Courtesy Taco Buddha
Artist's rendering of the new Taco Buddha location in Kirkwood (signage not accurate)
After several years of seeking out—and sometimes missing out on—possible new restaurant sites, Kurt Eller is ready to announce Taco Buddha’s expansion into Kirkwood, with a late-fall opening planned.
Photo by George Mahe
“We’re not 100 percent there, but we’re very, very close,” he says of the plan to buy the building at 11111 Manchester, a former Hardee’s. “The building requires considerable work, which is why buying it made more sense than leasing.”
Eller, who plans to take possession of the space in early June, says he’s been looking to expand Taco Buddha for a while, but “we lost out on several other spots we liked. Let’s just say the fourth time’s the charm,” he says.
The Atmosphere
The new space will seat 100–120 people, both inside and out. Plans call to carve out a waiting area, where customers can bide the time with margaritas and appetizers.
Eller wants to replicate the hybrid form of service that made Taco Buddha successful, meaning customers can order either at the counter or seated at a table, using table-specific QR codes developed by Toast. “That one change, which we added last summer, has made a world of difference,” he says. “Guests can order food, drinks, reorders, and then pay at the table, effectively coursing their own meals. Or they can order at the counter and continue ordering using a code that’s printed on the receipt. If people forget their phone and want to go the QR code route, we’ll find 'em an iPad. If they want us to wait on them, that’s what we’ll do.”
At the original Taco Buddha location in University City, curbside pickup became so popular during the pandemic, the line of counter customers converted to a long line of cars. After trial and error, Eller and his staff improved the model, which he hopes will pay dividends at the new location. To start, six parking spots will be dedicated to curbside pickup.
“We will not be using the existing drive-thru window,” Eller notes. “We developed a curbside pickup model—using algorithyms—that works just fine without a window. It’s one of the reasons that the building appealed to us.”
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Courtesy Taco Buddha
Del Rio taco from Taco Buddha
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Courtesy Taco Buddha
Fried Fish taco from Taco Buddha
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Courtesy Taco Buddha
Breakfast taco from Taco Buddha
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Courtesy Taco Buddha
Taco Buddha's Baja Salad
Gregg Goldman
The Santa Fe, Taco Buddha's taco of the month for April 2022, includes scrambled eggs, cotija and jack cheese, New Mexico chile seasoned fries, Santa Fe sauce, green onion, and flour tortilla
The Menu
Taco Buddha follows a less-is-more menu format, one that will be repeated at the new location. Executive chef Jeff Friesen, who will oversee both locations, will continue items such as the hatch green chile queso, the Del Rio (burnt-end) tacos, fried avocado wedges, posole, and the incomparable Saturday breakfast tacos, as well as the rotating taco of the month. Orders picked up during happy hour (3 –5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday) are also discounted 15 percent when using a special code.
Courtesy Taco Buddha
Taco Buddha’s beverage program follows the KISS mantra as well. When asked, “What margarita flavors do you have?" Eller likes to respond, “Good ones.” Over the years, experience proved that having more options did not equate to more sales, so the house margarita is served frozen or on the rocks—singly, in pitchers, or in larger quantities to go. The house margs can be modified with a floater of house-made, chili-infused tequila. Ranch water (blanco tequila, lime juice, Topo Chico sparkling water) is also available in singles and pitchers, along with beer, wine, San Pellegrino, Agua Fresca, and Mexican Coke.
The Background
One of the flagship restaurant's strengths has been Eller’s attention to detail, as well as his transparency with customers and employees. His newsletters were often fact-filled missives addressing the restaurant’s successes and failures, a rarity these days.
Taco Buddha opened in August 2017 in University City at the corner of Jackson and Pershing, in a building that had seen its share of restaurants, including Sofia Bistro, La Piazza, Bici Café, and PerJax Americana Kitchen. On opening day, there was a line of customers out the door. Taco Buddha’s mass popularity continues to this day, throwing cold salsa on the theory to “never open a restaurant in a ‘cursed’ location.”
Courtesy Taco Buddha
Part of the appeal was its diminutive size. With 26 interior seats, Taco Buddha was “the size of a pocket hanky,” SLM’s Alexa Beattie wrote at the time. A small patio was added, then expanded, covered, and winterized, effectively tripling the seating.
Eller says customers can expect the same menu, processes, hospitality, and policies, including taking online orders for curbside pick-up until the posted closing time.
