Certain institutions in Campbell, California, have lasted many decades, although ownership has changed hands.  Jerry’s Barber Shop still occupies the same strip mall suite where my dad took me for haircuts. Jerry has retired, but the shop remains active.  Freddie’s Liquor has moved, but only across the street.  Most impressive, however, is Taco Bravo, in business since 1970 and operating in the same building at 1950 S. Bascom Avenue, across from the Pruneyard Shopping Center, and proprietor Dennis Wuollet still runs the place with his son, Shawn.

Patrons can tell that the building was originally a Taco Bell because the Wuollets haven’t altered the floor plan or the faux-Mexican hacienda style associated with that corporation. When Taco Bell closed, Taco La Paz took over. Then came Taco Bravo.  Given the dominance of large fast-food chains, how has this tiny outfit survived so long?

Hours and location are critical.  Sunday through Wednesday, they’re open from 9 a.m. to midnight.  Thursday through Saturday, they’re open from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m.  With Pruneyard Shopping Center across the street and Downtown Campbell less than half a mile away, Taco Bravo has been a favorite for folks hungry after an evening at local bars and nightclubs.  Independent partiers, including teens, also stumble up to the counter.  And it’s just that: fuel.  There’s nothing fancy on the menu.  The most bodacious offering is the Super Taco Delite, a soft tortilla smeared with beans and wrapped around a hard taco shell containing beef, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream.  Years ago, when my friends and I imbibed a few too many at Boswell’s (permanently closed now), one or two of those beautiful monstrosities soaked up the excess.  Even if they were still open past closing time, Taco Bell or Chipotle has nothing quite like these life-shortening delicacies, which rival an average adult’s forearm in length.  There’s Denny’s too, but they don’t serve “post-intoxication” food, and Taco Bravo is an outside venue, meaning less property damage if contentious patrons ” go there.”

Nothing served at Taco Bravo will earn Michelin stars or high Zagat reviews, but the Wuollets endure nonetheless.  Recently, the pair faced quite a challenge.  In 2016, Matthias Gafni, reporting for The San Jose Mercury News, explained how Scott Johnson, a disabled attorney, sued thousands of small businesses throughout California, often over minor violations.  The Wuollets were hit twice, forcing them to close their Snell Avenue location.  Wuollet told Gafni that the experience ruined his life.  However, the Bascom Avenue location continues to persevere.  Under the COMPLIAct, businesses have 90 days to address infractions once cited, and the law limits high-limit litigants.

99-cent tostadas on Tuesdays?  Taco Bravo has you covered.  99-cent tacos on Thursdays?  Ditto.  I don’t imagine the Wuollets will go away soon, especially since Santa Clara County Valley Medical Center night workers frequent the joint too.  I’ll give a Mercury reviewer the final word: