On a drive home from Des Moines one day, my wife and I were sort of hungry by the time we got to Iowa City. After a quick stop at Trader Joe's in Coralville to pick up some items, we drove further down into the Iowa River Landing area to get something to eat. We really didn't want anything heavy, but we spied a place that we thought might fit the bill for us that day - Fuzzy's Taco Shop. We weren't familiar with the place, but we decided to give it a try. We found a parking spot behind the building along E. 9th St. in Coralville (see map) and went inside.
It turns out that Fuzzy's Taco Shop is a national franchise chain of fast casual Mexican restaurants that got its start with just one location in Fort Worth, TX. Paul Willis was a serial restaurateur who was involved in many restaurants after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. He'd develop a concept and a menu for a restaurant and once that venture got up and running, he'd move on to another project.
In 2001, the 35-year-old Willis saw an opportunity in placing a fast casual restaurant on Berry Street near the Texas Christian University campus in Fort Worth. He soon opened Fuzzy's Taco Shop complete with its kitschy decor and a full menu of Mexican favorites. It was soon after he opened Fuzzy's that the business caught the eye of Alan Bush.
Alan Bush, along with his son, Chuck, became enamored with the concept of Fuzzy's. Of course, after getting the restaurant up and ready, Paul Willis was looking to do something else, and in 2003 he sold Fuzzy's to the Bush's. (Willis went on to become the personal chef for country music star Toby Keith for awhile before opening up the Yucatan Taco Stand in 2008. Willis passed away in 2013 from complications of diabetes and heart disease.)
The Bush's wanted to expand Fuzzy's concept and began to franchise the operation in 2007. Today, there are over 120 Fuzzy's Taco Shops in 17 states across the United States. Alan Bush is semi-retired from the company and Chuck Bush left the company after it was sold to a venture capital group three years ago. Corey Butcher, a Texas native and owners of health clubs in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, is the franchisee of the Coralville Fuzzy's Taco Shop. He currently holds the franchise on a number of Fuzzy's Taco Shops including all five in the state of Iowa. The Fuzzy's Taco Shop in Coralville opened in March of 2017.
Inside the Coralville Fuzzy's Taco Shop, there's an explosion of colors throughout the place. Reds, yellows, deep blues, greens and oranges mix with flat screen televisions, signs that suggest to "Sit Here" or "Have a Beer", along with University of Iowa athletic paraphernalia on the walls. For as few people in the place, the colors gave it a vibrant and fun atmosphere.
It's counter service at Fuzzy's with the menu on the wall behind the front counter. It's a pretty extensive menu of Mexican favorites served up in a fast-casual style. Chips with queso, guacamole or salsa are available for a price. They have a number of salads that include items such as tempura shrimp, grilled fish, fajita beef or chicken. They have a dozen different types of tacos including seasoned beef, chicken, shrimp and veggie tacos. They have a like number of burritos on the menu, as well as quesadillas, nacho plates, burrito bowls, and full entrees such as fajitas, enchiladas and combo plates. Breakfast tacos and burritos are also available, as well as a kids menu.
They also have alcohol at Fuzzy's Taco Shop - domestic, craft and imported beers, margaritas and specialty mixed cocktails. I got a big schooner of the Big Grove IPA while my wife got a similar-sized top shelf margarita with Herradura silver tequila. After placing our order and getting our drinks, we took a seat in one of the yellow-topped booths in the center of the restaurant.
For our first visit to Fuzzy's, we went pretty basic. My wife got the shredded braised beef burrito. She usually gets beans and rice on the side, but she said while she was hungry, she wasn't THAT hungry. She said she really enjoyed the burrito. It wasn't obscenely large like you'll find at other fast casual Mexican restaurant establishments and along with the large Herradura margarita, she felt the meal hit this spot for her.
I ended up getting three tacos - spicy pulled pork, shredded braised beef, and grilled fish. They came on small corn tortillas and were topped with fresh onions and cilantro. They were small enough, but they were all pretty full of the meat and fish fillings. All three were actually very good - the grilled fish taco, I thought, was simply outstanding. It was just enough food where I wasn't hungry the rest of the day.
We really didn't know Fuzzy's Taco Stand was a chain when we went in and we usually try to stay away from chain restaurants. But there's something to be said about specialty places like Fuzzy's who seem to have the formula down pretty well. While we'd rather eat in a more authentic Mexican restaurant or grocery store, I thought Fuzzy's was pretty good for what it was. I enjoyed the three tacos I ordered - the grilled fish taco was excellent, in my opinion - and my wife was pleased with her braised beef burrito. The selection of craft beers was surprising, as was the fact that they had top-shelf tequila available for their margaritas. Fuzzy's Taco Stand delivered a pretty good package of fast-casual Mexican food and drinks. We both said we would have no problem going back at some point.
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