Yabo’s infuses its dishes with flavors of Southwest
Yabo’s Tacos gives new meaning to the term Southwestern cuisine.
Owner Scott Boles shudders when he hears his food described as authentic, unless it’s described as “authentically good.”
“I think the Southwestern vibe is what we’re going for, (more) than anything authentic,” Boles said.
At his Upper Arlington store (three more stores are in the locally based chain), people crave the Big Sloppy Yabo ($8.75), stuffed with a choice of protein, plus grilled vegetables and cheeses, and smothered with another layer of melted cheese.
A less cheesy option is the Bodacious Yabo ($8) — a choice of meat plus rice, corn, black beans, shredded cheese and pico de gallo in a tortilla that’s ladled with red or green sauce.
Tacos are a big thing at Yabo’s.
The Baja taco ($3.25) is simple with protein, lettuce and pico de gallo, and it’s topped with either cilantro or coleslaw.
Boles has added some popular The Big Sloppy Yabo at Yabo’s Tacos
American-style tacos such as chicken bacon ranch ($3.50), Philly cheese ($4.25) and Cuban ($4).
He calls it “American stuff that happens to be in a tortilla instead of a bun.”
The Massive Yabo ($15) is a knife-andfork creation with grilled chicken, shredded pork, shredded beef, grilled veggies, cilantro, feta, lettuce
and pico de gallo.
Boles said he has been working on his white bean and chicken chili recipe ($3 a cup, $5 a bowl) for 20 years, since he was putting the initial Yabo’s menu together. Fire-roasted peppers and some diced tomato add dimension and cut through some of the richness.
Boles has been working on his sauces since day one. In the recent past, he has added “garlic fire breather” and “ghost pepper” to his stable of sauces.
“That’s the whole thing,” he said. “I’m not going to badmouth everybody who’s got tacos. Tacos are good. The thing about our tacos is we have our own tacos, and you can put any of the sauces on it and make it yours.”
Q: How often do you eat out?
A: Twice a week.
Q: What are your favorite neighborhood places?
A: Smoked (On High Barbeque, 755 S. High St.) and La Super Torta (721 Georgesville Rd.). Everything I have had I really loved from each place.
When friends visit from out of town, where do you like to take them?
We would probably eat at home. I would take them to La Super Torta, and I would recommend their tacos al pastor.
Q: Where do you go for breakfast?
A: Scrambler Marie’s (multiple central Ohio locations), because the pancakes are the bomb.
Q: Are there any hidden gems that more people should know about?
A: I really like Caribe Sur Food Truck (travels around central Ohio). I think they make the best burger