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What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: Hollywood ()
Date: August 10, 2011 12:00PM

Some years ago, there was this awesome Mexican food place called, "Taco Amigo" over in McLean. It came under new management for a few months and then changed its name to "Taco Coyote". Anyway, they started accepting credit cards and I was buying tons of food there. Then mysteriously the next week, the place was closed down. This was back in 2007.

Here's the old address:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taco Amigo
1313 Old Chain Bridge Road
McLean, VA 22101

Does anyone know what happened to them and why they closed down? Things seemed to be going so well for them and *bam* suddently they were closed down. I used to talk to the owner and some guys that worked there. All of them disappeared except for one, who went into construction. I never got the full story as to what happened. There was another one in Sterling VA by Shoppers, but that was closed years ago due to poor/declining sales.

PS: The good news is, you can get the same tasting burrito's from El Taco, off of Route 28 in Manassas.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: TheMeeper ()
Date: August 10, 2011 12:06PM

That place did good business too, it was always full during lunch. I forget when it closed, but it was awhile ago, maybe 2007-2008? No idea why, just noticed it wasnt there one day. The new place is some wine bar/bistro that serves tapas.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: Hollywood ()
Date: August 10, 2011 01:17PM

TheMeeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That place did good business too, it was always
> full during lunch. I forget when it closed, but
> it was awhile ago, maybe 2007-2008? No idea why,
> just noticed it wasnt there one day. The new
> place is some wine bar/bistro that serves tapas.

I loved the old place! The burrit's (burro's) were so huge and they didn't cost very much. I think I used to get something like 40 or 50 of them for the family. I was lucky to find El Taco over there off of Route 28. My wife loves the chicken fajita's they have. I of course love those burrito's. Truly one of my favorite foods.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: TheMeeper ()
Date: August 10, 2011 02:25PM

FWIW, it was actually named "Coyote Amigo", not "Taco Coyote". It actually disappeared soon after that Thai place opened next to it, I guess I always figured the rents got bumped up and forced them out.

That Thai place is quite good, btw.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: Hollywood ()
Date: August 10, 2011 04:40PM

TheMeeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FWIW, it was actually named "Coyote Amigo", not
> "Taco Coyote". It actually disappeared soon after
> that Thai place opened next to it, I guess I
> always figured the rents got bumped up and forced
> them out.
>
> That Thai place is quite good, btw.

Oh yes, that Thai place is good. I actually ate there one or two times for lunch.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: whiterussian ()
Date: August 10, 2011 10:13PM

Taco Amigo also had great gringo food; their bacon cheeseburgers were the best in town. I miss that place.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: BigK12 ()
Date: August 13, 2011 09:41PM

Oh yeah I remember this place. Gooood I miss their food!

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: Want tacos not tapas! ()
Date: August 14, 2011 07:09PM

I miss the taco place, too. I can't stand their replacement, called Evo Bistro. Even for tapas, they are tiny, fussy servings at ridiculously inflated prices. They've also got overpriced drinks and condescending service. Not a winner on any front.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: The kid ()
Date: June 08, 2013 02:02PM

Well the very first taco amigo was in Reston, I use to go there back in the late 80's. Now i am in my early 90's and i still remember the brisk walks to taco amigo. I always got the cheese tacos for 79 cent and ate about 5 of them.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: Two Cents ()
Date: June 08, 2013 02:32PM

Unfortunately the only place left like this that I know of is El Taco in Manassas.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: hungryman in tysons ()
Date: June 10, 2013 09:09AM

God how I miss this place!

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: PitifulRestaurant ()
Date: June 10, 2013 10:23AM

Want tacos not tapas! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I miss the taco place, too. I can't stand their
> replacement, called Evo Bistro. Even for tapas,
> they are tiny, fussy servings at ridiculously
> inflated prices. They've also got overpriced
> drinks and condescending service. Not a winner on
> any front.


+1

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: Bam Bam ()
Date: June 10, 2013 12:26PM

I vaguely remember that the owner of a small, successful restaurant at that location died tragically several years ago. Shot in holdup, victim of traffic accident, something like that. The owner ran everything,and his widow had to sell the business when he died.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: adfasbbd ()
Date: June 10, 2013 12:27PM

Bam Bam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I vaguely remember that the owner of a small,
> successful restaurant at that location died
> tragically several years ago. Shot in holdup,
> victim of traffic accident, something like that.
> The owner ran everything,and his widow had to sell
> the business when he died.

