
Here’s the Hard Truth About Mighty Taco
People all around Western New York have many hot takes about the local taco chain. Some have been loyal customers for decades. Others will quickly proclaim it’s “gone downhill over the years.” Then there are those who don’t like tacos. These people are dangerous and should be avoided.
As always, the loudest people online and in your office kitchen are the haters of Mighty Taco. Society tends to think those people are the majority because negativity is much more infectious than positivity. It’s also easy to believe a corporate-like fast food company would cut costs and sacrifice quality for a penny. Nothing ever seems to get better, just lower in quality and higher in price. See how being negative is easy to rally around?
Is it true, though? Has Mighty Taco gone downhill over the years? There’s a theory coming up that may explain it, but first, let’s get into what Mighty Taco is, where it came from, its origin story, etc. If you don’t care, keep scrolling for the big text that has the headline of this article.
Mighty Taco’s Origin Story
Mighty Taco opened a single store on August 31, 1973. It was located on Hertel Avenue in Buffalo and had 4 original owners: Dan Scepkowski, Andy Gerovac, Ken Koczur, and Bruce Robertson. Ultimately, Dan Scepkowski bought out the other 3 and now owns the company as we know it today with roughly 19 locations around the Western New York area.
Mighty Taco is known for its Super Mighty tacos and burritos, unique products like Buffitos and Jalepeno Crunchers, and offering toms of vegetarian options on top of their meat selections. They are also known for having really funky, unique commercials that definitely grab one’s attention. Like this one:
Or go even older to this very Monty Python-like commercial that people love:
The food itself is what I would describe as an American and Buffalo take on Mexican food. That may be fair or unfair, but it’s how I describe it to out-of-towners. The cheese they use is a cheddar, jack, and Swiss blend in strips that really make their tacos and burritos cheesy. They have a buffalo-style chicken they use in products like their Buffitos. The Chi-kle jumps on the Chicken and pickle sandwich trend, only as a burrito. Also, you can buy beer, which is unique to a drive-thru fast food place. See their full menu, CLICK HERE.
Their tasty menu, unique marketing, affordable menu (more on that to come), and late-night hours (even more on that later) have made Mighty Taco a local favorite for over 50 years and counting.
So why do some people hate it? Why do they say Mighty Taco has gone downhill? Let’s take a look at 3 reasons people might say it’s gone downhill.
1. Mighty Taco and Politics
We’re not going to go too deep into this, but one reason they might get hate is their potential, but not necessarily provable, politics. We don’t know if they have a leaning as a company, but it could influence how people see them in today’s climate. This is all a theory, not a statement of fact, and should not be taken seriously. Honestly, you should just move on to the next section of the article, but if you want to take a shallow dive in, go ahead.
For example, they once earned international fame for banning Valdamir Putin from all their stores. This was in 2014, and while banning the Russian dictator would seem like a funny and even noble stunt to gain attention, it’s now a point of political anger.
Mighty Taco has also always paid their employees a little more than minimum wage and advertises that pretty aggressively. This shouldn’t be a problem as a private company can choose to do that. However, some people don’t believe fast food workers deserve a rate higher than minimum wage. They also believe the minimum wage is too high. Especially in today’s political climate, these two things can convince people that Mighty Taco leans a certain way, even though they really don’t prove that at all. The problem is when something like this happens, people will instantly bad-mouth the business and say things like it has gone downhill, even if it’s not true.
Is this the reason why most say it’s gone downhill? I don’t think so. I think it’s a lot simpler than that.
2. Mighty Taco Pricing
Like every single business since the pandemic, Mighty Taco’s prices have gone up. A Super Mighty burrito used to be a couple of bucks. Now it’s $4.79. A Mighty Taco used to be a buck. Now it’s $2.55. These increases, especially for local businesses, anger people. Which is understandable. No one wants to pay more for things, especially when they aren’t making more themselves.
