Glen Bell brought the first taco into the United States when he hung a sign on his hamburger stand that read "Tacos nineteen cents." That was in 1951. Not too long after, his business ventures led him to do business with Charley Toogood, a football hero of the era, when he sold a Taco-Tia franchise to him. After leaving the chain to embark on his own business venture, he started El Taco in 1958 by partnering up with Charley Toogood, Harland Svare, and Phil Crosby, the son of singer/entertainer Bing Crosby. After the group dissolved and went their separate ways, El Taco remained under the care of Jerry Toogood, Charley's brother, who owned the original five locations: two in Downey, one in San Pedro, and one in Orange. Glen Bell went on to create Taco Bell and focused on a fast-food chain resembling that of McDonald's, while El Taco maintained a focus on the dining experience, quality ingredients and a fresh home-cooked style meal.*

El Taco has not changed its menu since its opening date in 1958. It has only strived to deliver fresher and better ingredients to our beloved patrons who have brought generation after generation of their families to El Taco. In 2007, after a two-year search and after dozens of potential buyers, Jerry Toogood hand-picked Sean Lee, the current El Taco owner, to take over the chain. Mr. Lee has since improved the cosmetics of the existing El Taco buildings and has done even further research to bring the healthiest, freshest food to our customers. Acquiring top-quality grade beef, cheese and fresh produce coupled with consulting our life-long patrons has allowed El Taco to be the staple Mexican Chain that customers know they can rely on for delicious, fresh food for themselves and their family. Mr. Lee continues to run El Taco with the same passion for bringing only the best ingredients to his customers as the day Mr. Bell brought the first taco into California.

We here at El Taco thank you for being a part of the El Taco family, and we look forward to serving you.

*Source: Debra Lee Baldwin, Taco Titan, The Glen Bell Story (Arlington, TX: The Summit Publishing Group, 1999) p. 78, 86, 95