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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Del Taco's Secret Naugles Menu

Our other Naugles entries:

Naugles, RIP
Petition to Del Taco: Bring Back Naugles!
Naugles Bun Taco at Del Taco
Del Taco Orange Shake Reboot
Buns & Torts: Naugles Lives On

This is an OUTDATED entry. See HERE for information on the Naugles revival separate from Del Taco.


I might sound like a broken record when I keep talking about Naugles all the time but I keep thinking I've learned all there is to learn about them only to then find out some more information. The chain that spun off of Del Taco before getting "consumed" by Del Taco still has an enormous fan base. I always suspected this but never realized quite how big it was until I wrote a remembrance of them nearly four years ago and thought nothing more of it until I saw the hard-to-ignore numbers of people still searching for information on them. They also have plenty of fans at an unofficial Facebook fan page.

Naugles Menu 1971
Click to see a larger image of this Naugles trayliner menu circa 1971

Since that initial posting and several subsequent ones I have come to find out that a number of Naugles menu items can still be ordered at Del Taco but each has a somewhat different story to it (I must add that Del Taco does NOT consider themselves as having a "secret Naugles menu," per se, but that this is just my attempt to show how one can recreate the Naugles experience to some degree when eating at Del Taco; see here for information on a Naugles revival separate from Del Taco), so read on:

Taco Salad Cup

$1.99
Naugles Taco Salad Cup at Del Taco

This is not the same as Del Taco's Deluxe Taco Salad cut in half but actually follows the Naugles formulation more closely by having secret sauce mixed in and no guacamole or sour cream. Squeeze on some of Del Taco's mild sauce to make it pretty much an exact match to Naugles' Taco Salad Cup. To order just ask for a "taco salad" or maybe a "small taco salad." They should have a button for this on their register but I did have one location say they couldn't do it for me (although I'm not ruling out that they might've misunderstood what I was getting at - UPDATE: I just went back to this same location and got the taco salad cup without a problem).

Cheese Burrito

Price Varies
Naugles Cheese Burrito and Bun Taco at Del Taco

This is one of the most fondly remembered Naugles items. You can try asking for a "cheese burrito" (and one Del Taco employee I encountered recently fondly remembered it herself) but they aren't likely to know what you are talking about. So basically just order any size bean and cheese burrito minus the beans plus sour cream. Some people remember it with red sauce and some people remember it with green sauce while some remember it with guacamole. I'd say customize it to your heart's content.

Bun Taco

$2.00

The bun taco is also seen, unwrapped, in the prior photo with the cheese burrito and the Macho taco

The bun taco already has its own entry. I believe all Del Taco cash registers (including the remote ones used for when the drive-thru lines get long) have a button for the bun taco. It is not shown on their menu board but I have never had any trouble ordering it. Since my initial entry on this I have had numerous people tell me that they have also successfully ordered it. A co-worker of mine ordered two the other day for his lunch. This item originated at Naugles as the "taco meat sandwich" or the "taco burger."

Combo Cup

$2.29
Naugles Combo Cup


Naugles Combo Cup

Another fondly remembered item the combo cup is basically an Atkins-friendly combo burrito in . . . drum roll, please . . . a cup, plus corn chips on the side so you can include the carbs as much or as little as you want to. At the location I have ordered this from they don't have a button for it but they did know what I was talking about (which was odd since this was at a Del Taco that opened long after Naugles closed down) and rang it up as a combo burrito and just told the cook to put the ingredients in a cup with a bag of chips on the side. Now, having said that, I have also recently learned that a Del Taco in Barstow does have the Combo Cup on their menu (read Sean Y.'s review at Yelp; note also that other reviewers have mentioned that some of the Barstow Del Tacos have items that most other Del Tacos don't but I have to add that a lot of the reviewers mention the Barstow Del Tacos as being the only ones to have tostadas but tostadas are a regular Del Taco item now; since tostadas appear on the 1971 Naugles trayliner menu then they too can be considered at least somewhat Nauglesy). I have also been told at one location that they sell combo cups but haven't ordered it from there yet.

