Want to make tacos like Bert’s Chuckwagon? The secret’s in the shell

If you’ve ever been to Bert’s Chuckwagon in Collinsville on a Tuesday, chances are you’ve tasted — or at least seen — the restaurant’s “super tacos,” a Tex-Mex-inspired concoction that’s piled high with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and meat.

The tacos are a staple on the menu, especially on Tuesdays, when the lobby is filled with hungry customers eager for a taste of the local specialty. They’re normally on sale for $1.30 each, but on Tuesdays, diners can get 13 tacos for $11.50.

Bert’s Chuckwagon opened its first location at 4200 Main St. in Belleville in 1963. Umberto “Bert” Gonzalez, the original owner, founded the restaurant with a mission to bring tacos to an area largely unfamiliar with them.

“Nobody had ever heard of tacos in 1965,” said current owner Roger Conner, who has run the restaurant since the 1980s. “That’s basically when Taco Bell started on the West Coast. So Bert brought Tex-Mex to Belleville, which was just absolutely new.”

A defining characteristic of Bert’s Tex-Mex tacos is the use of hard shells, which are made fresh in-house every morning.

To make the shells, Conner takes a soft flour tortilla, folds it in half over a thin taco rack to shape it, then deep-fries it for roughly two minutes. Conner prefers to trim an inch off the 7-inch tortilla to make it easier to form into the keystone shape, but that step is optional.

To make your own taco shells at home, find something similar to a taco rack to bend the tortilla over — such as the neck of a spatula or a thin knife — and submerge it in oil. Use a deep fryer if available, or a deep pan if not. The difference between store-bought and freshly made taco shells is significant — and if you don’t believe it, try one at Bert’s and see for yourself.

This is part of a new series, “Metro Eats,” highlighting local restaurants, recipes and culinary ventures in the Metro East. Have a suggestion for our next feature? Let us know in the comments or email jcarter@bnd.com. Sign up for the BND’s weekly “Metro Eats” newsletter at bnd.com.

This story was originally published August 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM.