about Pup 'n' Taco is that they had very good grape slushes. I still miss those things.

Pup 'n' Taco Logo
If anybody else has memories or pictures of Pup 'n' Taco please leave a comment.

More at Wikipedia.

And here's a Pup 'n' Taco commercial I just found on YouTube:




from: http://www.democraticunderground.com

Oh, and faithful blog reader Eric H. just sent me this link to a page that has even more Pup 'n' Taco pictures.

68 comments:

Anonymous said...

They had the best fries

Anonymous said...

4 Pups or 4 Taco's $0.99

Anonymous said...

I used to work at Pup 'n Taco in high school ('75 - '77) on Lincoln Ave. in Anaheim.

Anonymous said...

Funny, that graphic of the logo is from my blog site www.pupntaco.com!

Come on over if you want a T-shirt, or to spin through my posts about the lost OC of the '70s and more...

Anonymous said...

I loved pup and taco, when I was in high school, I used to frequent the one on Walker and Lincoln in Cypress. I miss it!!

By Bevie, cypress, ca

Anonymous said...

I used to frequent the pup 'n taco on Harbor Blvd in Costa Mesa. I always got the pastrami sandwich - it was really tasty and HUGE!! The fries were great, too.

Anonymous said...

I too loved the crinkle cut french fries! I ate at the one at Clark and Los Coyotes Diagnol in Long Beach, CA. And of course they had the best hot dogs!! I miss it!

Anonymous said...

I used to work at Pup n' Taco in La Mirada from 1980-1982
We had a blast!

Anonymous said...

I only knew of the Pup 'n Taco in Baldwin Park, about 15 miles east of L.A., where I grew up. I was only a kid (around 6-10 yrs old) but I remember loving Tacos on a Bun. I guess that was the actual name, that's what I called them at least. The last time I was in Baldwin Park, it had been replaced by a Taco Bell.

Anonymous said...

Am I the only one who loved their hamburgers.

Anonymous said...

OMG the chicken burrito. Good stuff. My P & T turned into a Taco Bell and still is. Lakewood, on Del Amo & Bellflower. A damn shame.

Anonymous said...

It was the grape slush I went for! Santa Ana store at Tustin and 17th. I Miss them :(

ChristianZ said...

Oh, good. Another Pup 'n Taco grape slush fan.

Anonymous said...

I used to go to the Pup on Lincoln across from AHS. The pastrami was great, but their messy chili dogs were the best!!

Anonymous said...

I remember the night i gave birth to my Son, my husband brought me 2 tacos and 2 chili dogs, (he didn't know what i wanted)and an order of fries, i thought i was in heaven after 22 hours of labor! My son just turned 30 and i sure miss those dogs!!!
Stef in Wa.

Anonymous said...

Love Pup N Taco. They had the best tacos and chili dogs. My elementary school would serve them on wednesday's. Your parents would have to sign a form and pay for them and every wednesday they would be delivered. That was a special day in school!

Anonymous said...

El Monte, the corner of Garvey Ave. and Tyler behind El Monte High School. Went their for lunch. Pastrami Hold the mustard, Thousand Isalnd dressing. if not the Chicken Burrito. A side of Chiliy Cheese fries with pickels and to top it off a large Rootbeer. Man I miss that place, and those times. 1977-84

the gremlin said...

El Monte, Corner of Garvey Ave, and Tyler. Right behind El Monte High School. I was their for lunch everyday. Pastrami hold the mustard thousand island. or a chicken burrito. a side of chili cheese fries with pickels, and a large rootbeer. Man i miss those days. Pup n Taco, where are you??? Come back!!!! 1979-84

Anonymous said...

Holy Crap!!! I thought I was the only one who remembered what Pup 'n' Taco was! This is great. Yes the tacos and the grape slush we used to go to the one on Clark and Los Coyotes Diag. after school.

Thanks for the memories!

Anonymous said...

I use to go to the one off harbor and wilson in costa mesa when i was a kid, my fav items where the burritos and slushies

Anonymous said...

I worked at the Pup 'n' taco on Lincoln and Cypress. I think I was there from 1969-1971. Working there was a blast and the food we created for ourselves was amazing. Did you know that the "burgers" were called Texas Tomato Burgers and we did not cook them, they just floated around in a beef broth. We made all the rest, even the beans from scratch.