Macho Bacon and Egg Burrito

$2.99
Naugles Macho Bacon and Egg Burrito

I stumbled on this item while driving thru the Fountain Valley location on Brookhurst (likely the one former Del Taco CEO Shirlene Lopez used to work at and which was the Naugles I used to go to). When I pulled up to the menu board outside the guy taking my order said, "Would you like to try our Macho Bacon and Egg Burrito?" I said, "I don't see that on your menu board." He said, "It isn't there? People order it all the time." So I got it. It even has its own wrapper still as seen in the photos. My friend Phil said he gets it all the time and swore up and down it must be listed on the menu, but . . . it isn't, but you can still get it. It is a monster burrito stuffed with scrambled eggs, beans, bacon, cheese, lettuce and red and green sauce.

Macho Bacon and Egg Burrito

In one respect, any item at Del Taco with the "Macho" designation can be considered a Naugles item. That means macho tacos, macho burritos, macho nachos, etc. They may not be exactly the way Naugles made them but they're still pretty close.

"The Green Bean Machine"

Price Varies
The Green Bean Machine from Del Taco

No, this was never the official name for any Del Taco or Naugles item. It's a name I came up with to describe a Del Taco Egg and Cheese Burrito with beans added and green sauce used in place of red sauce, which makes it the same as the Naugles Egg and Bean Burrito. I guess I should just call it the Naugles Egg and Bean Burrito but I like my name for it better. (Thanks to @sheryllalexande for the idea.)

And here's a couple items from the not-so-secret menu:

Tostada

99¢
IMG00073-20090919-1405

It might be hard to establish if tostadas appeared at Naugles first or at Del Taco first but I've seen people say they miss the tostadas at Naugles and then go on to say something that indicates that they are unaware that Del Taco has them so just be aware that they are back on the Del Taco Value Menu now.

Bean and Cheese Cup

89¢
IMG00250-20091105-1708

This is similar to the Bun Taco in that all Del Tacos have it (heck, it's just beans and cheese . . . and a little red sauce. . . . in a cup) but it started with Naugles and is even mentioned in the Del Taco Nutritional Information Guide (apparently it's really high in fiber). It is always available, and I could be wrong but I think it only actually shows up on the menu when other Value Menu items aren't crowding it out.

What's Left?

This all begs the question: If so many Naugles items are still available then what Naugles items are currently impossible to get at a Del Taco? It is hard to exactly quantify an answer due to several complicating factors:
  1. Naugles itself evolved over the years (i.e., it didn't have exactly the same menu when it was bought out as when it started);
  2. the Naugles menu and Del Taco menus were never drastically different in the first place, having, in effect, "grown up" as sister chains often trading key personnel; and,
  3. many Naugles locations were franchises where the owners of that particular location had a lot of say in the menu choices they made available so there may be items that people remember a particular location having that others didn't

Now having said that, there's still gotta be a few Naugles items that are not likely to be procured from any Del Taco. After extensive research all I can really turn up is the huevos rancheros seen listed on an old order ticket in the photo section of the Naugles Tribute Facebook page and the Ortega burger, which was a Naugles item that lasted as long as Naugles was around. And maybe it wouldn't be too hard for a Del Taco cook to fry up some corn tortillas (from the Tacos del Carbon maybe?) some eggs over-easy, and put some red or green sauce on it (anyone want to try and order this?) but I don't think Del Taco keeps Ortega chiles on hand with which they could make an Ortega burger. Of course there's also Naugles-specific drinks such as hot fudge shakes, pineapple shakes, and root beer shakes and floats that Del Taco could bring back. UPDATE: There's also Naugles enchiladas that Del Taco could bring back.

Why is Del Taco dragging their heels?

It is hard to guess why Del Taco isn't jumping at this opportunity. It could be that after the merger the executives in power at Del Taco just wanted to sweep Naugles under the rug (see comment on Facebook Tribute page timestamped May 25 at 9:04am) incorrectly assuming the fervor for Naugles would die down within a few months or perhaps a couple years. More recent regimes might've been open to it but may have just not thought of it. With the popularity of the Internet now it is easier for people to voice their opinions and broadcast them than it used to be. Even then, when Del Taco can't track hits to their site based on a 'Naugles' keyword search due to the name not appearing on their website (except in Flash form that is undetectable by search engines) they may have simply been unaware of the solid Naugles fanbase out there. Now with new leadership the new CEO, Paul Murphy, could be open to giving the fans what they want. It may or may not depend on how much personal meaning it has to him.

Another issue is that Del Taco may be worried that promoting the Naugles brand will dilute the reputation of their own brand but they would not be creating competition for themselves so much as opening up another revenue stream. Carl's Jr. successfully pulls off the same thing with their Green Burrito co-branding.

