Moorheaders and their F-M neighbors remember Taco John’s Potato Olés fondly … sometimes driving an hour to secure their supply. (Photo/ Dustin Finney)
Nancy Edmonds Hanson
Memories make everything taste better. Perhaps that’s why, nearly two years after the last of the community’s five Taco John’s locations closed, locals are still mourning the West Mex chain’s Potato Olés.
The crispy, savory deep-fried potato bites have been gone from Fargo-Moorhead since 2023, when four remaining stores followed the nearly 50-year-old original shop into oblivion. Starting in April, they were shuttered in quick succession.
The disappearances were rumored to be prompted by the upcoming need to renew the F-M franchises. Closure was widely attributed to the Cheyenne, Wyoming-based fast-food chain’s requirement for extensive remodeling and updating of the small, aging stores before an agreement could be reached.
For a time, the store nearest downtown Fargo was listed for sale at a price of $600,000. Apparently, no buyer came forward. Moorhead’s landmark Taco John’s just north of the tracks at Center Avenue and Eighth Street was among the last to close its doors in June. Last year, it reemerged as Moorhead Drug, while the West Fargo store was remodeled and reopened by the Thai Orchid. Both had long been located in the Moorhead Center Mall.
All of which has left F-M Olé lovers with a persistent dilemma. Though mouthwatering commercials continue to appear on local television, the real thing is beyond convenient reach for locals. Today, Potato Olés are only a fond memory … a memory of ordering them at the drive-through, then gobbling a good share of the delectable but less-than-nutritious treats on the drive home and arriving with greasy fingers.
The crispy, seasoned, deep-fried potato rounds – between the size of a quarter and half-dollar – became favorites of Taco John’s customers in 1978, when they were added to the menu of the decade-old chain. It had been founded as the Taco House taco stand at F.E. Warren Air Force Base near Cheyenne in 1968; a year later, founder John Turner sold the franchising rights to Wyoming businessmen Harold Holmes and Jim Woodson, who renamed it in Turner’s honor.
Taco John’s grew rapidly. Fargo-Moorhead’s first shop opened in 1974. A year later, the company established its 100th location in Scottbsluff, Nebraska. Today franchisees operate nearly 400 stores in 23 states. North Dakota’s dozen franchises range from Dickinson and Williston in the west to Bismarck, Devils Lake, Drayton, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Mandan, Minot, Parshall, Valley City and Wahpeton. In Minnesota, the west central cities of Bemidji, Brainerd, Crookston, Fergus Falls and Thief River Falls are among the state’s 51 stores.
Moorhead, Fargo and West Fargo appear nowhere on the lists.
One solution for the area’s most avid Olé aficionados is the road trip. Four thriving franchises lie within an hour’s drive of Moorhead and Fargo. Detroit Lakes barely nudges out Wahpeton, at 44.7 and 45.4 miles. Fergus Falls is 57 miles to the southeast, while Valley City is a straight 62.5-mile shot west on Interstate 94.
On a recent Facebook post, dozens of area residents confessed their Olé addiction.
Teresa Norwig: “I buy extra when in DL or elsewhere and bring them home, then freeze them for baking or air frying later.”
Shannon Borke VanHorn: “Valley City has them an hour to the west. DL and Fergus Falls are an hour to the east. All trips are worth it!”
Kaightie Munsch: “Yes! We stopped in DL a few months back. It was busy and quite a wait to get our order, but it was so worth it for some Olés!”
Pam Enz Gibb: “I was actually considering driving all the way to Fergus Falls to get some.”
Ashley Kunz: “We have been hitting up all the Taco John’s when we travel. Wahpeton was OK, Sisseton was incredible, and DL was good and the service was excellent. Every day is a good day to take a road trip for Olés!”
But a close facsimile of Potato Olés may be nearer than a road trip away. JJ Gordon, co-host of “It Takes Two” on KFGO Radio, unearthed a recipe for a homemade version just as the last F-M stores were closing in 2023. While the Thai Orchid would go on to remodel the West Fargo location and Moorhead Drug would move from the mall to the downtown site, he posted the best taste-alike formula he could find on the radio station’s website.
JJ’s Homemade ‘Potato Olés’
4 tsp. Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Cumin
Crispy Crown-style tater tots (freezer section)
Mix the seasonings. Then proceed to air-fry or bake.
Air Fryer: No need to pre-heat! Cook for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Shake the basket and add seasoning. Shake again and add more flavoring, then air-fry for another 6 minutes – or six if you like them really crispy. If you’d like even more Potato Olé flavor, add more seasoning before serving.
Traditional Oven: Pre-heat to 425 degrees. Arrange Olés on a baking pan. Brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle liberally with seasoning mix. Bake for 17 minutes. Remove from pan and sprinkle on more seasoning to taste.
Since sharing the original recipe, JJ Gordon has discovered Lawry’s Seasoned Pepper. “It adds extra zip,” he recommends.
The broadcast foodie still mourns the loss of local Taco John’s. “I love Potato Olés. The Taco John’s sign would shine like a beacon. I’d swing in and pick up an order along with a side of their queso sauce because … well, why wouldn’t I?”
This recipe, he insists, is nearly (but not quite) as good as the dearly departed real thing. Apparently, the region’s Olé connoisseurs agree: In 17 months, it has been viewed online at KFGO.com more than 40,000 times.
