Taco Cabana brought a fan favorite back to the menu last week, re-introducing a line of Shrimp Tampico items just in time for the Lenten season.
Now through mid-April, the seafood favorite is available in either a personal or large quesadilla, or as part of a two or three enchilada plate with hand-made sour cream sauce, rice, a choice of beans and two freshly made flour tortillas. And new this year, customers can add Shrimp Tampico to their custom-built Cabana Bowl.
Taco Cabana marinates the shrimp by hand multiple times each day with chipotle and ancho spices to ensure freshness and quality. Shrimp is then grilled with garlic, lime and cilantro for a unique flavor, which was inspired by a marriage of the interior Mexico chili flavor (ancho) with a coastal staple (shrimp).
“Our Shrimp Tampico has been a seasonal fan favorite since 2007, and we’re delighted to bring it back to the menu,” said Todd Coerver, chief marketing officer at Taco Cabana. “By combining these authentic Mexican flavors right in our kitchens, we are able to introduce customers to a fresh, flavorful, new way of enjoying shrimp.”
Taco Cabana’s special pineapple chipotle salsa, which is ideal to top off Shrimp Tampico menu items as well as other Taco Cabana favorites, will be available on the salsa bar in addition to traditional salsa offerings.
“The sweetness of the pineapple combines nicely with the smoky chipotle flavor in the salsa to compliment the complex flavors of this shrimp specialty,” said Walter “Smokey” Waters, corporate chef at Taco Cabana. “We are always striving to offer our guests new ways to experience the unique flavors of Mexico.”
As part of Taco Cabana’s current television campaign featuring veteran cooks, the Shrimp Tampico commercial features Maria Martinez who has been with the company for seven years and is currently working her magic in the kitchen of #123 in Austin, Texas.