Another thing is that with many of the Naugles and Del Taco items already being conceptually quite similar then perhaps Del Taco wonders if they can pull off a Naugles revival without the exact Naugles recipes, which may now be unattainable. Then again, they may not be.



Of course, we don't know if maybe they ARE working on reviving some of the Naugles legacy, in which case we just wait. Sometimes these things just take time.

Del Taco still has a huge opportunity to capitalize on the enormous amount of passion people have for Naugles even some two decades later. The anticipation we've seen for the comebacks of Bob's Big Boy and Farrell's should not go unnoticed. With relative ease Del Taco could whip up a Naugles sub-menu and possibly even put Naugles branding outside their stores in much the same way Carl's Jr. does with Green Burrito. The amount of traffic they'd get from people driving by and seeing Naugles signage would not be something to sneeze at. If they miss this opportunity then they are sitting on a gold mine without realizing it but at least I'll be able to say I tried my best to help them realize it.

Please leave a comment if you already get some of these items, if you know of any other ones, if you've tried to order any of these and have had trouble, if you have information as to certain locations having or not having a particular item, etc.

Naugles Signage
This is only one of our several entries on the old Naugles chain. We have LOTS of info for people interested in Naugles and its possible comeback. Our other Naugles entries are:

Naugles, RIP
Petition to Del Taco: Bring Back Naugles!
Naugles Bun Taco at Del Taco
Del Taco Orange Shake Reboot
Buns & Torts: Naugles Lives On

Or CLICK HERE to read all the entries at once.

94 comments:

Betsy Hite Reddoch said...

That tray liner is from El Centro - the next town over from where I went to high school and where my parents currently live!

Also I love the tostadas at Del Taco and I'm glad to see that they're back on the dollar menu. Yummy!

ChristianZ said...

Thanks for the comment, Betsy. Good to hear from somebody who lived near the original location.

Anonymous said...

Wow, this so reminds me of years back in high school in La Habra. I seem to recall that Naugles was right next to a Del Taco. My buddies from that side of town really preferred Naugles, but I always went to another Del Taco because it was close to my high school. Then, I tried a Naugles burrito. Man, that thing was HUGE compared to a Del Taco burrito of that era. It was odd to see Naugles absorbed by Del Taco.

Anyway, great to see new content here! I keep checking back hoping. Keep up the great work!!!

ChristianZ said...

Thanks! Let us know if you try out any of these Naugles items.

Lynda said...

Thank you for your recent post. I've missed you!

ChristianZ said...

Thanks!

Lisa Z. said...

Who knew reading the words "combo cup" could bring me to near tears. Thanks for the post and keep it up!

ChristianZ said...

Let us know if you have any luck getting a combo cup. I've had two places tell me they can do it and two that said they haven't even heard of it.

Larry Steudle said...

Great to have you back! Loved the Naugles in La Habra as a kid; never understood the Naugles-Del Taco connection.

Kelly von Hemert said...

Christian, you are KILLING ME! I am forwarding this to my sibs who are stalwart Del fans but basically raised on the Naugles on Tustin Ave. next to the former Pat's Ski and Sport! LOVE IT! You are so right on the Farrell's/Bob's Big Boy thread. Power to the people!!!
Galley Girl

ChristianZ said...

Funny that you should mention "Power to the people." I came very close to using that for the subtitle of this entry.

Anonymous said...

thanks for all the memories...the combo cup...I grew up in Victorville Ca....one of the last Naugles on 7th street.....wow...thanks...Im gonna ask for a combo cup the next time I go to Del Taco....

ChristianZ said...

Let us know if you're able to get one.

Anonymous said...

Naugles was always my favorite growing up. Lancaster had one on Ave I, and it ended up being the turn-around point for cruising during the 70's, then back up to Lancaster Blvd. Great place, I even remember my 65 'stang having to drive through the drive-in backwards because my window wouldn't roll down. Awesome restaurant.

ChristianZ said...

Good to hear from people who remember Naugles well.

Anonymous said...

I use to work for Naugles in Orange on Lincoln and Rio Vista. I loved the cheese burritos I am going to go to a Del Taco and in Orange and see if they will make me on. Do you remember the ice cream sundays and the shakes? those were the best oh yeah and the fries!!

ChristianZ said...

