Restaurant Review: Taco Boy, Mt. Pleasant, MI

I wouldn't normally review a fast food restaurant, but Taco Boy, located in my hometown of Mt. Pleasant, MI, is more than worthy of critical praise. Mt. Pleasant is a college town with plenty of fast food restaurants to choose from, including the world's most popular taco restaurant, Taco Bell. However, though I lived in Mt. Pleasant for 18 years, I never once ate at the Taco Bell - why would I, when Taco Boy was right down the street? While I enjoy Taco Bell, it is NO competition for Taco Boy - here's why!

Taco Boy is located right off the Central Michigan University campus, on a busy corner along Mt. Pleasant's main drag, Mission Rd. Mission Rd. is home to every fast food franchise in Mt. Pleasant, so Taco Boy, marked only with a small, non-flashy sign, doesn't exactly jump out at you. The building itself is just a small white box, set back from Mission Rd. amidst some other small buildings and a strip mall. The unassuming exterior gives way to an equally modest interior, consisting only of a service counter and a few booths, all of which were obviously built in the 70s. However, despite appearances, Taco Boy serves up the best Mexican food in Mt. Pleasant.

Taco Boy's menu is quite different from that of most fast food taco places. They do offer tacos, of course, along with tostadas, enchiladas, taco salads and chips - but burritos are Taco Boy's true specialty. Taco Boy boasts three different preparations of meat - regular taco meat, "red" meat and "green" meat. Taco Boy's red meat is a mild but flavorful diced beef concoction, but the green meat is the real treat. It's shredded pork in a spicy, tangy tomatillo/jalapeno sauce - addictively delicious. Each of these meats is a burrito option, along with chicken and vegetarian. Even their "quesadilla" is really a burrito - it's a large flour tortilla, filled with a heaping pile of cheddar cheese and a scoop of green meat, folded into a burrito shape and heated until the cheese melts. This is by far my favorite thing on Taco Boy's menu - heart attack city! However, to have the true Taco Boy experience, a Super Wet Burrito is required. The Taco Boy Super Wet Burrito is a half-pound beef burrito, smothered in a sublime red sauce and topped with melted cheese and diced onion. Knife and fork are most definitely required.

In a sea of bland fast food Mexican restaurants, Taco Boy stands apart for their uniquely Michigan interpretation of Mexican classics. It may not be particularly authentic, but it is delicious - some of the best Mexican food I've had up north! If you ever find yourself in Mt. Pleasant, MI (or more likely, driving through Mt. Pleasant to get somewhere more interesting), be sure to treat yourself to a stop at Taco Boy - you'll be glad you did!

Address: 712 W. Preston Rd. at Mission Rd.
Phone: 989-772-0394
Hours: Daily 11am-10pm
Price Range: $1 (tacos, etc) to $6 (large burritos)