Who serves the best taco in Manteca?
That’s a loaded question given the number of Mexican dining options there are in Manteca.
Between sit down restaurants, casual dining, taqerias, ethnic supermarket food-to-go, fast food, and a sprinkling of taco trucks from time to time you could eat Mexican cuisine every day of the month at a different location.
A lot of people obviously put Taqueria La Estrella at the top of their list.
The home-grown favorite is getting ready to open its fourth Manteca location in the Stadium Retail Center anchored by Kohl’s at Airport Way and Daniels Street.
That is in addition to locations in the Raley’s shopping center at Union Road and Lathrop Road, the North Main Street spot south of Golden West School, and the original location in the center anchored by Grocery Outlet on East Yosemite Avenue.
That, without a doubt, would make it the top of the heap based on locations.
The only other taco option that comes close is Taco Bell with three locations.
What brings this up is a study by TOP Data that Taco Bell has been California’s “most popular taco restaurant” during the pandemic.
That kind of rates a “duh” response given California has 837 Taco Bell locations or 11 percent of the 7,265 Taco Bells nationwide.
The study shows:
*there has been a 12.8 percent increase in taco consumption during COVID-19.
*The percentage of people who don’t eat tacos at all is pegged at 23 percent.
*One in five Americans eat on average at least one taco a day.
*Of those surveyed, 21.4 percent eat 24 or more tacos a month.
*The largest consumers of tacos — 42 percent — are between the ages of 4 and 15.
*Teens and young adults (ages 16 to 24) are third consuming 13.3 percent behind those under age of 4 at 23.3 percent.
No. 2 in California is Moe’s Southwest Grill. The closest are 14 locations in Sacramento. Next at No. 3 is Del Taco followed by No. 4 Baja Fresh and El Pollo Loco at No. 5.
Given we have a Del Taco and El Pollo Loco, Manteca needs a Baja Fresh and Moe’s Southwest Grill to be in the running for the quintessential California taco town.
Nationwide Taco Bell, based on the TOP Data report, is No. 1 in 22 states with Del Taco the tops in eight states and Moe’s Southwest Grill in seven states.
Taco Bell and Del Taco sweep both coasts while El Polo Loco, Taco Johns, Moe’s, QDOBA Mexican Eats, and Chiplote’s dominate the flyover states
Another car wash opening
Dirty cars are big business in Manteca.
By the end of the year, Manteca will have 15 car washes up and running.
Even with one car wash under construction in a fairly obscure location on Phoenix Drive behind Staples and one posed to break ground on the southwest corner of Atherton Drive and Union Road, yet another car wash is gearing up to open.
It’s the former Showtime Express Car Wash in the 1800 block of East Yosemite Avenue across from In Shape Health that’s been shuttered for more than two years.
Satinderjit Singh of Lathrop is reopening it under the name of Splash Car Wash and Detail.
The number of car washes could have been at 16 if the A&A station midway between Spreckels Avenue and Commerce Avenue a few years back hadn’t converted its drive thru car wash to a speedy oil change operation.
U-Haul adds north
Manteca location
U-Haul Company of California has added Ed’s Rockery as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer to serve the Manteca community.
Ed’s Rockery at 6000 East. Lathrop Road in north Manteca will offer services like U-Haul trucks, trailers, towing equipment, moving supplies and in-store pickup for boxes.
Normal business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Reserve U-Haul products at this dealer location by calling (209) 239-8244 or visiting https://www.uhaul.com/Locations/Truck-Rentals-near-Manteca-CA-95336/023622/.
Ed’s Rockery partners are Renee and Calvin Kee.