Let us know what happens when you try to get a cheese burrito. Unlike with the bun taco the Del Taco cash registers don't have a "cheese burrito" button so you have to tell them how to make it. If you used to work at a Naugles then you would know how it's done. The other thing is that I think the Naugles cheese burritos were steamed but that Del Taco now only uses a dry press and not a steamer. Anyways, keep us posted. Also, if you have any other info about Naugles that I have missed in my writeups please let us know and let other people know about this entry so they can join in the crusade to get Naugles to return. Thanks!

Iceychips said...

My husband's Grandfather founded Del Taco- All Hackbarth Co. Stores have bun taco's and combo cups.
Stop by the BARSTOW locations!!

ChristianZ said...

Thanks for the comment. I have photos from the main Barstow location here and have been thinking about doing a blog entry on them.

Unknown said...

Just two comments: the Macho Breakfast Burrito has been on the Del Taco menu for a long time even if it's not there now. Unfortunately, I decided it was better to order something else for breakfast that didn't have over 1200 calories!
And the new Bob's Big Boy isn't quite the same. They offer the same Big Boy hamburger, but the wonderful Bob's French Toast is gone and the menu is very different from the one I remember. Maybe you can't go home again...

JoeT said...

I always go to the Barstow Del Taco (next to what USED to be "Del Fried Chicken") and order Bun tacos. The people there are always fantastic too!

Joe Smie said...

Naugles items made from "Del Taco" ingredients won't taste right. The ground beef, for example, is totally different. The cheese is not the same. The Naugles packet hot sauce would have to return as well.

But the original Naugles recipes are available- Del Taco still owns them and can make Naugles items any time it wants. This has been verified with Jeff at B&Ts'.

I would kill to be able to get a REAL Macho Combo burrito from Del Taco. Until then, I'll have to make the trip to B&T's, a not insubstantial drive.

ChristianZ said...

Joe, this is why I wrote, "this is just my attempt to show how one can recreate the Naugles experience to some degree when eating at Del Taco."

Also, have you read all my Naugles entries here including the BT's one?

Anonymous said...

I still order the breafast egg and cheese burrito with Green Sauce (no red sauce)

Does anyone know how to get a large amount of the green sauce?

They will give you a small plastic cup of it only.

ChristianZ said...

I always wonder why they don't make packets of green sauce.

Anonymous said...

The location on Ave I in Lancaster was great ... lots of good memories. Also the one near CSUN in the San Fernando Valley. Remember the drnks? You could ge a chocolate Tab. Thanx for your site. I was telling my son about Naugles....and came on it

ChristianZ said...

Thanks for the comment. Keep your eyes peeled for more Naugles news to come.

Anonymous said...

The Bun Taco is one of my favorites. I do not remember ever getting one at Naugles. But I would get them at Del Taco even before they bought Naugles. Honestly I never really liked Naugles Menu. All my fiends in HS loved the place though. I remember sitting in the drive-thru many late nights. The line would snake around the parking lot and it would take 30+ minutes to get your food. Naugles parking lot was a party after midnight on the weekends. Great memories!!

Bethany said...

Well get this everyone they closed down both locations of Del Taco in St. Louis. How are we going to get Naugles back if all Del Tacos are closed. I really liked Del Taco a lot and will miss it. But I really loved Naugles a lot more. And I want Naugles back in the same places they use to be in Fenton and South City St. Louis.

ChristianZ said...

Naugles can still come back. I heard sadly that the space age Del Taco shut down.

Anonymous said...

What about the "Mexican Salad"? A taco salad with a sour cream or possibly ranch type dressing. Came with a flour tortilla, but we just ate it from the cup... twenty years and and I still crave that one. Always at Naugles on McCausland in Saint Louis (later a Del Taco).

ChristianZ said...

Was that different from the taco salad cup mentioned here?

Anonymous said...

ChristianZ, not sure since it's been so many years. The taco cup described here sounds similar: ground beef, tortilla chips, the ubiquitous shredded lettuce... but it was the dressing/sauce that really brought it together. I would guess it was sour cream based, but definitely seasoned with spices of some sort. I cannot remember if it was a standard side with that salad or just another sauce option that could be requested with any menu item.

ChristianZ said...

Yes, the Del Taco small taco salad has that white sauce.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to see that Del Taco appreciates what their customers expect regarding quality and appearance of served food over advertised pictures. This is something the other guy around the corner or so has forgotten. Their attitude regarding their degrading quality of the products they serve is less than satisfactory as well. At Del Taco..What you see is what you get pretty much. I would love to try that Bun Taco so I will see if they serve it at the Mishawaka, IN location even though it isn't on the menu. Thanks ChristianZ

MJ said...