Anonymous said...

Eagle Rock location on Colorado Blvd. My best buddie and I would walk down there on many a summer day. It was usually a toss-up whether to order a couple of chili dogs or the all-meat burrito. Of course, the cherry slush was a no-brainer.

Anonymous said...

I loved pup n taco with the cherry and grape slushes! MMMMMM! The hot Dogs were the best too. So many good childhood memories there. We lived in Westminster calif. And we lived across the street from Pun Taco on Westminster ave. and Newland. Does anyone remember That one there? The fries were great too!

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a good flashback.
  
I worked at the Tarzana Pup N Taco.
  
Still in contact with a couple of my fellow workers, Mark and Rick.

Anonymous said...

I loved pup n taco when i was a kid, the one on the corner of Whittier Blvd. & Norwalk Blvd. was my neighborhood hang-out. (of course now it's another Taco Hell!)
Miss the great food and slushes.

Anonymous said...

pup n taco on main st or on the corner of flower and 17th in santa ana best food how bout a cherry slush and a taco on a bun!

Anonymous said...

PUP n TACO had the best Chili Dogs in the Universe !!!! They also had super tacos and pastrami sandwiches. The grape slushies were tasty too. If I had 3 wishes I'd bring back Pup n Taco with one of my wishes.

Anonymous said...

I worked at the Pup 'n Taco at Harbor and Edinger in Fountain Valley/Santa Ana. I loved working there AND eating there. Cherry slushes were the best. Their fries couldn't be beat. They also had the best refried beans ever!! Made with lard and lots of salt just like they were suppose be made.I miss it...so sad.

Unknown said...

Mine was on Lemon and Commonwealth in Fullerton. I loved the grape slushy. We would stop in the summer after a day of swimming at Independence park.

Anonymous said...

Westminster ave and Newland ave in Westminster... We would skateboard up and get tacos, fries and a grape slushi. Nothing could possibly compare.

The other Westminster person, you lived in the apartments next to the Texaco station?

k9king73 said...

I didn't know they were gone. Now my craving for a Texas Tomato Burger will nover be gone. I used to eat there (in Santa Ana) at leastonce per day. Everything they served was GREAT. Dan in Illinois.

Anonymous said...

Used to love pup as a kid. My mom would take me to the one off Wardlow/Norwalk (or Los Al Blvd) in Long Beach/Cypress/Los Alamitos?? Anyway replaced by Taco Bell (I did not eat Taco Bell for years because of this). Best place for tacos, fries, and a slush

Anonymous said...

My mom and dad used to take my brother and I to the one on Vermont and 8th st in Los Angeles. I loved those fries and chili dogs.

Anonymous said...

Mine was at Bushard & Talbert in Fountain Valley, right next to Joe's liquor store (anyone remember Joe Quintana?) and across the street from Fountain Valley Elementary School. The combo burritos were my favorite...

ChristianZ said...

Yep, that's the one I went to.

Anonymous said...

I remember Joe's liquor store.

We usually went to the Pup at Magnolia & Edinger (also converted to a Taco Bell). Grape slush after a day at the beach. Great times!

Chris N said...

I went to FVHS from 77-81, and was one of the lunchtime PnT hangouts. Knew Joe Quintana too, shopping there since I was six. Tacos, Texas Tomato Burgers, Grape slushes, and the best chili dogs. Now Joes is gone, as is FV elementary (I went to Moiola, shrug), and PnT is a Taco Bell. So sad. But hey, they are bringing Bob's back.

ChristianZ said...

Thanks for the comment. Bob's is open in Orange now.

Anonymous said...

We had a Pup N Taco is Mar Vista on the corner of Venice Blvd and Inglewood. Which was replaced by a Taco "Smell". I miss those pups and the fries were the best.

Nude said...

I loved Pup N Taco. The fries were the best I have ever had. Does anyone know what kind of oil they used?

Jim Mc said...

I used to go to the one on Harbor and Edinger in Santa ana/Fountain Valley up until they closed around 1980.

Anonymous said...

I worked at PNT at Los Coyotes (circa 1974) Diag with Neal,and Bob. Fay was the daytime Mgr. All was good what a party. Neal got me fired for should I say getting the money stolen.

Anonymous said...

