When you step into Rusty Taco’s delicious aromas and eclectic decorating of bright colors, metal, and palm trees, you may be an instant fan. The welcoming bar offers margaritas and beer as the perfect addition to a dinner of street tacos with a co-worker on the way home. (Responsibly, of course.) Find them in the Suffolk Square corner of Dussel and Ford.
Rick Small, President of Rusty Taco for franchiser Grube, Inc., opened Arrowhead Park’s R Taco on May 1, 2018, knowing that the name would be changed soon. When Inspire Brands bought the Rusty Taco brand, they renamed the chain R Taco for simplicity. Objections in the Dallas area where the chain was born encouraged Inspire Brands to change the name back to Rusty Taco in November 2019. Small is excited how well Rusty Taco has been received in Maumee. Small is also Director of Marketing for the 22 Buffalo Wild Wings owned by Grube Inc. in 5 states.
Authentic Taste
Rusty Taco offers thirteen different signature street tacos, plus eight breakfast tacos, available all day. What are the most popular tacos?
- The Texican: the traditional seasoned ground beef taco
- Chicken Fajita Taco
- Baja Shrimp Taco
- Brisket Taco
Mr. Small highly recommends the limited-time Green Street Taco with grilled chicken, cotija cheese (a delicious “Mexican Feta”), and avocado.
The Rusty Taco team can make your tacos to order if you have a request. Small shared, “We make quesadillas for kids, ‘Mexican grilled cheese’, all the time. We will be introducing an enhanced kids’ menu in the near future. Loaded nachos are coming, too. I am hoping for a food truck as well!”
General Manager Kara Schudel (a rock star, according to Small), oversees an incredible team. Fresh is their rule. Everything is made fresh daily, including cutting up all those veggies. All the meats (except the slow-cooked Brisket) are made to order on the grill.
Rusty Taco is a relatively new chain. There are 33 locations in the USA, and only five are east of the Mississippi. Catering has grown bigger than Small expected. They can feed a crowd of any size, including weddings, rehearsal dinners, graduations, school award dinners, reverse raffles or any event in which you need to feed a group. The delicious spread can be full-service or set-up for self serve. Pre-made lunch programs are also available in which Rusty Taco provides an order sheet for each lunch, and with 24 hours notice, delivers brown bag lunches labeled for each employee. “We can work with companies to make anything work, from boxed lunches to full catering buffets,” continued Small.
Rusty Taco History
Founder Rusty Fenton was hooked at first bite when he tried fish ceviche tacos from a street vendor in Acapulco, Mexico. After that, his family made frequent visits to a local gas station where they would buy street tacos, eaten in the back of the family Suburban. Rusty’s family and friends had long known about his dream – to open up a simple neighborhood taco stand. Nothing fancy. Just real flavor. Cheap, too. He wanted to keep it affordable so that everyone could enjoy it. Throw in a great margarita to wash it down, and it was pretty much perfect.
Fast-forward a few years. Rusty, Denise and their daughters lived in a little house in Dallas, near the intersection of University and Greenville Avenue. They spotted a building in their neighborhood – it wasn’t much to look at, but they liked its bones. “Wouldn’t that make a cool restaurant?” he’d say. It took years of driving by and dreaming, but that converted gas station would be the first Rusty Taco.
Stop by!
Rusty’s commitment to making everything fresh and by hand daily is still maintained. Stop by friendly Rusty Taco to sample the fresh ingredients, with warm chips and ice-cold margaritas on the patio! If you’re hungry, you’re in the right place.