I'm salivating reading your post! I grew up in Sandy, Utah and they had one Naugles. It was THE BEST! And they did have a "mexican salad" in Utah, it was called the "Mexican Salad Platter" (I could never forget its name!). It was my favorite! It came on a flat platter, it had basic taco salad ingredients (meat, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes - no beans) that were piled, not mixed, and then on one side of the platter was a scoop of sour cream and you had to mix it altogether yourself (there may have been a scoop of another "sauce" on the opposite side but that I can't remember...it sounds familiar though). There was no shell or anything like that. It was SO good. I don't know if it was their meat seasoning but I've never had another Mexican fast food salad like it. That one closed down in the late eighties and eventually a Del Taco opened.

Thanks for the Naugles memories with your posts! :)

ChristianZ said...

We hope we can get Naugles back to Sandy for you.

Anonymous said...

For years I have longed for the unique flavor of the Naugles egg burrito. Nothing from Del Taco or anywhere else has ever come close. I fondly remember cars lining up around the block at midnight on weekends for a late-night naugles egg burrito to satisfy the munchies. I may have finally cracked the code... This morning for some reason I decided to scramble an egg with grated mexican cheese and Trader Joe's red enchilada sauce. I then sprinkled a tortilla with water and microwaved it for 60 seconds in a paper towel. I wrapped the scrambled egg mixture in the tortilla and VOILA! it tasted just like my memory of the famous Naugles egg burrito with their steamed tortilla abd secret sauce.

ChristianZ said...

Hmm, going to have to check out this Trader Joe's red enchilada sauce.

Anonymous said...

grew up in huntington beach been missing them for 20 some years, relieved to have del taco up here in portland oregon, but i will forever miss naugels in my heart and mostly stomach

Anonymous said...

I loved Naugles Ortega egg on a bun.
It was the best. Hope the reopen Naugles. We loved the one in Roy, Utah!

Anonymous said...

I used to frequent the Naugles at Avery Parkway and the I-5 in Mission Viejo. I loved the Tostada Grande. Layers of beans, ground beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese and topped with a scoop of sour cream and guacamole all in a tortilla bowl. YUM! Other taco salads don't compare.

ChristianZ said...

You never know. Those taco salads might come back.

Anonymous said...

My naugles was in palm springs on 111 conviniently located across from my del taco. I have fond memories of all their food.

ChristianZ said...

You never know. Naugles may return.

Anonymous said...

First of all the picture of the menu has to be from 1971 as Naugles was started by Dick Naugle here in Riverside in 1970(yr I gradualted)
We LOVED Naugles because everything was BIGGER than Del Tacos'( which is where Dick started and was an executive)
I remember the summer of 73 Aug, I was pregnant and would go to 14th street original location and get 2 Hot Fudge sundaes @ 50 cents each.
Then Iremember when Butler (the guy who started Denny's ) bought Naugles out) was some time in the 80's)
I have 2 Del Taos's within 1 mile of me
One is an old Naugles and I have found that if you go to the actual old naugle stores you are more likely to get what was on their menu.

ChristianZ said...

Thanks for the comment. You sure know your stuff. I knew the date was wrong on the menu but finally changed it now that you brought it up. And you never know, Naugles may be coming back.

Mook said...

I remember hitting up the naugles at valley view and ball rd? In cypress With my pals after a night of drinking. I thought nothing of downing a massive cheese burrito, fries and a soda at 2 or. 3 amn then be up for work a few hours later! Ahhh... the 80's!!

ChristianZ said...

You never know. You may get to experience that again.

Anonymous said...

I think Del Taco does care for the legacy of Naugles. Go to deltaco.com and they now have an online store and on there you will find retro Naugles shirts and hats. As well as retro Del Taco merch.
But I would love to see a Naugles come back. That would be so awesome.

ChristianZ said...

We know about the shirts and caps but there's a story behind why they did that.

Anonymous said...

It's great to see people still have a love for an original fast food chain. I worked for Naugles from 1980-1987. It was a great time. I did the HVAC/Refrigeration and worked with Dick and Harold. Two great men. I will always remember them....Great Company to work for.

Luke said...

Wow !!!!!!!!! Our Del Taco closed 26 years ago only to reopen in March of this year !!!In the same building !!! Amazing !!! Been studying Naugle,s,sure is interesting and makes me hungry.Thanks for your website and all the nice comments from everyone,God Bless,:):):):)

ChristianZ said...

