Taco Tuesday: Origin and Real Deals
Taco Tuesday is a US restaurant promotion, not a Mexican tradition. It grew out of 1980s slow-Tuesday discounting, was trademarked for decades by the chain Taco John's, and became free for everyone to use in 2023 when that trademark was dropped. A real Taco Tuesday is a standing weekly deal, usually cheaper tacos or a taco-and-drink special, at a place that would be worth visiting on a Wednesday too.
A very short history
Tuesday has long been the slowest night for US restaurants, so operators have discounted it for decades to fill seats. Taco-specific Tuesday promotions show up in American newspapers by the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Taco John's, a chain founded in Wyoming, registered Taco Tuesday as a trademark in most of the country in 1989 and spent years sending cease-and-desist letters to anyone who used the phrase in marketing. New Jersey was a carve-out, where a different company held it.
In 2023, after a public campaign, Taco John's abandoned the trademark and the phrase entered the public domain nationwide. Anyone can now advertise a Taco Tuesday.
What a good one looks like
- It is a standing weekly thing, printed on the menu or a permanent sign, not a one-off event.
- The discount is real: a lower per-taco price, a fixed-price plate, or a taco-plus-margarita or taco-plus-beer combo.
- The tacos are the same ones the kitchen sells the rest of the week, just cheaper. If the Tuesday taco is a stripped-down version made only for the promo, that tells you something.
- The place has a reason to exist beyond Tuesday. Use the checklist in our taqueria guide.
Taco Tuesday spots near you · How to spot a good taqueria
Why we do not list Taco Tuesday prices
Weekly deals change constantly and vary by location, even within the same chain. Rather than publish a price that might be wrong by the time you read it, we point you at taquerias and taco bars near you and let you check each one's current offer. The deal is a bonus; the food is the point.
FAQ
Is Taco Tuesday Mexican?
No. It is a US restaurant marketing convention. Tacos are eaten any day of the week in Mexico, and there is no equivalent Tuesday tradition there.
Can any restaurant say Taco Tuesday now?
Yes. The trademark was dropped in 2023 and the phrase is free to use across the US, including the areas that were previously carved out.
Do the best taquerias run Taco Tuesday deals?
Some do, many do not. A serious taqueria that sells out of barbacoa by noon on Sunday has no need to discount a Tuesday. Treat the deal as a tiebreaker, not a ranking factor.
Published August 5, 2026, updated August 31, 2026. By Niam Hocaine.