BERLIN — The Cadillac tacos are as big as the heart of Uncle D’s Diner on Mill Street.

“It’s getting to be pretty popular,” owner Darren Anderson said.

The Berlin resident said he makes up to 50 Cadillac tacos per week.

The menu item, under “Uncle’s D’s Favorites,” consists of an 8-inch fried flour tortilla shaped into a taco shell and filled with house-made refried beans, a toasted corn taco shell, ground beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and topped with salsa and sour cream.

“Talk about a home-type of town eatery,” said David Silberman, a former Meriden resident who now lives in Middletown.

As with many regular customers, Silberman has been coming to Uncle D’s since the Anderson family opened the diner about five years ago.

“His wings are to die for. Obviously, he’s known for his Cadillac taco,” Silberman said.

With its black and white checkered floor and red-trimmed booths, the restaurant also serves up classic diner fare like pancakes, sandwiches and omelets.

A simple mushroom, American cheese omelette is Larry Gorneault’s go-to order.

“I come here almost every day and it’s amazing, it’s like family over here,” the Cromwell resident said.

He said Uncle D’s reminds him of the diner featured in the 1973 movie “American Graffiti”.

“On the weekend they have all the old cars come over here,” he said. “I bring over my 1966 Cobra.”

Anderson said he gets a lot of regular customers like Gorneault and Silberman, but also encounters new people passing through and discovering the Cadillac taco for the first time.

“They’re all loving it,” he said.

The name came about while Anderson was frequently hosting taco parties with his family and friends before the diner opened. After Anderson gave a taco to a neighbor, the neighbor remarked that it was no ordinary taco. “That’s a Cadillac.”

“The community has backed us up tremendously,” Anderson said. “I’m just here to satisfy the taste buds.”

akus@record-journal.com
Twitter: @KusReporter