Keep your eyes open for Naugles itself to come back.

Jon Huff said...

In the early 80's we used to hit the Naugles on Brookhurst in Huntington Beach for late night runs for huevos rancheros. We are getting our first Del Taco in Austin, Texas this month...next is In-And-Out Burger.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great site! I miss Naugles dearly. I live near multiple Del Taco locations (Victor Valley). Was it Naugles or Del Taco that used to sell the Orange Shakes? (Think 50-50 Bar.)

ChristianZ said...

They started at Naugles. With the merger Del Taco started making them too.

Anonymous said...

The only bad experience I had at the Naugles on 111 in Palm Springs was when my Toyota Supra's timing belt snapped and had to have it towed. I miss the food there so much. I hope they bring it back.

ChristianZ said...

So the bad experience was related to the Toyota and not the Naugles. Stay tuned to http://www.nauglestacos.com.

Anonymous said...

Loved Macho meat burrito
Here's my recipe to recreate
1- 1.5 lb sirloin grd beef
1/2 lg onion, chopped
1 pkg taco seasoning
2/3 c. water
1 tp cumin
1 tp chili powder
2 tp garlic powder( spice islands)
1/2 c enchilada sauce (el paso)
2 TB rotel tom and chilis
Brown grd beef with onion. Spoon excess water/grease ( less if sirloin) Add remainder and cook 30 minutes on simmer, to reduce mix.
Serve as burrito or taco with trimmings

ChristianZ said...

What kind of taco seasoning do you use?

Anonymous said...

I don't know, most of the comments are about Del Taco. So, kinda sounds like most are too young to really remember Naugles. Yes, Del Taco is good. But I worked for Naugles, late 70's early 80's, and there is nothing like a good All Meat Burrito! (miss it) The Bun Taco was fantastic, as well as the Taco Salad When Dick Naugles sold to Del Taco it was a sad day. :(

ChristianZ said...

Thanks for the comment. You remember them well. From what I can tell a lot of the other commenters remember Naugles. Did you see our other entries on Naugles?

Anonymous said...

I have great memories from high school at our Naugles in Long Beach. Loved the taco salads !!!
Nothing matches it !!

ChristianZ said...

Thanks for the comment. Keep your eyes peeled for more Naugles news to come.

Doug In Texas said...

Naugles was a big part of the 80's at the University of Missouri. I didn't see mention of their nachos, simply flattened chips covered in cheap cheese but it was the thing to get after a night out. Also, we got something we called the double green, double bean double mean burrito. It was a massive bean burrito that I have never found a place that can recreate their taste. I live in Texas now and we do have Del Taco but sounds like they didn't keep those around.

ChristianZ said...

I did mention that Del Taco does still have the Macho items (their version of them) and that includes Macho Nachos. They also have regular nachos that are just chips and cheese too but I don't think it's considered a holdover from Naugles. Thanks for the comment.

As I Lay Bleeding said...

All I know is that I still crave Naugles chicken tacos. They were made with real shredded chicken, not chicken chunks and seasoned perfectly. Gawd, I'd consider murder for one of those tacos. And the green burritos, sigh... Oh, and I grew up in La Habra as well as a few of the other posters. La Habra High, class of '85. Oi!

ChristianZ said...

Thanks for the comment. Good to hear from the La Habra people.

Anonymous said...

you didn't hear this from me as a new special is coming to del taco it is the bun taco.. how do I know this I am a del taco employee and have seen whats coming this month

ChristianZ said...

Cool, thanks.

Allegra3201 said...

Hi Christian. Based on the original comment and your reply, was the original Naugles in El Centro?
Another subject - is the Naugles green sauce recipe available to share? We get a fix occasionally by driving 1 1/2 hours to Visalia to B&T's, however it would be great to be able to make our own, even if it just gets close to that fabulous taste.
Thanks,
Leo

ChristianZ said...

Hi Leo,

The original Naugles was in Riverside, and then the second one was also in Riverside. I think El Centro may have been the third location.

As far as green sauce goes why don't you e-mail me at info@nauglestacos.com.

Lewis said...

While in college in the early 80s my buddy and I would drink a lot and then go to the Naugle's on Foothill (and Archibald?) in Cucamonga. We would get as many soft tacos as we could afford.

