Taco Fusion may keep controversial lion tacos on menu

Tampa Tribune ^ | 5/9/13 | Richard Mullins

[Impala64ssa]

TAMPA - Bomb threats, fistfights and TV news vans outside. It's just another day for a taco joint serving tacos made with real lion meat.

“We're getting all kinds of threats over it,” said Ryan Gougeon, owner of Taco Fusion on Bay to Bay Boulevard in Tampa that put lion meat on their taco menu this week. Controversy soon erupted and social media exploded with criticism that anyone would serve lion meat.

“Now we're getting bomb threats, and everything else. Some guy just called and said he'd kidnap me and grind me up for a taco. There are so many coming in we aren't counting.”

Besides serving the standard chicken tacos and a giant nacho platter, the Taco Fusion restaurant specializes in all sorts of exotic meats: Gator, elk, bear, zebra and kangaroo. The lion meat taco is priced at $35 apiece, and has been selling well.

The lion meat is authentic, Gougeon said, and comes from a farm that raises the animals for meat. Such a practice is legal in the United States because lions are only considered threatened, and not endangered.

Besides the TV news crews outside, a steady stream of characters are coming in the store, Gougeon said.

[Impala64ssa]

MMMMM! The other white meat. Too bad carrots can't scream. Speaking of cowards, the bunny huggers are soooo tough making anonymous death threats at these guys for selling overpriced exotic meat tacos. The same gutless wonders who would harass and intimidate little old ladies in fur coats. I dare these gutless wonders to start sh*t with some leather-clad biker dudes, or chicks for that matter. Or go into east LA, the south Bronx or any other barrios one night and try to bust up a cock fight.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Taste anything like chicken???

[Gaffer]

Nope........but Beagles do!

[Nervous Tick]

>> Some guy just called and said he’d kidnap me and grind me up for a taco.

I’ll bet he’s lion.

[Carriage Hill]

$35/ taco? Pass on that, thankyouverymuch. I’ll stop by Five Guys for a Dbl Cheeseburger & Fries.

[TheRhinelander]

Which just goes to prove that lefties care more about animals than they do people.

[James C. Bennett]

“Now we're getting bomb threats, and everything else. Some guy just called and said he'd kidnap me and grind me up for a taco. There are so many coming in we aren't counting.”

The owner is chucking in his mind at the success of this marketing strategy.

[PATRIOT1876]

“I know what will convince people to not kill animals...we’ll bomb them!”

Occupier branch of PITA*

*People Eating Tasty Animals

[PATRIOT1876]

If I was the King of the taco stand!

Not queen, not duke, not prince...

[gov_bean_ counter]

HA!!!!

Prepare for incoming.

[Rio]

http://taco-fusion.com/

[RummyChick]

There would be plenty of people on this site that would be upset if it was a dog or cat taco.

I think I would vomit if I even tried to eat a dog taco..but that is a cultural thing
Other cultures eat dog..including the President.

Amazing Race is always showing contestants having to eat some horrible local delicacy...with the accompanying gag reflex.

[Mrs. P]

I think it was in a Louis L’Amour novel that I read that mountain men and cowboys said that cougar meat was their favorite meat to eat. They are big cats like lions..... but at 35 bucks a taco, I think I’ll pass.

[Southern Magnolia]

a $35 lion taco?...hour/hour n’ half drive from Tampa..cost me three times that in gas just to drive there ...sigh.

[autumnraine]

Owner: To the news vans and reporters, thanks for the free commercials.

[MaxMax]

Cat meat is sweet, no idea what Lion would taste like.
I would be willing to try it at least once.

[JRios1968]

I think it was in a Louis L’Amour novel that I read that mountain men and cowboys said that cougar meat was their favorite meat to eat. They are big cats like lions.

Wrong kind of cougar.

[familyop]

I’ve seen mountain lions (also known as cougars, pumas, etc.) running around more often in broad daylight for about a year on the Rockies in Colorado—likely due to shortages of elk and other prey. Maybe Taco Fusion will arrange to sell some mountain lion tacos.

[GraceG]

Well if there is a market for it then eat big cats...

Do it like cattle and Liopns will never go extinct...

Will cows/chickens/sheep/pigs ever go extinct??? Nooopeee..

[familyop]

"Will cows/chickens/sheep/pigs ever go extinct??? Nooopeee.."

Good point. But on second thought,...