Help Me Remember The Wrigleyville Taco Bell
SUN-TIMES – As Cubs and taco fans alike face the harsh reality of the Wrigleyville Taco Bell’s imminent demolition, a local bar has taken it upon itself to host an event for patrons wanting to pay their final respects to the late-night eatery. A neighborhood bar has planned a wake for the Taco Bell, located across the street from Wrigley Field at 1111 W. Addison St. The bar, which doesn’t serve food, is encouraging attendees to bring Taco Bell to Nisei Lounge at 3:05 p.m. on Oct. 28. Wrigleyville’s last bastion of burritos, gorditas, and good decision making is getting the wrecking ball in November,” the bar hosting the wake said. “Though we’re Team Burrito Mexicano around here, we know greatness, and the Wrigleyville Taco Bell always had it, if not in the food or the service, but definitely in the people watching.” As of noon Wednesday, 49 people had said they plan to attend the wake, and 270 people expressed interest in the Facebook event.
I’m treading lightly because NO FREE ADS. The Wake is actually just a happy hour at a Wrigleyville bar. There will be no Mariachis, no candlelight vigils and certainly no crunch wrap supreme giveaways or any of that delicious bullshit. Instead it’s just an organized time to eat taco bell at a Wrigley Bar while the sun is shining on a Sunday afternoon. Not trying to mix it up with the Taco Bell enthusiasts, but that’s not a real wake. That’s just your run-of-the-mill promotional event in the middle of the dreaded Sunday Funday deadzone aka 3pm-5pm.
So here’s my personal eulogy. I have a weird relationship with the Wrigleyville Taco Bell (WTB). On one hand, it’s been a formidable staple in my adult life with hundreds of thousands of questionably-FDA-approved calories making their mark on my soft, pale Midwestern midsection. So quite literally, the WTB will be with me wherever I go for the rest of my life for better or worse (worse). Like how when you go to prison you get inked up. It’s the same thing here except you get WTB Baja Steak Chalupa fat on your hips for life. So there’s that long-term connection.
On the other hand, I have very few tangible memories of actually being at the WTB. Not saying I never went. Quite the opposite. I was there A LOT. It’s just an unfortunate reality that my brain has retained about 1% of those experiences and most of that centers on food poisoning related incidents. You could tell me I was there 200 times from 2010-2015 and I would have no choice but to believe you.
Am I alone?
Most definitely not. WTB has been a symbol of unity at 1111 W. Addison for 25 seasons. Over that time more than 65 MILLION tickets have turned the gates at Wrigley Field. The sheer number of people that have stumbled out of the ballpark after a game and directly into WTB has to be STAGGERING. From a pure volume perspective, there have to be millions of people across the world that will be impacted by this news. The WTB reach is real.
I call it a place of unity because it really was a place for everybody. Even the most diabolical White Sox fans will agree the WTB is magical. Just last year I witnessed 50+ Toronto Blue Jays fans sell the place out of the cheese that goes inbetween the hard and soft shell in a cheesey gordita crunch.
The lady behind the counter looked like she had seen a ghost. When Cubs fans (me) complained, Blue Jays fans were coming out of the woodwork offering me their gorditas as an olive branch of peace. Such an act of contrition could only occur at the WTB… a place of welcoming, a place a community, a place to fight tomorrow’s hangover with $14 of low grade Mexican. A place that is no more.
In these difficult times I ask you to remember your best memory and share in the comment section. Obviously your memories will be damaged, but that’s half the fun. Best memorial gets a Ball Don’t Lie shirt.