Tacos, Burritos & Nachos: The Real Origin Stories

Tacos, burritos, and nachos are eaten by millions of people every day. Most of them have no idea where these dishes actually came from. The real origin stories are specific, well-documented, and far more interesting than the generic label of Mexican food suggests. Here is what historians and authoritative sources actually record.

The Origin of the Taco

Short answer: The taco is linked to 18th-century silver mines in Mexico, though the format of filling a tortilla is far older.

According to Professor Jeffrey M. Pilcher of the University of Toronto, as cited in Smithsonian Magazine, the word 'taco' most likely dates to the silver mines of 18th-century Mexico. Miners used the term for small explosive charges, paper wrapped around gunpowder, inserted into rock faces to blast ore. The first type of taco documented in any archive was called tacos de minero, miner's tacos.

The first literary reference to tacos as food appears in the 1891 Mexican novel Los Bandidos de Rio Frio. By the late 1890s, Mexican dictionaries were listing and crediting Mexico City with the dish. Mexican immigrants brought tacos to the United States in the early 20th century. The first U.S. newspaper mention appeared in 1905.

That said, Britannica notes that maize has been cultivated in Mexico for at least 9,000 years, and tortillas filled with food were eaten by indigenous peoples long before the word 'taco' existed. The format is ancient. The name is not.

Did You Know?   The word 'taco' was first used to describe gunpowder charges in Mexican silver mines, not food. The culinary use came later, documented from the 1890s.

Professor Jeffrey Pilcher's research, documented in Smithsonian Magazine, traces the earliest food reference to tacos de minero, miner's tacos. Anthropological evidence confirms that indigenous peoples in the Valley of Mexico were wrapping corn tortillas around fish and other fillings long before Spanish colonisation in the 1500s. The food predates the word by centuries.Source: Smithsonian Magazine

The Origin of the Burrito

Short answer: The burrito originated in northern Mexico, most likely the Sonoran region, and was first documented in an 1895 Spanish-language dictionary. The large stuffed format most people know today was developed in San Francisco in the 1960s.

The word 'burrito' means 'little donkey' in Spanish. The most widely cited origin story credits Juan Mendez, a street vendor in Ciudad Juarez who transported food on a donkey during the Mexican Revolution (1910 to 1921), wrapping everything in large flour tortillas to keep it warm. While this story is often repeated, it is not definitively confirmed.

What is documented is the 1895 Diccionario de Mexicanismos, which defines burrito as a 'rolled tortilla with meat or other food within,' placing its origins in northern Mexico where wheat grows well and flour tortillas dominate. Burritos first appeared on U.S. restaurant menus at El Cholo Cafe in Los Angeles in the 1930s, introduced by Mexican immigrants.

The Mission-style burrito, the large stuffed version with rice, beans, sour cream, and guacamole, was developed in San Francisco's Mission District in the 1960s by Mexican immigrant Febronio Ontiveros at El Faro restaurant. That format became the global template. You can see how a contemporary version comes together on the Burrito Bowl menu.

The Origin of Nachos

Short answer: Ignacio 'Nacho' Anaya. Victory Club restaurant, Piedras Negras, Mexico. 1943. The most precisely documented origin story of the three.

In 1943, a group of U.S. military wives stationed at Fort Duncan in Eagle Pass, Texas, crossed the border into Piedras Negras looking for food. They arrived at the Victory Club after hours. The chef was unavailable. The maitre d', Ignacio Anaya, improvised from what he found in the kitchen: fried corn tortilla triangles, shredded Colby cheese, and sliced pickled jalapenos, placed under a broiler. He named the result after himself: 'Nacho's Special.'

The original recipe was later printed in a 1954 church cookbook in Eagle Pass, Texas, confirming the documented record. Anaya went on to open his own restaurant, Nacho's Restaurant, in Piedras Negras. October 21 is now officially recognised as International Nacho Day in his honour, and Piedras Negras holds an annual Nacho Festival each October, drawing over 25,000 visitors.

Nachos reached U.S. sports stadiums in 1976 when Frank Liberto introduced a processed cheese version at Arlington Stadium, home of the Texas Rangers. Howard Cosell mentioned them on Monday Night Football in 1978, and their national reach exploded. The fresh, oven-baked original and the processed stadium nacho are two very different things. You can see the original-style nachos on the Burrito Bowl menu. Timeline: Key Milestones in Order

Year	Dish	Verified Milestone
18th C.	Taco	Word 'taco' used by silver miners in Mexico (Smithsonian / Prof. Pilcher)
1891	Taco	First documented as food in Mexican novel Los Bandidos de Rio Frio
1895	Burrito	First dictionary entry: 'rolled tortilla with meat,' regional to northern Mexico
1910-21	Burrito	Juan Mendez story: flour-tortilla wraps in Ciudad Juarez during Mexican Revolution
1930s	Burrito	First U.S. restaurant menu appearance at El Cholo Cafe, Los Angeles
1943	Nachos	Ignacio Anaya invents nachos at Victory Club, Piedras Negras, Mexico
1960s	Burrito	Mission-style burrito developed in San Francisco's Mission District
1976	Nachos	Frank Liberto introduces nachos to U.S. sports stadiums (Arlington Stadium, TX)

What All Three Have in Common

Tacos, burritos, and nachos were all born from practicality. Not from professional kitchens or restaurant innovation. From miners needing portable food, border workers needing warm meals, and a maitre d' needing to feed unexpected guests with what was left in the kitchen.

That practical origin is precisely why all three have spread globally while more elaborate dishes have not. They are simple, adaptable, and built around a small number of high-quality base ingredients. Understanding that history also explains what makes authentic preparation meaningful: the ingredients are the dish. You can read about the ingredient philosophy behind the menu at orderbowl.com/our-story.

Try Them Fresh in New Jersey

All three dishes are on the menu at Burrito Bowl Mexican Grill, made fresh daily with no frozen shortcuts. Whether you prefer a taco, a burrito, or a bowl inspired by the same format, the full menu covers every option.

Planning a group meal or event in NJ? The Burrito Bowl catering page covers corporate lunches, private events, and group orders across Monroe Township, Howell Township, and East Brunswick.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where did tacos originally come from?

The word 'taco' is traced to 18th-century silver miners in Mexico by Professor Jeffrey Pilcher, as cited in Smithsonian Magazine. The practice of wrapping food in a corn tortilla, however, dates back over a thousand years to indigenous Mesoamerican cultures.

Q: Who invented nachos?

Ignacio 'Nacho' Anaya, maitre d' at the Victory Club in Piedras Negras, Mexico, in 1943. He improvised fried tortilla chips, Colby cheese, and pickled jalapenos for a group of U.S. military wives who arrived after the restaurant had closed. He named the dish 'Nacho's Special.'

Q: When was the burrito invented?

The word 'burrito' first appeared in an 1895 Spanish-language dictionary describing a rolled flour tortilla with meat, regional to northern Mexico. Burritos first appeared on U.S. restaurant menus in Los Angeles in the 1930s. The large Mission-style stuffed burrito was developed in San Francisco in the 1960s.

Q: Are tacos an ancient food?

The format is ancient. Indigenous peoples in Mexico were filling corn tortillas with fish and other ingredients thousands of years ago. The word 'taco' as applied to food is documented from the 1890s. The food predates the name by centuries.

Q: Where can I eat tacos, burritos, and nachos in New Jersey?

Burrito Bowl Mexican Grill serves fresh, scratch-made tacos, burritos, and nachos at three NJ locations: Monroe Township, Howell Township, and East Brunswick. Order online at orderbowl.com/order for pickup or delivery.