OUR STORY – TACO CASA
Where It All Began
Some restaurants are built on trends. Taco Casa was built on something far more lasting — a belief that simple food, made with real ingredients, served with genuine care, never goes out of style.
It all started in 1972, when the Roy Upshaw family opened the very first Taco Casa in Fort Worth, Texas. The goal wasn’t to revolutionize fast food or chase the next big thing. The goal was simple: serve bold, fresh Tex-Mex at a price that hardworking families could afford, every single day.
No shortcuts. No frozen shortcuts. No compromise on quality. Just honest food, made the right way, for the right reasons.
That original location became something the neighborhood could count on. Word spread — not through billboards or big marketing budgets, but the old-fashioned way. One satisfied customer telling another. One family returning week after week. One community falling in love with a taco that tasted like it was made just for them.
Over fifty years later, that’s still exactly what Taco Casa is.
The Grit Behind the Growth
Building something real takes more than passion. It takes sacrifice, patience, and a willingness to work for every inch of progress.
Scraping together every penny and nickel, the team opened the Southwest Parkway location in January 2005 — a milestone that turned a dream into something you could walk into, sit down in, and taste.
But that was just the beginning.
In 2009, the opportunity came to purchase the Vernon location, and the family took it. In 2014, the Maplewood location joined the Taco Casa family. And in March 2018, the Duncan, Oklahoma store opened its doors — bringing the same Taco Casa spirit to a brand new community.
Each new location wasn’t just another restaurant. It was another promise — to another neighborhood, another group of regulars, another generation of Tex-Mex lovers — that the food would always be fresh, the prices would always be fair, and the welcome would always be warm.
Growth was never rushed. It was earned.
The People Who Make It Happen
Behind every great taco is a great team. And Taco Casa has one of the most loyal, dedicated teams in the restaurant business.
Many members of our management staff have been with Taco Casa for 10 to 15 years — an extraordinary thing in an industry where turnover is the norm. These aren’t just employees. They’re people who grew with the brand, who know every recipe, every regular, every little detail that makes a Taco Casa feel like a Taco Casa.
That kind of loyalty doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from a culture where people are respected, where hard work is recognized, and where everyone — from the newest hire to the most seasoned manager — understands that what they do matters.
When a customer walks through our door and gets a meal that tastes exactly like it did ten years ago, that’s because of our people. They carry the standard. They protect the quality. They are, in many ways, the real story of Taco Casa.
Fresh Ingredients. Every Order. No Exceptions.
Since the very first day in 1972, one thing at Taco Casa has never changed: the commitment to fresh, high-quality ingredients.
In a fast-food world full of shortcuts, Taco Casa has always taken the longer road. The one that costs a little more, takes a little more care, and produces food that actually tastes like something.
Our seasoned ground beef is rich and flavorful. Our refried beans are topped with real melted cheddar. Our crispy taco shells deliver that satisfying crunch that you just can’t fake. And our legendary hot sauce — that dark, bold, perfectly balanced signature sauce — has been part of the Taco Casa experience from the very beginning.
These aren’t just menu items. They’re the reason people drive across town. They’re the reason parents bring their kids to the same Taco Casa they visited growing up. They’re the reason that, more than five decades in, the food still tastes like home.
Signature Flavors That Keep People Coming Back
Taco Casa has never believed in overcomplicating things. Our menu is focused, deliberate, and built around items that have stood the test of time.
The Super Taco — loaded, satisfying, and unmistakably Taco Casa — has been a fan favorite for decades. The Super Burrito, wrapped in a warm flour tortilla and packed with bold flavor, is the kind of meal that leaves you genuinely full and genuinely happy. The Chilada and the Chili Burger are Tex-Mex twists you simply won’t find anywhere else.
And then there are the nachos — golden, cheesy, piled high — a crowd favorite for families, game nights, and anyone who just needs something that hits the spot.
Every item on the menu is made to order with the same fresh ingredients and the same care that Roy Upshaw built into this place back in 1972. Because when a recipe is right, you don’t change it. You protect it.
More Than a Restaurant — A Community Tradition
Taco Casa has never been just a place to eat. It’s a place people belong.
Over the decades, our locations have become gathering spots — for families after a big game, for friends catching up over burritos, for couples who’ve been coming in since before their kids were born. There’s a warmth to a Taco Casa that goes beyond the food. It’s in the familiar faces behind the counter, the comfortable booths, the feeling that nobody’s rushing you out.
We also proudly serve our communities through catering — bringing the Taco Casa experience to weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, school functions, and family reunions. Because the food that brings people together in our restaurants can do the same thing at your most important moments.
We strive to offer every customer a safe, welcoming environment where they can enjoy an amazing meal at a great price. That’s not a marketing line. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to every single day.
The Taco Casa Promise — Then, Now, and Always
A lot has changed in the world since 1972. Fast food has come and gone. Trends have risen and faded. Entire restaurant chains have appeared, exploded in popularity, and disappeared.
Taco Casa is still here.
Not because we chased trends. Not because we spent millions on advertising. But because we stayed true to what we are: a family-built, community-rooted, quality-obsessed Tex-Mex restaurant that cares deeply about every single person who walks through our doors.
Our family is genuinely, humbly grateful to be part of such wonderful communities. Without the customers who have supported us — some for decades — there is no Taco Casa. You are the real reason this story keeps going. we intend to keep it going for another fifty years.
FAQ About Taco Casa
Taco Casa — Fresh Tex-Mex, Real Flavor, Real Community. Since 1972.