In the world of fast food, the prevailing wisdom seems to be to evolve or die, but at one Del Taco in Barstow, California, you can bask in a bygone era and enjoy the brand’s original menu from 1964. And it’s still owned (along with two others in Barstow) by Del Taco’s founder Ed Hackbarth, who continues to work there several days a week at 92. And while it isn’t the original location — that was in nearby Yermo and is no longer around — it is the oldest operating Del Taco in the country.
Located on North First Avenue in Barstow, from the outside it looks a lot like other Del Tacos after an extensive facelift back in 2015, but inside you’ll find some key differences. There’s a history display and original menu items like the bun taco, a burger bun loaded with seasoned ground beef, grated cheese, a tomato slice, and shredded lettuce. And while the prices may have changed since Del Taco first opened (there are no 19 cent tacos these days), you can still enjoy the flavors of yesteryear. Hackbarth still insists on using the original recipes, like freshly cooked ground beef with the same seasonings he did more than 60 years ago.
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A vintage Del Taco oasis unlike any other
Interior of an Original Del Taco in Barstow with wall art of the restaurant’s history – CraigsCache/X
In 1954, Ed Hackbarth, an Air Force veteran, was working for Glen Bell and began managing the Barstow location of Bell’s Taco Tia chain. While Bell would later found Taco Bell, Hackbarth would go on to launch Del Taco (originally called Casa del Taco) in Yermo with his partner David Jameson. They opened the first location on North First Street in Barstow three years later. The business soon grew to more than 50 locations, and in 1976, Hackbarth sold his interest in the company. The deal allowed him to keep the North First street location he opened in 1964 and two other newer Barstow locations, which he named the Original Del Tacos.
Today, Del Taco has grown to around 600 locations with further expansion planned under the ownership of Jack in the Box. Meanwhile, Hackbarth and his family continue to operate the three Barstow locations as they see fit. And while you can’t get a burger at the original McDonald’s location in San Bernardino that was turned into an unofficial museum, in Barstow, you can taste the nostalgia with a menu only available at Hackbarth’s Barstow locations. It’s kind of a vintage 1960s Del Taco oasis, if you will.
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Read the original article on Chowhound.