With a business that’s been around as long as Mighty Taco has, pricing will only go up. Older people will remember when they opened and when it was dirt cheap (we’re talking 50 cents for a taco). This will naturally cause the “in my day” conversation, causing some people to rip it apart for how cheap it used to be, which can lead to people saying it’s gone downhill.
However, the people saying it’s gone downhill aren't in nursing homes. The price definitely plays a role in how it’s perceived, but to be fair to Mighty Taco, their prices are still cheaper or on par with other fast-food franchises. So, while it may play a part in people saying it’s gone downhill, the reality is inflation is inevitable, and they aren’t out of bounds with their pricing compared to the market, whether they like it or not.
3. Mighty Taco’s Food Quality
This is the point that gets emphasized the most by those saying it's gone downhill. People insist it used to taste better and have higher quality. The beans were better, the chicken was juicier, etc.
This is a hard thing to prove. It's not impossible that quality has gone down. Companies absolutely cut costs and shift products to save money all the time. It’s certainly possible that Mighty Taco has done that over the years. The problem is we have to use our memories, and those are easy to revise.
For example, I’m a 90s kid. I remember going to Mighty Taco in the late 90s and early 2000s and getting mountains of tacos after a night of drinking. After all, Mighty used to have very late hours, so it was a perfect, quick, and cheap stop to fill my gullet. Man, were those tacos delicious, too? They were almost magical, the perfect thing to lessen the coming hangover.
Fast forward to today. Are they magical, still? Sometimes yeah. Here’s the thing: I don’t think much has changed. I could be wrong, but I recall the food looking and tasting the same today as it did 20+ years ago. However, so many people my age and older insist it’s not the same, and it’s gone downhill. It wasn’t until a recent, and now a father of 2 rare, late-night of drinking with friends that I realized what the truth about Mighty Taco is.
Here’s the Hard Truth About Mighty Taco
The food quality hasn’t gone downhill. Yes, it’s gotten more expensive, but it’s still a better value than McDonald’s. The alleged politics (and it’s a hard and out-there allegation as I do not know the owner of Mighty Taco or what he may or may not stand for) are irrelevant to me. So what’s the hard truth?
The hard truth about Mighty Taco is you remember it being better because you were drunk.
It’s a fact, in my opinion. I have proof. That night of drinking I was talking about with friends? Friends who say it’s gone downhill, by the way. We ordered Mighty Taco, and as my intoxicated friends tore open the bags and dug in, they all said the same thing with their mouths full of Mighty: “Dude, it’s so good. What happened? Someone else must be making this stuff. Must be a good crew tonight. They must have changed their recipe and gone back to the old stuff.”
No, they didn’t. It’s the same now as it was then. You’re just drunk.
When we were kids running around Chippawa and Clifton Hill making choices that weren’t recorded on a cellphone because we didn’t have that ability, you remember Mighty Taco being so amazing because you were hammered and it was a life saver.
It’s OK, by the way. Drunk food is magical… when you're drunk. Mighty Taco has always been the same. It’s just our intoxicated brains made up a myth. It’s not award-winning food. It’s fast food.
It didn't go downhill, we all did. We all got older, got jobs, had kids, and hopefully stopped drinking the way we used to. With that, we developed tastes and expanded our horizons outside of drunk fast food like Mighty. It turns out a place like La Divina Tacos, an actual authentic Mexican place, is VERY good and you don’t need an altered state of mind to enjoy its magic.
Not that you need to be drunk to enjoy Mighty. I Love Mighty Taco and am a regular to this day. My son loves it, too.
So, the next time you think or hear someone say Mighty Taco has gone downhill, just remember it’s your young person drunk brain tricking you. Mighty is and has been Mighty.
Mighty Taco did not pay for, influence, or provide anything to me or my company to write this article. In fact, if they could buy some advertising for once, that’d be great.
Let me know what you think (and hey, Mighty Taco, shoot me a message): Pat@WBUF.com
Pat McMahon can be heard on Buffalo’s Real Rock, 92.9 WBUF, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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