Barstow man sports Del Taco back tattoo

It’s not every day that a body artist gets to tattoo a large, shoulder-to-shoulder, Del Taco logo on client’s back. 

Danny “Wacky” Benavidez had the privilege of recreating the classic red, green, yellow and orange logo. The tattoo pays tribute to the “Original Barstow” Del Taco. The tattoo includes the rising sun, flames and the words “Est. 1964” and “The Original Del Taco Barstow.”

The East Los Angeles ex-gang member, turned businessman, is the owner of Addictive Arts Tattoo on Main Street in Barstow. 

“I started the Del Taco tattoo about 1.5 years ago,” Benavidez said. “It would have been done earlier if it wasn’t for my busy schedule.”

David Jones, 57, a Marine Corps veteran, told the Daily Press that he got the Del Taco tattoo because the Barstow eatery “means something special to those who live here and know its history.”

“The food at the Barstow Del Taco is superior to any other Del Taco in the country,” Jones claimed, along with hundreds of others. “One bite and you can tell the difference.”

Barstow Del Taco, ‘something special’

The “special something” Jones referenced includes Ed Hackbarth and David Jameson opening the first Del Taco in 1964 in Yermo, near Barstow. 

In 1976, the business duo sold Del Taco to a group of investors, who sold the exclusive rights to use and develop the Del Taco name throughout most of the U.S.

The Barstow Del Tacos, which run independently from the company, are located on East Mountain View Street, Lenwood Road, and First Avenue, which is has been dubbed "The Original Del Taco."

Former Barstow Mayor Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre, whose family owns the three Barstow restaurants, told the Daily Press that she’s seen Jones' tattoo and believes it’s a beautiful work of art.

“I can’t speak for my uncle, Ed, who owns the stores, but the tattoo just shows how much people love Del Taco in Barstow,” Hackbarth-McIntyre said. “The stores are part of people’s lives who grew up here and those traveling through. The original Del Taco is embedded into the community of Barstow.”

Hackbarth-McIntyre shared that she follows Benavidez on Facebook and thinks he’s a great artist. She added that she thought about getting a tattoo, "but I’m too chicken."

Del Taco the old-fashioned way

Despite the business being sold, the original owners of Del Taco continue to run the three restaurants independently. 

Hackbarth-McIntyre shared the secret recipe of why the Barstow stores and its food are so popular. 

“Under my uncle Ed’s agreement, we can still purchase items through Del Taco,” Hackbarth-McIntyre said. “But in our stores, we still cook meat fresh, we have the original recipes and we produce our own meat sauce. We also do things like we have from the beginning — the old-fashioned way.”

Hackbarth-McIntyre said another secret ingredient is her uncle, Ed, 90, who can still be seen regularly talking to customers and cleaning tables at each restaurant. 

A ‘faithful follower’ of Del Taco

Jones said his first job was working at a Del Taco in Orange County.

“I really didn't care for the food," he added.

In 1990, Jones left the military and began working at the now-shuttered Yellow Freight in Barstow, he said.

After meeting his wife-to-be, she told him the history of Del Taco Barstow and why the food tasted better there.

“One day, we visited the Del Taco in Barstow and after my first bite I was a faithful follower,” Jones said. “The food was so fresh and delicious. It was special.”

That experienced would later serve as inspiration for his back tattoo.

“When I thought of getting the tattoo, I wanted it to look authentic,” Jones said. “Danny did a great job capturing the look of what Del Taco is all about.”

At one time, there was a consideration of adding a tattoo of a Del Taco restaurant near Jones’ right shoulder and opposite the “Est. 1964” tattoo, Benavidez said. 

Jones added that he has a Marine Corps tattoo on his chest, and one of his dad’s Marine Corps dog tags, which sits above his dog tag tattoo.

Barstow pride

Benavidez, who began tattooing nearly 32 years ago, said he learned the craft in the ‘80s and ‘90s while he was a gang member in Los Angeles.

“You learn a lot when you graffiti,” said Benavidez, who spent time in prison and was paroled in Barstow decades ago. “Many of my clients work in law enforcement, are business professionals or are regular 9-to-5 people.”

Benavidez, 49, admitted that moving to Barstow cleared his head, matured him and smartened him up.

“I’m married, have three kids and run a business,” Benavidez said. “I love Barstow and all the people who have supported me throughout the years.”

Addictive Arts Tattoo is located at 25631 West Main Street in Barstow. For more information, visit facebook.com/addictivearts or @wackytat2 on Instagram.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz