Taco Villa — Restaurant in St. Cloud

My first chance to stop in since the new owners opened under the old name. I had lived in St. Cloud for 2 stretches and been an off and on customer of the original Taco Villa(s) for 35 years, and a 3-5 times per month customer for 15 of those years when I travelled through St. Cloud as a salesman.

I was hopeful, but ready to be disappointed. I was pleasantly amused that my gps took me to what had been a chain taco joint around the block from the headshop that I managed for 2 years in the late 70s. It cleaned up nicely and carried its new name proudly, both outside and inside. I eagerly stepped up to the counter to order my usual 2 hard-shell beef tacos and 2 soft shell beef tacos, all with sour cream. The fellow brought them out soon after I filled my water cup and chose a table.

They were very, very good. They didn't, in my opinion, get the recipe exactly the same as the original, but it was very close, close enough that I'm sure my pallet won't remeber the difference after another visit or 2. Yah, I will make the detour for a 4 pack, or maybe a 4+2 pack with a couple burritos on top of the tacos, every time I take I-94 to and from any future visits to a home town.

Good stuff, my friends. I recommend...

I ordered two tacos and chips and cheese. The chips and cheese maybe a dozen chips or so a little bit larger than Tostitos round chips, with some shredded cheddar cheese melted on top, and some seasoning..... For $3.25

The tacos were $1.90 each. They were so greasy that it leaked through the paper they were wrapped in and through the bag that they were in. They had absolutely no flavor a little bit of lettuce and a little bit of cheese. I realized they just opened and they're running out of product etc, but Tostitos and cheese for $3.50 and overly greasy tacos? Certainly not a dinner worth $7 that I paid for it.

Also they have a six item limit per vehicle and a very limited menu. I don't know that I'll give them another try, maybe after they've been open for a while and they improve their food maybe? Only Time Will tell. But for now a rating of...

Waited in line for 15 min to order off of a sign that did not list the prices for half of its items. The tacos were below even taco bell standards. The only difference between the Hawaiian and the pepperoni pizza burritos was the amount of disappointment i got when opening each one. The chili burrito was just half a can of bland Hormel chill a tortilla. This goes beyond "cant find good help" and into "idgaf".

This place doesn't know the difference between a quesadilla and a burrito.

This place was like a free trial of covid because i couldn't taste anything.

The food here tasted like 2020 felt.

The food here tasted like an old Midwest white ladys idea of "ethnic food".

Taco villa's target demographic must be raccoons, because it was...