Casa Taco

1200 N. Garland, Fayetteville

Casa Taco promises a casual, fast and frugal Mexican lunch. Strapped with a tight schedule, three folks from the office needed a quick food fix, and Casa Taco provided.

We recommend visitors bring their biggest appetites and an after-lunch antacid to this dining room, as the staff serves large portions of hearty fare.

Beyond anything else we tried at Casa Taco, the cheese dip pleased our picky party the most. One diner summed it up when he said the five-star appetizer should be sold by the bottle in grocery stores. After sharing two large bowls ($4.50 each), we took the excess back to the office for a late snack. (We suggest adding a little of the table hot sauce for kick.)

After less than 10 minutes of savoring the cheesy concoction, we received our meals.

One diner had high compliments for the Sancho ($2.50), deeming it to be almost as good as those served at the Wigwam at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. A massive burrito stuffed with beans, beef, lettuce, tomato and cheese, the Sancho filled an entire plate.

Casa Taco also sells a Chili Sancho with red chili sauce for $3.24 and a Sancho Supreme with sour cream, black olives and salsa for $3.65.

Another member of our party tried the Casa Taco Special Dinner ($5.50), which included a chili burrito, a cheese enchilada and a beef taco. The meal came with a choice of two sides, and she tried the refried beans and Spanish rice. With that pile of food, she had trouble getting through half of the large meal in one sitting. Ordering select items from the menu’s loaded a la carte listing might have been a better plan for sampling different dishes.

Another diner ordered the Enchilada Dinner with chicken ($5.15). The two rolled-up corn tortillas packed with chicken and cheddar cheese and covered with a thick layer of white cheese were good and filling, he said.

Service at the restaurant was speedy and friendly, the atmosphere is sparse but clean, and parking is abundant. We left the restaurant with full bellies, some change left in our pockets and time to spare.

Two of our diners, both University of Arkansas alumni, said the restaurant served exactly the same food as their last visit 10 years ago. Casa Taco has been a fixture in Fayetteville’s Oak Plaza Shopping Center since Mexican food was considered somewhat exotic around these parts, and these amigos served chalupas long before the Taco Bell dog found stardom.