The Original Del Taco
000 Plus a Liquor Store and a Pickup Truck
The Original Del Taco • Yermo, CA • Day Two
I’m really not sure how closely associated The Original Del Taco is to Route 66, but when planning the trip, Rick put it on the list. When he told us to bring cash because Del Taco is cash-only, I started to think that Rick’s obsession with Del Taco was driven more by food than photography.
Turns out it was both, but we only got one.
Burger Den, the Original Del Taco was the original location of the Del Taco restaurant chain (duh). It is no longer affiliated with Del Taco — thus the Burger Den moniker. Still, they serve an enticing menu of tacos, burritos and other such fare in addition to burgers. And they are cash-only.
Burger Den Menu
It was Rick’s suggestion for dinner on our first night, but they closed long before we stopped shooting in Amboy. We made alternate plans for dinner and put Burger Den, the Original Del Taco on our Day Two list. It was a worthwhile stop. A snapshot in time. Only regret is, we could not hang around until they opened for lunch.
Burger Den was a worthwhile stop if only because on the way there we passed a really cool scene of a vintage pickup truck in front of a vintage liquor store. It was begging to be photographed. After a few shots of the taco/burger stand, we doubled back to the liquor store and grabbed what may be my favorite shot from Day 2 (below).
Liquor Store and Pickup Truck, Yermo, CA
Since I will be writing about them a bit in this series, I thought it would be a good idea to properly introduce you to my traveling companions, Rick and the the two Mikes.
About Rick
I met Rick Louie on my first NxNW trip to Moab back in the spring of 2013. Rick is a great photographer and avid four-wheel adventurer. He’s also a great tour-guide. Rick runs (off-and-on) a Colorado Fall Color Photography Tour. I signed up for it a few years ago and was treated to some of the most amazing mountain vistas I’ve ever seen. As a photographer, Rick is very deliberate. Probably because he shoots mostly film — mostly medium format film. On this trip Rick shot something like 27 rolls at 10 exposures per. He supplemented his film shooting with his Fuji digital camera, but still, the discipline. Rick and I share a love for cold brew coffee, something I introduced him to at Cowboy Coffee in Jackson, WY back in 2016. As he was ordering an iced coffee, I interrupted and said, “no, try the cold brew.” He did, and he hasn’t stopped thanking me.
You can find Rick and his work on his Website, Instagram, and Facebook
000 About This Series
From April 12 through April 20, 2025, I was on a Route 66 Photography Adventure (The Trip) with three good friends and like minded photographers. This series is recap of The Trip in stories and images.
All of the images were shot on that historic road or within a couple of miles of it. Neither the images nor stories are necessarily presented in chronological order.
Enjoying the series? Drop a comment.