Tried another Mexican Restaurant – Loudon County TN

As I mentioned in a recent blog posting, there are a plethora of Mexican Restaurants in Loudon County.  On this occasion, we joined our friends Norm and Linda to try one that I hadn’t been to previously…

Colorful building isn’t it?  I meant to take a picture of the other side where the entrance is but I forgot.  It’s just as colorful!  This is Taco Loco Bar and Grill in the town of Loudon.  It’s one of three Mexican restaurants located in Loudon…which is the County Seat for Loudon County.

This is a long view of the dining area at Taco Loco.  The room is colorful and bright but not garish.  Laurie and Norm were about to be seated when I took this photo.  Linda was hidden behind Norm…

This is a close up view of the bar at Taco Loco.  This is an appropriate moment for me to mention one of the disappointments encountered at this restaurant.  Laurie wanted to order a Margarita and Linda wanted Sangria. 

Well…as it turns out, someone had somehow let the liquor license expire without renewing it!  Disappointment reigned!  No liquor or wine could be served despite a full bar in plain view.  The ladies and yours truly opted for Coronas and Norm went for an iced tea.

We arrived at Taco Loco at about 5:15 PM on a Wednesday and customers were few and far between.  However by about 6:15 PM, about half the tables were full with many of the customers obviously being regulars.

Like almost every Mexican Restaurant, the waitress delivered tortilla chips and salsa.  Norm ordered a bowl of Queso (cheese) sauce for dipping. ($7.99) Everyone liked it and the waitress refilled our basket of chips.

Note: The Queso Cheese Sauce wasn’t Norm, Linda’s or Laurie’s first choice for an appetizer.  They were all hankering for Guacamole!  Everyone was stunned to learn that the restaurant was out of guacamole… What?!  How does a Mexican restaurant run out of this staple early on a Wednesday?

Laurie and I decided to order some Nachos…tortilla chips with ground beef and melted cheese.  We all agreed that they’d been generous with the ground beef and cheese and everyone seemed to like this appetizer.  

Laurie and I both felt that it lacked any Mexican ‘flavor’.  While we know that Mexican food isn’t necessarily spicy, some taco seasoning would have given this dish a step up.  Fortunately, Laurie went to Taco Loco’s ‘sauce bar’ and she brought back some very tasty and a bit spicy “Loco” sauce.  I used it liberally on the nachos!

Since I liked the Loco sauce so well and Laurie had noted that the container on the sauce bar was almost empty, I asked the waitress if there was any more available.  She told us that there wasn’t…a negative for sure.  However, I went to the sauce bar and scrapped the container for what was left…

Laurie’s entrée was the Quesadilla Fajita…with chicken, peppers, onions and tomatoes served with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream. ($9.99) She asked for more sour cream and then she was a happy camper.  Her meal was very satisfactory…

Norm and Linda had dined before at Taco Loco so Norm was determined to try something a little different for his dinner.  This was his Sope…a thick handmade corn tortilla covered with refried beans, lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, onions and sour cream. ($7.99) Other than the fact that this dish is also supposed to come with avocado, (remember the guacamole issue?), he thought that his choice was pretty good…

Linda ordered the Shrimp Enchiladas. ($10.99) She’d already eaten one of the three enchiladas that came with this meal before we remembered to take a picture.  She commented that she did enjoy the shrimp but after all the chips and appetizers, she ended up taking home these 2 enchiladas for lunch the next day.

One more issue… Instead of serving us all at once, the food was served one entrée at a time over about a 10 minute period.  We went ahead and began eating while the food was hot but this situation is always a bit awkward for everyone. 

This was my entrée.  It’s the Chimichanga Loco. ($10.99) The Chimichanga is stuffed with grilled chicken, steak, chorizo and shrimp.  Then it’s topped with cheese sauce and sided with shredded lettuce, sour cream, pico de gallo plus rice and refried beans.  That red sauce topping my Chimichanga is that “Loco” sauce that I mentioned earlier. 

I did enjoy my entrée.  It would have normally been too bland for me but the loco sauce kicked it up a notch without adding too much heat or spice.  I would describe my entrée as a “meat lovers” Chimichanga. 

Our waitress was stressed and stretched.  Service slid as the restaurant filled up.  Norm asked her about being the only server and she told him that no one else showed up.  “No one seem to want to work”.  That ties into the tight labor market and perhaps the attitude of many folks today… In any case, it’s a problem!

Taco Loco Bar and Grill is located at 859 Mulberry Street in Loudon Tennessee.  Phone: 865-458-4776.  This establishment is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Taco-Loco-Bar-Grill-487227208029016/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dav