SEATTLE — Behold: the French taco.
It’s not a taco, but it is the most popular street food in France and now you can try it in Seattle.
Brick ‘N’ Cheese is based in Canada but opened its first American location in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
"When you say 'French food,' people think it's going to be a fancy food,” said owner Samy El Jabri.
Co-owner Tito Petit added, "For us, French tacos are the most famous fast food you can find in France."
Invented sometime around 2015 somewhere near the town of Lyon, French tacos are tortillas filled with proteins, French fries, cheese sauce, and other ingredients. It's then pressed to perfection in a compact square.
The owners acknowledge, the decadent snack is a far cry from a traditional taco.
"It's not a Mexican restaurant,” Petit said. “It's just that the name is 'French tacos' - we didn't choose it. (But) we have to follow it."
Petit and El Jabri grew up in France and watched the street food trend take hold.
“Every corner - every corner. Every street they have it, every restaurant with fast food, they have it,” El Jabri said. "And all the teenagers like it because it's very convenient, it's easy to eat.”
It convinced the childhood friends to take the invention international, and they opened their first location in Toronto.
The Seattle location is slightly different because there's no seating - everything is made to-go from a ghost kitchen. Customers can use delivery platforms like Door Dash or stop by a kiosk and put in an order for pickup.
Madi Delgadillo is a repeat customer.
"They're perfectly tempered, all the ingredients taste really fresh and they melt really well together,” she said.
Despite being fast food, the ingredients are made with care. The chicken is seasoned and grilled daily, the caramelized onions are scratch-made, and the most critical ingredient of all - the French cheese sauce - is prepared with fresh-grated gruyere.
Some customers have ordered tacos without cheese, and the owners say that's a mistake.
"It's in the name,” Petit laughed. “You don't eat 'brick and.' You eat 'brick and cheese.' You know?”
Brick ‘N’ Cheese is open daily from 5 p.m. – midnight and the kiosk is located at 1525 13th Avenue. There's also a location in Vancouver, B.C.
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