Étranger Things: “Wait… This Isn’t a Taco” — Decoding the Very French Tacos (and a PSA for Californians)

on

 

Short answer: a French tacos is a hot, grilled flour-tortilla parcel stuffed with your choice of meats, French fries inside, and a molten cheese sauce, folded into a tidy rectangle and pressed like a panini. It’s delicious, it’s customizable, it’s proudly hexagonal—and it is not Mexican. Think “kebab shop meets panini meets California burrito,” not abuela’s carnitas on a handmade corn tortilla. (Wikipedia)

Where it comes from (and why Lyon keeps winking)

The tacos as the French know it bubbled up in the early 2000s around Lyon’s suburbs (Vaulx-en-Velin gets named a lot), born in halal snack bars and spread nationwide via savvy, youth-magnet chains. O’Tacos then rocket-boosted it with XXL marketing and infinite combos. (The New Yorker)

What you actually get

  • A wheat tortilla folded into a rectangle, pressed with grill marks

  • 1–3 meats (chicken tenders, merguez, kebab, nuggets, even cordon bleu—oui, vraiment)

  • Fries inside (non-negotiable in many shops)

  • Sauce fromagère (signature cheese sauce), plus extras (Algérienne, Samurai, Andalouse, BBQ, etc.)

  • Sizes: M/L/XL and beyond, depending on the shop
    That “fries + cheese sauce included” bit is codified by the category’s market leaders. (o-tacos.com)

Language nerd note: in French you order “un tacos” (singular masculine), plural “des tacos.” Also, many menus say simply “Tacos”—they mean this French format, not Mexican tacos.

Friendly warnings for Mexican-food seekers (especially SoCal folks 🫣)

  • If the storefront says “Tacos” in France, 9/10 it’s the French style above. Manage expectations. (Your salsa verde dreams are safe… elsewhere.)

  • Corn tortillas and nixtamal are rarer outside big cities; wheat wraps dominate. Heat levels tend to be gentler; “épicé” may mean “zingy,” not “send-help.”

  • “Cheese sauce” here means a melty, often processed fromage blend—think stadium-nacho vibes—rather than queso fundido or cotija. (Eater Montreal)

  • Craving “real” tacos? Look for menus that say “tortillas de maïs / maíz,” “nixtamal,” “pastor al trompo,” or “taquería.” Otherwise enjoy the French creation on its own terms—different thing, different joy.

  • Silver lining for San Diegans: the French tacos’ fries-inside DNA actually does nod to the California burrito tradition. It’s a cousin by carbs, not by passport. (Wikipedia)

How to order like a local (and get what you wanted)

  • A1: Bonjour. Un tacos, taille M, poulet, s’il vous plaît.
    “Hi. One tacos, size M, chicken, please.”

  • A2: Avec sauce fromagère et sauce algérienne. À emporter.
    “With cheese sauce and Algerian sauce. To go.”

  • B1: Sans frites à l’intérieur, c’est possible ? Et bien grillé, merci.
    “No fries inside—possible? And well-pressed, thanks.”

  • B2: Je cherche plutôt des tacos mexicains, avec tortillas de maïs. Vous en faites ?
    “I’m actually after Mexican tacos with corn tortillas. Do you make those?”

  • Advanced: Je sais que le tacos français vient des snacks lyonnais; je veux une version pas trop lourde—vous conseillez quoi comme combo plus “léger” ?
    “I know French tacos come from Lyonnais snack bars; I’d like a lighter take—what combo do you recommend?”

Quick cheat-sheet: sauces you’ll see

  • Fromagère = the molten house cheese sauce (category-defining). (o-tacos.com)

  • Algérienne / Samurai / Andalouse = beloved Franco-Belgian fry-sauce family (tangy, slightly spicy, mayo-based).

  • Gratiné = your tacos sprinkled with cheese and run under the oven—because France.

Be kind to your cravings (and to France)

The French tacos isn’t “wrong tacos;” it’s French fast-food genius, born of the Rhône-Alpes snack culture and now everywhere from Paris to small towns. If you want Mexican, ask for it specifically. If you want a hot, cheesy, crispy-pressed carb-parcel, you’ve found your new 2 am friend. (The New Yorker)

Your turn 👇

So… team tacos français or team tacos mexicains? Drop your best ordering phrases, sauce rankings, or a spot in Provence that actually serves corn tortillas. Bonus points for SoCal folks: what surprised you most? Be nice—I’m still the person who once said “sans piments, je suis un bébé.”

(P.S. If you’ve seen a place in Aix/Marseille doing proper nixtamal, share it and make a dozen homesick Californians very, very happy.)