Taco Restaurant Forced to Change Its Name — Now It’s All About Tacos
“Taco ‘Bout It” sounds like a great name for a restaurant specializing in trompo-cooked tacos, with made-from-scratch tortillas and salsas.
At All About Tacos in downtown Ogden, the dining room has a neon sign that says, “You’re Gonna Wanna Taco Bout It.” And the glittery entrance says “TACO BOUT IT.”
Taco Bout It was the initial name of the taqueria that opened December 2022. But, then came the threat of a lawsuit from a mom-and-pop taco shop in Illinois with the same name. When owners Gerardo Guzman and Kaleb Kidman got a “cease and desist” letter, they decided to avoid legal issues by switching the name to “All About Tacos.”
Hence, there was some confusion among folks hearing about this great new taco place, looking up “Taco Bout It” online, and being directed to “All About Tacos” instead. Rest assured, it’s the same place at 2421 Kiesel Avenue; and same menu, but just a different name.
A vertical rotating spindle, called a trompo, is what sets All About Tacos apart from Utah’s hundreds of other Mexican restaurants and taquerias. Slices of USDA prime top sirloin steak are stacked on the trompo and slow-cooked, “until it gets a nice caramelization on the outside,” said Kidman.
Then the seasoned steak is cut off and tucked into tacos.
The restaurant’s signature black al pastor tacos use pork cooked on a similar rotating trompo. A combination of chiles are blackened to make a dark marinade, giving the pork a black color and hint of smoke. Also known as “al pastor negro,” the tacos come with fresh pineapple.
The cooking method is similar to the Greek gyro, the Middle Eastern shawarma or Turkish doner kebab. But it’s an authentic south-of-the-border cooking method that Kidman and his fiance’s father, Gerardo Guzman, decided to try after experiencing it during a trip to Veracruz, Mexico.
Cooking on the trompo has several advantages, Kidman said. “The first being the texture. My personal favorite part of a steak is the crust, so with the trompo, every taco has some crust because of the sear the meat gets from the ever-going flame.”
Kidman said the restaurant only uses USDA prime top sirloin with the picanha — a cut of beef from the rump area, with a thick “cap” or layer of fat. The fat cap and large amount of marbling in the beef helps keep the meat juicy.
The menu has four different types of meat: the above-mentioned trompo sirloin steak and the al pastor negro pork; beef barbacoa, which is braised overnight in house-made broth; and chicken barbacoa, which has a similar marinade as the beef barbacoa, Kidman said.
Each of four meats can be used interchangeably in tacos, quesadillas, burritos and nachos. Guests can also order a “flight” of four street tacos featuring the four different meats. All dishes are garnished with an edible flower, for an elegant signature touch.
The beef barbacoa can also be ordered with a side of consommé for dipping, a nod to the current birria trend.
Nachos — a huge pile of chips laced with a choice of meat, cheese, salsa, and gooey sauces — are a customer favorite. Some online reviewers have even suggested the restaurant change its name to “All About Nachos.”
The restaurant has a fast-casual format, with guests ordering up front. There’s a salsa bar where customers can top their tacos with different salsas, chopped cilantro, onions, and other sauces.
Prices are around $3 per street-size taco; burritos are $14, and a plate of nachos for sharing is $16. Specialty non-alcoholic drinks are also on the menu.
He and his fiance’ Jenny Guzman, and Jenny’s parents Gerardo Guzman and Jenny Osorio are the same team that owns LaCrepe next door at 2411 Kiesel Avenue. Jenny Guzman and her mother Jenny Osorio run LaCrepe, and Kidman and Gerardo Guzman run All About Tacos.
They came up with. the trompo idea when the four visited Veracruz, Mexico. “That’s where Jenny’s parents met and got married before they moved here 20 years ago,” said Kidman.
While there, they experienced the cuisine, different flavors and cooking techniques.
“We had the idea and the recipe, but it was a matter of working out the kinks,” said Kidman. “The trompo had to be ordered from California, and we had to figure out the right way to do it and then get people in to try this new concept.”
The restaurant is located at 2421 Kiesel Avenue, and parking can be tricky. I ended up parking on 25th street and walking the half-block. You could also use the parking garage at The Junction.
Hours are Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.- 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; closed Sunday.
More information at allabouttacosutah.square.site or 385-289-5100.