Humorous WSJ article on Jack in the Box tacos

[David Arnstein]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/americans-eat-554-million-jack-in-the-box-tacos-a-year-and-no-one-knows-why-1483465285

Americans Eat 554 Million Jack in the Box Tacos a Year, and No One Knows
Why

A tortilla wrapped around a beef filling that is dunked in a
fryer and topped with American cheese, lettuce and hot sauce,
the taco appeared on the menu in the 1950s after the first Jack
in the Box opened in San Diego. As the chain spread beyond
California, the taco has followed it -- with good reason. Jack
in the Box now sells more tacos than any other item on its menu
thanks to a legion of fans who swear by the greasy vessels even
as they sometimes struggle to understand their appeal.

...

She took two bites, threw the rest on the passenger seat and
kept driving. "It was stale, greasy, spicy, crunchy, saucy and
just plain strange," said Ms. Johnson, a 43-year-old director
of operations at an advertising agency in Cincinnati and author
of a blog called the Food Hussy. "Who puts a slice of American
cheese in a taco?"

Two minutes later, she picked the taco off the seat and finished
it. Then she ate the other one.

"I was like, "I must have more. This is vile and amazing,"" she
said.

I admit to eating these things many times. In recent years, not so much.
There are too many choices for pseudo-Mexican food available to bother.
--
David Arnstein (00)
arnstei...@pobox.com {{ }}
^^

[Steve Pope]

David Arnstein <arnstei...@pobox.com> wrote:

>http://www.wsj.com/articles/americans-eat-554-million-jack-in-the-box-tacos-a-year-and-no-one-knows-why-1483465285
>
>Americans Eat 554 Million Jack in the Box Tacos a Year, and No One Knows
>Why

[snip]

It's been decades since I had one, but my impression in the past was
that Jack in the Box seasons their taco meat with something
pretty close to a traditional Mexican chorizo spice blend, which
is not too shabby. Dunno whether this is still true, in any case,
the rest of the ingredients suck.

Steve

[Ciccio]

On 1/3/2017 2:05 PM, David Arnstein wrote:
> http://www.wsj.com/articles/americans-eat-554-million-jack-in-the-box-tacos-a-year-and-no-one-knows-why-1483465285
>
> Americans Eat 554 Million Jack in the Box Tacos a Year, and No One Knows
> Why

I've never jonesed for them, but they taste OK. When, however,I think
drive-thru, it's my go-to item because:

ONLY 99 cents,which is about what I think a drive-thru food item is worth.
ONLY 344 calories, which is even a tad fewer than I like for lunch.
ONLY 32 grams of carbs which is about half than my desired max for lunch.
but 720 grams of sodium, about a couple of hundred more than I like for
lunch max.

Ciccio
--
"I didn't vote for him, but he's my president
and I hope he does a good job."

-Staunch conservative Republican John Wayne upon JFK being elected.
cf., "Not my president! wah-wah-wah," "He wasn't born here," "He cheated!"

[Tim May]

On 2017-01-03 22:05:36 +0000, David Arnstein said:

> http://www.wsj.com/articles/americans-eat-554-million-jack-in-the-box-tacos-a-year-and-no-one-knows-why-1483465285
>
>
> Americans Eat 554 Million Jack in the Box Tacos a Year, and No One Knows
> Why
>
> A tortilla wrapped around a beef filling that is dunked in a
> fryer and topped with American cheese, lettuce and hot sauce,
> the taco appeared on the menu in the 1950s after the first Jack
> in the Box opened in San Diego. As the chain spread beyond
> California, the taco has followed it -- with good reason. Jack
> in the Box now sells more tacos than any other item on its menu
> thanks to a legion of fans who swear by the greasy vessels even
> as they sometimes struggle to understand their appeal.

My family lived in San Diego from 1956 to 1961. We ate at what was said
to be the second JiTB, on the near Mission Bay and on the frontage road
which (now) parallels I-5.

Those greasy little tacos were very familar to me. Sure, I suppose some
authentic tacquerias existed in the town, but that would've been too
adventurous for my parents to seek out (and in their mind, too
dangerous).

We later moved to Northern Virginia and I remember, around 1970, being
pleasantly surprised to learn that JiTB had opened in the NoVA area.

Amongst the lower tier of fast food places, I like JiTB, Carl's Jr.,
and Wendy'vs over the yecchh places like Burger King and
McBlackPeople's. ("We lovin' it!").

At JiTB I will sometimes buy a value burger (Jumbo Jack) and two of the
tacos. Fond memories.

Yeah, not as good as the real carne asada tacos at the taqueria, but
not bad for a buck for the two of them. And grease is good.

>
> I admit to eating these things many times. In recent years, not so much.
> There are too many choices for pseudo-Mexican food available to bother.

I just learned yesterday that the location of an old Del Taco place in
Watsonville, which closed abruptly last year, is now open as an El
Pollo Loco. This is one of my favorite marinated and grilled chicken
places and I'm glad that there's now one relatively close to me. I'll
be trying it soon.


--
Tim May

[Peter Lawrence]

I wonder if they make differently in Cincinnati than in California. Here,
they don't use sliced American cheese, but shredded cheese (not sure if it's
shredded American or shredded cheddar).

- Peter

[Peter Lawrence]

I think it's the same seasoning. Also, while JitB deep fries their tacos,
the results are similar to how traditional tacos were cooked in Mexico, pan
fried, not steamed.

I've occasionally ordered them when I wanted only a small snack. As a warm
snack food they're okay and low priced. But I thinking about, I don't think
I've had one for over a year.


- Peter