Why can't that happen to the McDonalds over at Fairfax circle?

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: 1Ronald ()
Date: October 30, 2013 12:10PM

The first Taco Amigo was on Rt. 7 on the left in the shopping center going west near Sterling. This was Ca's flagship store. From there he expanded. If you love the food like I did, I urge you to contact the owner who lives in Great Falls. He kept the Taco Amigo name when he sold the McLean location. His name is Ca Tran who started out as Assistant Mgr at the Taco Bueno,later Taco Laredo, on the west side of Rt. 1 in Woodbridge, VA. This was years ago when Joe Bornstein owned the Woodbridge Taco Bueno and 4 other locations including the one in Falls Church and Springfield Mall. Yes, we miss the Falls Church location, too.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: Hollywood ()
Date: October 30, 2013 12:53PM

1Ronald Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The first Taco Amigo was on Rt. 7 on the left in
> the shopping center going west near Sterling.
> This was Ca's flagship store. From there he
> expanded. If you love the food like I did, I urge
> you to contact the owner who lives in Great Falls.
> He kept the Taco Amigo name when he sold the
> McLean location. His name is Ca Tran who started
> out as Assistant Mgr at the Taco Bueno,later Taco
> Laredo, on the west side of Rt. 1 in Woodbridge,
> VA. This was years ago when Joe Bornstein owned
> the Woodbridge Taco Bueno and 4 other locations
> including the one in Falls Church and Springfield
> Mall. Yes, we miss the Falls Church location,
> too.

Oh yes, I remember him well. I now go all the way over the El Taco off of Route 28 in Manassas. It's the only place around here that has that same great tasting food.

http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/read/2/1310468/1311923.html#msg-1311923

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: taco grinder ()
Date: October 30, 2013 01:15PM

As I recall:

Taco Amigo actually was in the parking lot of Safeway in Mclean first, in the mid 80's.

It was in an old, as I remember, Holly Farms Chicken stand-alone building, to the left if you were looking at the Safeway from the front.

Then, it went into the old "Pizza Supreme" space that fronted along Old Dominion...this was in the early 90's as I recall...

Can't remember when it changed names.

I do remember going in there maybe as late as the mid 2000's, and I'm pretty sure I recall seeing an old occupancy permit from like 1967 or so on the wall behind the counter.

Dang good burro's, tacos and nachos. That I am sure of. The rest, my memory is fuzzy.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: mcleantaco ()
Date: October 30, 2013 03:45PM

taco grinder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As I recall:
>
> Taco Amigo actually was in the parking lot of
> Safeway in Mclean first, in the mid 80's.
>
> It was in an old, as I remember, Holly Farms
> Chicken stand-alone building, to the left if you
> were looking at the Safeway from the front.
>
> Then, it went into the old "Pizza Supreme" space
> that fronted along Old Dominion...this was in the
> early 90's as I recall...
>
> Can't remember when it changed names.
>
> I do remember going in there maybe as late as the
> mid 2000's, and I'm pretty sure I recall seeing an
> old occupancy permit from like 1967 or so on the
> wall behind the counter.
>
> Dang good burro's, tacos and nachos. That I am
> sure of. The rest, my memory is fuzzy.


In 85 at the least, it was in the Safeway shopping center but on the back side of it, facing Dolley Madison. My borthers and I used to walk their regularly from King's Manor. Great tacos and burritos, and being a kid, I wore out the tabletop Frogger/Mrs. Pacman game they had in there.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: taco man ()
Date: May 14, 2018 10:11AM

Bring back Taco Amigo.

Beef Burro Supreme.

And the nachos, while pretty plain, were AWESOME.

I think Taco Amigo (then called Coyote Taco) went out of business around 1998-1999?

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: Whatsamatteru ()
Date: May 15, 2018 09:05PM

Tippy's

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: Robert Walker ()
Date: March 13, 2019 09:06PM

I can still taste their tacos!!!
4 of them. Every time. OMG yum. I miss them SO MUCH.
I haven't found anything else like it... although I must find this El Taco you are all are taking about ;)
RIP awesome taco place proprietor dude. He was a great guy :( I'm very sad to hear what happened.
McLean hasn't been the same.

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Re: What ever happened to Taco Amigo in McLean (Actually Taco Coyote)
Posted by: r4trgtre ()
Date: March 15, 2019 08:42PM

DROP DEAD G2

your obstructing headline news by "confusing labels"

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