WCCO Viewers' Choice For Best Tacos In Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If you're celebrating Cinco de Mayo holiday, chances are it's with food and maybe a margarita. So we went looking for the best tacos in Minnesota. Your votes took us to a restaurant that will soon be seen on a national stage: Rusty Taco in Minneapolis.
There are unlimited ways you can make a taco. But if you're looking for an authentic, true taco, where better get inspired than the streets of Mexico?
"We were looking to do unique, street-style tacos from Mexico. That's what we designed it from," said Pamela Ringgenberg, district manager of R Taco.
Rusty Taco -- recently renamed R Taco -- serves up 14 different kinds of tacos, from fish, to fried chicken, and even slow-roasted brisket, all made in-house.
"The reason I like coming here is they have flavors and ingredients that get away from the standard five ingredients you normally see on tacos in the U.S.," customer Dan Weaver of Minneapolis said.
Ringgenberg says that's exactly what they're aiming to do.
"A lot of them don't have cheese or lettuce, which you correlate with an American-style taco," she said.
With ingredients like pickled onions, cotija cheese, cilantro and cabbage - it's a far cry from what was served in Minnesota lunchrooms growing up. But that was the Rusty Taco goal -- to serve up fresh, authentic, fast tacos.
"It's taken us a while for us to get our name out there and for people to understand our concept and the tacos we serve," Ringgenberg said.
But now they're the best of Minnesota! Their story started just eight years ago, and the ride hasn't been all easy. It started in Dallas in 2008 with co-founders Steve Dunn and a food guy named Rusty.
"When the economy went bad, we were both looking for something to do. He'd been talking about a taco spot, and we decided to start Rusty Taco," Dunn said.
Dunn, a North Dakota boy, then brought their southern concept to the Midwest.
"We were a little nervous at first, but Rusty said it's far enough away that if something goes wrong it will be OK in Texas still," Dunn said.
It was a tragic diagnosis that pushed the guys to take the risk.
"Rusty got cancer around the time we opened the store, so we changed our philosophy to grow a little faster than we had planned originally," Dunn said.
Dunn and Rusty's Tex-Mex American dream emerged from the recession and became a reality.
"Rusty was very passionate about the brand. Unfortunately, Rusty passed away about three years ago," Dunn said.
Fortunately, his name and legacy live on in the success of his business and his tasty tacos.
"Rusty engineered the tacos for a certain flavor and balance," Dunn said. "They would cook up tacos in their kitchen and bring the neighborhood kids over to taste this different tacos."
And now people all over the U.S. are enjoying the unique flavors he dreamed up in his own kitchen years ago.
"We dreamed it. We dreamed some of it. Carrying on Rusty's dream after he passed away -- he left four children behind. They are very proud of their dad. It's been a responsibility, but it's been awesome to do that," Dunn said. "He was just a great person, loved by everybody and dearly missed."
