advertisement

'Food Court Wars' taco eatery calls old Spring Hill locale 'middle of nowhere'

A gourmet taco restaurant team that won a year of free rent at Spring Hill Mall on Food Network's Food Court Wars last year will open a new Chicago location on Wednesday.

Taco In A Bag co-owners Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti and Tim "Gravy" Brown, who shuttered their mall eatery nearly two months ago, announced their new location in an email blast Monday.

"Taco In A Bag was once a food truck called Glutton Force Five, that got on a Food Network show, that ended up in a mall in the middle of nowhere, that is finally home in our favorite city Chicago!" said the email announcing the new location at 4603 N. Lincoln Ave.

Phone messages and emails to Taco In A Bag and Brown were not returned Monday.

Brown and Bertoletti won a TV show that aired in March 2014 for $5,000 and a year of free rent at the West Dundee mall.

But their elation quickly turned to aggravation when they had to spend $6,000 on workers' compensation insurance and sunk another $20,000 into the spot to buy their own cooking and kitchen equipment.

Sales started off brisk but soon tapered off as the novelty wore off. The pair thanked Spring Hill Mall management for their support but lamented not reading the fine print after Food Network representatives contacted them just 48 hours before the show taped.

Brown also said their concept - an innovative menu of homemade nachos in a single bag - wasn't right for mall crowd.

"When people go to a mall, people want something they are used to, a big slice of pizza, a pretzel," Brown said in January. "Something new, or a light twist on gourmet doesn't have a place there."

The new Lincoln Square location will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

For information, visit tacoinabag.com.

'Food Court Wars' eatery opening next week

'Food Court' victors have flavor in the Bag

W. Dundee eatery that won reality show to appear on TV again

'Food Court Wars' eatery closing in West Dundee

  Taco in a Bag at the food court in Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee closed, but the duo behind the eatery are reopening Wednesday in Chicago. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.