ToquiNotes: Diamond of a City Restaurant No Longer in Business that Paved Way for Many More Today
By Jeff Toquinto on September 07, 2024 from ToquiNotes
Today, if you live in Bridgeport or Harrison County, and you’re craving Mexican food you don’t have to go too far. Just head out to Bridgeport Hill and between Bridgeport and Clarksburg the areas around Route 50 and Emily Drive you can find plenty of options with a mile or two of one another.
You have El Rincon, Taco Bell, Las Matracas (formerly Las Trancas), El Rey Don Patron, Taqueria Lou Lou, La Guadalupana Antojitos Mexicanos, and my apologies if I missed someone. Some are situated within a stone’s throw of the next door front, while others are just a short drive away.
If you like Mexican-themed restaurants, you have your choice. And to be honest, with the prices reasonable and the portions big, that’s not a good thing for someone like myself.
That being said, it wasn’t always like that in Bridgeport. In fact, prior to the opening of all of the aforementioned places there was another place that, to the best of my recollection, was only open a few years back in the 1980s and unless I'm wrong was the first Mexican restaurant in Bridgeport. Even if it wasn't, it's the first I can recall.
For those that don’t remember, it was Durangos. It was situated in the building that now houses Wesbanco on the opposite side of U.S. Route 50 where the Home Depot Plaza is located. It was the very first place I ever ate Mexican food and it was where I became addicted to it as well.
To the best of my efforts, even reaching out some time ago to the master of Bridgeport photos Dick Duez, I was unable to find a photo of the building. I was, however, able to talk to the manager of the location who just so happens to be a good friend of mine to this day. Even though I wasn’t driving at the time, the manager was able to verify and add to my memories of one of my all-time favorite – and equally short-lived – restaurants in the City of Bridgeport.
Many of you remember Ron Gilmore as his days of the owner and operator of Cactus Jack’s Restaurant in Clarksburg where Village Square is situated today. He also ran Two Guys Catering in the not-so-distant past and also worked in management for Bridgeport’s O’Mara family when they ran the now defunct Burger Chef chain that had a solid presence in Harrison County.
Prior to all that, Ron Gilmore was the manager of Durangos. He said that it definitely had good food and usually had a good crowd.
“I was the manager there, for I believe, two years and left around 1984 because I could see the handwriting on the wall. It closed shortly thereafter,” said Gilmore. “Me leaving wasn’t the reason for closing, but I believe it had something to do with the lease and perhaps the 
bank wanting that building. I could see the writing on the wall and left. It was a shame because that was one of the few places in the area where you could get Mexican food.”
bank wanting that building. I could see the writing on the wall and left. It was a shame because that was one of the few places in the area where you could get Mexican food.”
Gilmore said there were choices in Fairmont and Morgantown, but that if you wanted Mexican in Harrison County that he can only remember one other place that offered exclusive items. And that, he said, was a long time ago.
“I do remember there was a Taco stand in Clarksburg, down near the bridge where WBOY is today, when it was the old A&P (Grocery),” said Gilmore. “Other than that, I think we were the only ones.”
My first recollection of the store was being with my father on a trip to Hill’s Department Store. We saw a guy standing along Route 50 in a sombrero and poncho waving at people and it caught our attention. The gimmick worked and we were inside and we would end up going back because it met and exceeded my family’s low-budget rare eating out requirements – reasonable prices, large portions, and good food.
At the age of 13 or 14 and skinny as a rail – it’s true and I have pictures to prove it – my appetite was limited so I wasn’t quite sure what to eat. I opted for a large order of this thing called Nachos. And I’ve been hooked on nachos and Mexican food ever since.
Understand, their menu was their own menu. It wasn’t the “lunch specials,” “the Speedy Gonzalez,” or the “Combination Dinners” that are similar on many of the Mexican restaurant here and beyond. Instead they had their own burrito specials, chimichangas, enchiladas and they offered the first “giant beer mug” special I had ever seen. In fairness to Ron and Durangos, my love of a good tall beer was not aroused by the giant mug, but my curiosity certainly was.
The bad thing, though, was that my Durangos experience was short-lived. Of course, it was not by choice as it closed shortly after my discovery.
“I remember the place did well. It wasn’t flooded with people, but it always seemed to do well and we had a great crew there,” said Gilmore who told me that prior to Durangos the building hosted a burger joint called “Wuvs,” which I’d be glad for anyone to comment about below since I don’t recall it. “Doris Bartley was my cook there and then at Cactus Jacks and she could pull down five tickets at a time and work them all up at the same time perfectly and with no problems. We had a lot of fantastic people like her.”
My sadness for the departure of Durangos was buffered by the arrival of Cactus Jack's in 1985. Gilmore was not only the man in charge here, but he was the owner and operator of a business that served Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Harrison County and beyond for more than a decade. Gilmore sold his share of the business in 1999 and it closed a year or two later if memory serves me correct (and that's not a guarantee).
It was here where I expanded my love for Mexican food from nachos and tacos to include burritos and chimichangas. And to this day, I've had plenty of good ranch dips for my fries, but nothing topped the ranch dip served at Cactus Jack's with giant steak fries.
“Durangos led me to that direction of starting something on my own because I thought I could do something and make it work. I took the best ideas from Durangos and added to it to come up with our Cactus Jack's concept,” said Gilmore. “Like Durangos, we created our own unique menu and people really liked it.”
Even though Gilmore is known today more for his love of coaching sports teams there was a time where he was known as the guy who could make food speak to you. And trust me, the conversations were good and they’re conversations I miss.
“I miss both places and I really miss those early days at Durangos. I had a lot of fun there. We had a good staff and a lot of good people,” said Gilmore. “It turned out that a lot of those people came to work for me at Cactus Jack's, which I think helped us get off to a good start there.”
As far as your banking needs, Wesbanco is more than just suitable to meet your needs at the building situated at 1203 West Main Street. Unfortunately, they don’t serve nachos and it’s that – and not a checking account – that I always think about when I pass that place when driving through Bridgeport.
I know Durangos wasn’t the first Mexican restaurant in the area or even the state. But it was the first for me. And to this day, it only trails Cactus Jack's as my favorite.
Editor's Note: Top photo is a plate of my beloved nachos, while Ron Gilmore, right, is shown at the opening of Cactus Jack's in 1985 with Larry Evanto.
