Since we were in San Antonio, Taco Cabana’s fluorescent pink signs started to show up to us everywhere. For some reason Taco Cabana’s typography reminds me of the Flintstones’ one: crazy letters written by somebody out of control over the typing process such as a child or one of the Flintstones prehistoric subjects. The texture of letters also resembles something backwards, but not as old as stones. Predominant colors inside of the restaurant are pastel gradations of pink, yellow, blue, green, red and purple. Although quite new, the furniture design suggests that their timing is at least a couple of decades old, and invites consumers to position themselves in a cheesy artificial set of a beach restaurant. Maybe like those one next to the Copacabana in Brazil. The intention is to create an atmosphere “infused with a festive Mexican theme”.

The first Taco Cabana restaurant was established back in 1978. Nowadays, they have more than 140 establishments and are part of Carrols corporation which operates and franchises more than 540 restaurants under the Burger King®, Pollo Tropical® and Taco Cabana® brands. Taco Cabana is a clear example of how in the USA, the fast food industry has made vulgar transformations of culinary traditions from all over the world, and even from their own Tex-Mex food.

Taco Cabana’s menu offers clients a series of Tex-Mex fast food stereotypes. And here fast food appears in an italic font to point out that what is important is that it is fast food, not necessarily that it is truly or authentically Tex Mex. Contrary to common beliefs among Mexicans, Tex–Mex food is not necessarily fast. Although hard to find, there is also a slow Tex-Mex food full of tradition. But this is not the Taco Cabana case. In order to get a fast testing I asked for the Tex-Mex combo, which offers: one red enchilada, one crispy Chalupa, and two tacos accompanied by rice, beans and guacamole. The only thing that I am going to says about Taco Cabana food’s flavor is that while there is usually nothing left on my plate after I finish eating, this time a whole red enchilada was wasted (just as Fox and Bush’s last intent to promote a fake migration reform)… it was simply disgusting.

I was thinking about finishing this post by saying that if there were a Mexican restaurant in Bedrock city this would be the Taco Cabana. But for sure Flintstones would not eat this kind of food having the possibility of eating fresh pterodactyl eggs everyday.