The Pup 'n Taco crew on Venice and Inglewood were absolutely amazing in the mid 70s. That shop did amazing business and they were wonderfully fast at getting their orders to their customers. I worked just down the street from that store and I would be a frequent customer. Five hot dogs or tacos for under a buck! Amazing memories of that place.

ChristianZ said...

Just to let you know, it might be coming back.

Anonymous said...

First tried Pup 'n Taco in 1983, only two years before they went bye-bye...frequented two locations outside of OC, one on Mountain Ave. in Ontario and one on Baseline Rd. in Rancho Cucamonga. First visit I had a "pup", a side of refried beans, and a grape slush...and I was hooked. Also laughed hysterically at the receipt from the register, as the hot dogs my mom and I ordered were listed as "pups." Oh, to taste those pups, beans, and slushes again. (Sniff.)

ChristianZ said...

http://www.pupntaco.co

http://twitter.com/#!/pupntaco

Anonymous said...

i remember going to the pup n taco on 4th & vineyard in ontario...great chili dogs! it also became taco hell...it was across the street from a pioneer chicken (now popeyes) & a naugles (now del taco). all ghosts of fast food past! lol

ChristianZ said...

Keep your eyes open. Some of these places might be coming back...

-deb davis said...

my fave place growing up in the late 60's and early 70's.. Lake Ave, Pasadena CA... 'taco on a bun with cheese and pickles' and a cherry slush. lol ... FAVE!!!!

DLH said...

Tacos and grape slushies. None better... Bring back the good old days...

ChristianZ said...

Thanks for the comment. For now check out here.

Anonymous said...

what a hoot u people are deluded i worked at pup n taco in the summer of 72 one of the ingredients in the hot dogs was beef lips the burger was frozen with fake grill marks that we thawed out in beef boullion our supervisors forced us to work off the clock cleaning until 3 am and it was hotter than hell in that small work area but like jerome in biloxi blues it was great because we were young. also it was cool giving free foos to my girlfriend(wife) who worked across the street

ChristianZ said...

So eating a hot dog was like kissing a cow.

Anonymous said...

I was a huge fan of Pup "n" Taco when I was a kid. I ate at the one that was in Artesia, on the corner of South Street and Norwalk Blvd.I miss their great food, no matter what it was made of...it was great. They should bring it back with the same recipes as before. Nothing changed like low fat ...etc.
John C.

Anonymous said...

Did the Pup 'N' Taco revival fail? The website link no longer works... Too bad :(

ChristianZ said...

I believe it's on a hiatus.

Unknown said...

I remember 10 for a dollar night at the Eagle Rock location on Little League night back in 1968. What great memories!

ChristianZ said...

Wow, we'll never see 10 for a dollar again. Thanks for the comment.

Terri said...

My friends and I used to go to the Huntington beach PNT during lunch.I went to Marina high.(69-73) What I loved best was the chili dog wrapped in a tortilla omg that was heaven in your mouth.I am in the mid-west now and have not seen a PNT in 40 years. but I still think about them. YUM YUM

Unknown said...

I used to go to the Pup & Taco on Lincoln in Anaheim as a kid. My sister used to work there around 82-83. Did not know that they were all over the place. It was my favorite hot dog place. DerWiernerschnitzel a close 2nd close. Worked at the DerWiernerschnitel on lincoln just east of Euclid St. back in the mid 80s. They closed that one too to expand the 5 freeway. I miss those days.

Unknown said...

I used to go to the Pup & Taco on Lincoln in Anaheim as a kid. My sister used to work there around 82-83. Did not know that they were all over the place. It was my favorite hot dog place. DerWiernerschnitzel a close 2nd close. Worked at the DerWiernerschnitel on lincoln just east of Euclid St. back in the mid 80s. They closed that one too to expand the 5 freeway. I miss those days.

Unknown said...

Bring it back

Anonymous said...

Grape slush to wash down a burrito with red sauce and crinkle cut french fries.

Anonymous said...

I found some coupons which I was using for a book marker

ChristianZ said...

Got pictures of it?

Anonymous said...

Oh my God! They had the best chili dog in California!
Reseda Blvd and Ventura Blvd 1974

Anonymous said...

i totally remember the Texas Tomato Burger! If we got a red star on our receipt we’d get a free one!

Anonymous said...

I used to make them. Powdered potato dust, into a machine that presses them before dropping them in beef fat