Where Did Taco Tuesday Start?

Whether you celebrate Taco Tuesday every week or you just want an excuse to go to your favorite Mexican joint at the beginning of the week, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t love this fun weekly “holiday.”

While Taco Tuesday has a catchy name and it’s hard to imagine it ever not existing, it had to start somewhere, right? So, where did Taco Tuesday day get its start?

Taco Tuesday is actually a trademarked name by the Mexican restaurant chain Taco John’s. It has been since 1989. Every year, the restaurant still has to send out cease and desist letters to other spots across the country using the phrase.

If that seems pretty hardcore for some tacos, it is. And, Taco John’s knows it. They even say right on their website that they take tacos seriously.

But, the phrase might have been around a lot longer. The earliest advertisement for a Tuesday taco event goes back to the 1930s, and who knows how long people have been using it in their own homes and among friend groups before that. While Taco John’s is now the official home of Taco Tuesday, you can still celebrate on your own.

Taco John’s has insinuated that Taco Tuesday is, essentially, an American institution. They’re right in suggesting that it’s part of our culture. So, feel free to use the term at home, but be careful if you head to a local restaurant and they’re coining it on their menu—because this phrase officially belongs to Taco John’s.