We loved that place so much we'd walked around the house saying "Dick Naugle says change the channel" or "Dick Naugle says let's go to the beach."

For years just about everything we said was proceeded by "Dick Naugle says..."

LOL...still cracks me up.

ChristianZ said...

Thanks for posting your remembrance. Be sure to check out http://www.nauglestacos.com.

Tanya Breese said...

oh my gosh, i loved naugles!! enjoyed this post!

ChristianZ said...

Thanks for the comment, Tanya. I think you already found your way to the Naugles Facebook fan page.

Anonymous said...

As a former employee, (mid 80's) I admit nostalgia gets me. For anybody who reads this, it really was good food. Shortly after Naugles ditched it's green salted paste, we actually made HOME MADE GUACAMOLE and it was made from HOME MADE SALSA. (we did them extremely well).

Another sad note and one of particular importance to me is......Del Taco's green sauce is NOT Naugle's old green sauce. Anybody who remembers Naugle's green sauce AT ALL knows this. The Collins' food version (Naugle's food supplier) was far, far superior. I miss it dearly!!

Anybody remember the Tostada Grande Salad?? Looking at Pollo Loco's menu & laughing at their minuscule version. Naugles had faults but menu items & food quality was not one of them!!

(sigh)

ChristianZ said...

Hi Anonymous,

Can you contact me through the contact form at nauglestacos.com?

Unknown said...

Hi Christian great site!

I always thought Naugles was SUPERIOR to Del Taco... enuf said.

One of my favorites was getting two Naugles steak and egg burritos and their fabulous STRAWBERRY shake made with real strawberries at 6 AM on Saturday mornings on my drive out to the Mojave desert for a day of dirt bike riding... Good protein food!!

I am surprised no one mentioned either of these two Naugle stalwarts!!

Anonymous said...

I grew up going to the Pasadena location. A cheese burrito and a cherry coke were always my pick. The man at the window got to know my mom when she ordered he would run out with a sticker sheet to give me while we waited. What is the secret to the ultimate cheese burrito? I have tried for years. Close but no cigar. Great childhood memories!

ChristianZ said...

toolwerkz1, thanks for mentioning a couple more Naugles items.

Lindsey, the secret to the cheese burrito is having the right kind of steamer. That was nice of that Naugles employee to get you those stickers.

Unknown said...

What was in the Cheese Burrito?

ChristianZ said...

Hi Mary Beth,

It was a tortilla with cheese and red sauce in it (unless the customer wanted green sauce, sour cream, or guacamole in place of red sauce) and then rolled up and steamed.

Unknown said...

Hello Christian, my family owned the second Naugles built. We opened it in Redlands in 1971 at the corner of Orange and Pearl St. We were there for about 14 years. I worked there full time all those years. We changed the name from Naugles to MJ'S on Q after the first couple of years due to Dick Naugle wanting to franchise. I still have all the recipes, menu's and operating manuals. I would be happy to share some history of Naugles with you. Mike S.

ChristianZ said...

Syrett, thanks; you can contact me at info@nauglestacos.com.

Sondra said...

Syrett Team that's the Naugles I frequented in 1982/1983, I went to high school at Rim of the World, also hit Naugles in Orange County too !

Anonymous said...

Yes, Naugles !! The Very Best burrrito that was ever made....
(Bellflower location)

Unknown said...

When I was a child, there used to be one across from the Indio court house. (My parents worked at the courthouse.) I remember that breakfast would start being served at 12:00AM or 1:00AM in the morning and the lines of vehicles in the middle of the night for the breakfast burritos were all they way out on Hwy 111 (Grapefruit Blvd) and down the road a long ways. Naugles had a true following. The last one that I remembered was in Banning or Beaumont. When it closed, a taste bud inside me just died. Bring back Naugles!!!!!

ChristianZ said...

You should be happy to know that Naugles has indeed returned since this blog entry was published several years ago: nauglestacos.com

Unknown said...

I grew up eating at Naugles while I was in highschool My brother and I have tried to make the recipes of the green burritos and macho nachos just cant get the right flavor.. I no longer live in california but I live in Oklahoma Muskogee would love to see one here so my kids can experience the same memories that I have.

J West said...

First job. Naugles in Reno by Meadow Wood Mall. 1987. We did the fajita fiesta meal, and I recall blending 5 lbs of oatmeal with every 20 lbs of meat.

J West said...

My first job in Reno...

ChristianZ said...

Thanks, J West. Did you know that Naugles is back now?