A judge just controversially ruled tacos are actually sandwiches

A judge has declared that tacos and burritos are sandwiches in a controversial new ruling.

Yup, it's an age old debate and now it's been solved, thanks to a legal debate over what a US restaurant was allowed to sell.

According to the Associated Press, restaurateur Martin Quintana has been trying to open a second location for his restaurant 'The Famous Taco' for nearly three years.

However, his plans were scarpered due to an initial written commitment which limited the business to "a sandwich bar-style restaurant whose primary business is to sell ‘made-to-order’ or ‘subway-style’ sandwiches".

Still following?! The restaurateur claimed that the Covington Creek Association informed him that The Famous Taco proposal "somehow ran afoul" of that commitment (basically, because in their view, a taco aint a sandwich).

But Martin wasn't having it. As reported by The Journal Gazette. he took the Fort Wayne Plan Commission to court in December 2022 after it rejected his proposed amendment that would allow his business to offer "made-to-order tacos, burritos, and other Mexican-style" food items.

Months later, Allen County Superior Court Judge Craig Bobay ruled that "tacos and burritos are Mexican-style sandwiches" and that "the original Written Commitment does not restrict potential restaurants to only American cuisine-style sandwiches".

So, there you have it.

Taco vendor Martin opened up about his legal victory to AP, sharing that he is looking forward to opening a second location in Fort Wayne, a city about 120 miles northeast of Indianapolis.

"I'm glad this thing is over. We are happy. When you have a decision like this the only thing you can be is happy. We're excited," he said. 

The ruling has sparked a debate online. Credit: LauriPatterson / Getty

While the ruling allows Martin to open a second restaurant, it has sparked a debate online, with many people arguing that tacos should not be categorised as sandwiches.

One user on Twitter wrote: "They can say what they want but that ain't no damn sandwich."

Another blasted: "Come on stop playing. I'm Mexican and tacos are not sandwiches, sounds very goofy," while a third commented: "Na they aren’t. They are not in bread. Nor toast."

Meanwhile, one user said the decision was "fine for the sake of that business and all" and a second chimed in that the judge was helping "a small business flourish".

Credit: Grandriver / Getty

Martin shared that he moved to the US in 1988, and entered the restaurant business in Michigan. He then moved to Chicago and finally Fort Wayne in 2001.

The business owner revealed that in his new location, customers will be able to choose their favoured toppings for tacos, burritos, or tortas assembled by his employees.

“You know, that’s a sandwich, that’s bread. That’s a sandwich,” he said of tortas. “We go through a lot of those.”

In answer to anyone debating the definition of a taco... now you know.

Featured image credit: Radoxist Studio / Getty