Public Cans of Austin: Maria’s Taco XPress

marias_can.jpg
I did not photoshop the undersea aura into this snap; this is one of the few women’s cans I have ever seen that has ventured beyond “pinkly flattering” into the uncharted territory of “Martian hag” as a criterion for its lighting scheme.

They razed a trailer park and tore down Maria’s Taco XPress a few months ago in order to put up a Walgreen’s. If you want to know what the Walgreen’s looks like, take a gander out your livingroom window at the identical store they built in your neighborhood last week.

For a generic megacorp, Walgreen’s has a somewhat palatable record on emergency contraception [click here for the barely-literate protestations of one of the ‘pro-life’ pharmacists they fired for refusing to dispense it; click here for the story of one feminist blogger’s real-life horror experience with persisting antediluvian attitudes toward it], but that’s no excuse for making their ubiquitous stores so fucking ugly.

Maria’s was relocated to a spot nearby. It’s not the same, because nothing — with the exception of the taco verde, which is still a tongue-scalding mass of limp green beans despised by all right-thinking epicures except me — is ever the same, but I am pleased to report that the joint is still coated in sufficient quanties of that comforting South Austin je-ne-sais-funque.

marias_tacoverde.jpgmarias_wall.jpg

11 Responses to “Public Cans of Austin: Maria's Taco XPress”


  1. 1 manxome Oct 14th, 2006 at 1:24 pm

    What a fabulous looking can! I love the can cam.

  2. 2 annared Oct 14th, 2006 at 2:56 pm

    I am wondering what the pinkness in the mirror is. Also for the first time ever I have started to think about the missing bit at the front of some toilet seats. Is it to prevent splashing or for members with dangly bits to avoid member dangle squash

  3. 3 witchy-woo Oct 14th, 2006 at 5:52 pm

    Wow. That’s lurid.

  4. 4 Carpenter Oct 14th, 2006 at 6:38 pm

    Hey Twisty you’re a Trekkie right?
    Off topic but have you seen this

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=KmWtK9oTzoU&mode=related&search=

    doesnt make up for loss of food, but still.

  5. 5 Ron Sullivan Oct 14th, 2006 at 9:49 pm

    Please tell me that’s the can in the new relocated not-the-same Maria’s. It breaks my flinty old heart (again) to think that wonder no longer exists, that even if I bring myself todrive in Texas again I’ll never get to pee there.

  6. 6 littleb Oct 14th, 2006 at 10:15 pm

    I haven’t gone to the new Maria’s yet. I loved the old place, and I’m sad that the corner table outside is no longer there. Maybe I’ll go down there tomorrow for migas after going to the dog park. The perfect Austin Sunday morning(ish).

  7. 7 Twisty Oct 15th, 2006 at 7:59 am

    littleb, the new patio is remarkably similar to the old patio; I think you’ll be happy. Oh, and if you see Dawkins, buy him a taco for me, will you? I’ll pay you back!

  8. 8 curiousgirl Oct 15th, 2006 at 10:05 am

    Twisty,

    I’m going to Austin in December for a while. If you get a chance, I think we could all appreciate the Twisty top Ten, or the “if you have a week to eat in Austin” tour. I would anyway. Otherwise I’ll be dragged around to taste-free chain eateries and humdrum semi-funky taco stands.

  9. 9 lavalamp Oct 15th, 2006 at 11:21 am

    beyond “pinkly flattering” into the uncharted territory of “Martian hag”

    I wish I could say something glibber, but Twisty, you can really make me laugh and I appreciate that, pleasema’amandthankyew.

  10. 10 Beth in Michigan Oct 16th, 2006 at 8:39 am

    I’m still chortling about the “je ne sais funque,” clearly this Austin you speak of is a place I must visit in this lifetime.

  11. 11 alphabitch Oct 16th, 2006 at 2:13 pm

    In addition to its not-pinkness, I really like the auto-themed painting. You hardly ever see that in a gal’s room nowadays.

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