Jimboy's Tacos is a fast food restaurant chain and franchise, serving Mexican-American cuisine.
The company was founded in 1954 by Jim and Margaret Knudsen,[1][2][3] and is headquartered in Folsom, California.
Its signature dish is a Parmesan dusted taco filled with ground beef, cheese and lettuce.[3] In 2022, the company had over 40 locations in California, Nevada and Texas.
Concept
The restaurant bills its signature dish as "The Original American Taco", and a company spokesperson said, "We don’t consider ourselves authentic Mexican food".[4]
Menu
The restaurant's signature dish is its Parmesan dusted taco, filled with ground beef, cheese and shredded lettuce.[5]
Other taco fillings include pork carnitas and a halved hamburger patty, called a taco burger.[6] Ingredients of the taco burger include "diced tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, shredded cheese — and a 'special sauce' that tasted like extra-tangy mayonnaise.[7]
Many Mexican restaurants in the Kansas City area also serve parmesan tacos, and it appears that the dish was developed independently in both locations.[8]
The restaurant also serves burritos with charred exteriors.[4] Most locations also serve craft beers.[9]
History
In 1949, Jim and Margaret Knudson visited a friend's home for dinner. They were served tacos for the first time, and having experience in the food business, Jim thought the taco would have universal appeal, and so he developed his own taco recipe. He added his recipe to the menu of his restaurant "Jimmy's 49er Cafe" located in Grass Valley, California. In the first few years, customers were not enthusiastic about trying the menu item, but it gradually gained popularity.[10]
In 1954, the two converted a 16-foot trailer into a mobile kitchen.[3] A frequent customer gave Jim the nickname, "Jimboy". This inspired the two to rename the restaurant, "Jimboy's Spanish Tacos".[10] Around the summer of 1954, the couple towed the recently converted trailer to Kings Beach, California on the north shore of Lake Tahoe.[10] The fledgling restaurant soon became popular with celebrities like the cast of the Bonanza TV series that filmed nearby and members of the Rat Pack who were performing at casinos in the area.[11]
External links
References
- M. Burns, K. Burns. Lost Restaurants of Sacramento and Their Recipes Arcadia Publishing Incorporated, 2013, retrieved December 9, 2017^
- Mark Glover. Roseville-based Jimboy's Tacos making a push into Texas The Sacramento Bee, September 25, 2014, retrieved September 28, 2015^
- Retail-restaurant roundup: Jimboy's tacos plans California expansion; Mama D's adding location; craft brewers nab awards Orange County Register, October 13, 2017, retrieved December 9, 2017^
- Toby Weber. Jimboy's Tacos is not a Mexican Food Chain Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, January 1, 2019, retrieved October 4, 2022^
- Jonathan L. Wright. 7 things you never knew about Jimboy's Tacos Reno Gazette-Journal, May 24, 2018, retrieved October 4, 2022^
- Sonya Sorich. 5 things: Sacramento County Jimboy's Day happens this weekend Sacramento Business Journal, September 23, 2022, retrieved October 4, 2022^
- Edward Brown. Cal-Mex Meets Cowtown: The Jimboy's Taco craze hits Fort Worth with impressive results. Fort Worth Weekly, February 9, 2022, retrieved October 4, 2022^
- José R. Ralat. The Demand for 'Authenticity' Is Threatening Kansas City's Homegrown Tacos: The fried taco, blanketed in Parmesan, is essential to the city's Mexican food history Eater, April 23, 2019, retrieved October 4, 2022^
- Sonya Sorich. For Jimboy's Tacos, vision for future could include margaritas Sacramento Business Journal, October 26, 2016, retrieved October 5, 2022^
- George Boardman. Homecoming for taco titan The Union, August 31, 2004, retrieved October 5, 2022^
- Janelle Bitker. The Jimboy's story: How a local family built a business empire one taco at a time Sacramento News & Review, July 6, 2017, retrieved October 5, 2022^