If you grew up in SoCal during the 1970s and 1980s, you probably remember a cheap that did tacos and burgers. It wasn't a major Mexican fast food chain like Taco Bell — it was a much more local favorite known as Naugles Tacos & Burgers. 

Dick Naugle opened the first shop in Riverside in 1970, and over the next couple of decades, the business grew into a Southwestern fast food staple with items like Taco burgers and a the chain's green sauce. A series of corporate dealings led to a merger with Del Taco in 1988 and a buyout of both companies in 1990. Del Taco gradually converted or closed Naugles outlets — by the mid-1990s the latter chain had largely vanished.

The disappearance wasn't a dramatic culinary flop so much as corporate consolidation. Del Taco left the Naugles name unused in connection with restaurant services for many years. Under trademark law that long period of dormancy created an opening: If a mark isn't used in commerce, it can be cancelled for abandonment, and that technicality would later become the basis of Naugles' comeback story.

The comeback (and did it stick?)

Napkin dispenser showing the Naugles branding

Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock

The revival was grassroots rather than corporate theater. Christian Ziebarth, an Orange County web developer and lifelong Naugles fan, hosted pop-ups, tried to recreate classic recipes from the chain, and pushed a legal challenge to reclaim the name. Ziebarth filed to register the Naugles mark and petitioned the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to cancel Del Taco's registration for restaurant services. In March 2015 the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office agreed Del Taco had abandoned the name, clearing the legal path for Ziebarth and partners to relaunch the brand.

The reopening occurred months after the ruling at the Naugles' Fountain Valley, California, test kitchen. Accounts from the time painted a joyous and chaotic scene : huge lines, multiple sellouts, and a brief closure while the team sorted supply, staffing, and kitchen flow. Over the next several years, the company launched additional locations in Huntington Beach, Stanton, and elsewhere, getting the total number to five. However, the company's revival would also expose the practical pains of turning fond memories into a resilient, modern operation.

So did it work? The comeback was a win with an asterisk. Legally and culturally, yes — a regional brand was pulled back from limbo, and people can once again buy Naugles burritos and tacos. Commercially, however, Naugles has had its share of setbacks. The company has experienced multiple closures since its return, two of which occurred in 2023 and 2024. As of this writing, the company website only lists two active restaurants: one in Fountain View and the other in Stanton. In 2025, the brand welcomed its first food truck, perhaps creating another avenue for revenue.