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Arizona restaurant taking prepaid orders for lion tacos

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Jan 20th 2011 at 1:00PM

An Arizona restaurant has made a name for itself by selling "exotic" tacos every Wednesday.

After python, alligator, elk and turtle, Boca Tacos y Tequila turned to a vendor in California to order up something "different". The next big thing on their menu lion meat. And at $100 a pound for ground lion, this is definitely not a cheap cut of meat.

The Tucson restaurant plans to serve the tacos on February 16, but only to patrons that pre-order by 3PM February 7.

Because lion meat is pretty rare here in the U.S. the owner has been asked whether eating lion is legal. According to the FDA, meat like this is indeed perfectly legal, as long as the species is not considered endangered.

If you'd like to try this once-in-a-lifetime taco, you can call Boca Tacos y Tequila at (520) 777-8134 to place your order - each taco costs just $8.75. The tacos will be served "Sonoran style". Besides the lion meat, you can add cabbage, guacamole, pickled red onions and diced cucumbers, along with any of the six house-made salsas. Roar!

Would you eat a lion taco?
Yes	90 (32.7%)
No	185 (67.3%)

[Photo: AP]

Filed under: Food and Drink, North America, United States

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Brit Jan 20th 2011 1:29PM

I think this article is in bad taste considering the big poaching problem of so many wild animals.

Stephanie Jan 20th 2011 4:08PM

The story is being ran on numerous media outlets, so why single out Gadling?

The lion meat that is being served is being specifically raised for this purpose and in California. It has nothing to do with poaching. In fact, if demand were to go up, so would the conservation breeding of these animals.

Charley Jan 20th 2011 5:40PM

Meow!

maladroite Jan 20th 2011 9:42PM

This is disgusting and lion meet should be outlawed. Obviously, this does nothing for the archaic stereotype of the South.

Josey Jan 24th 2011 11:42AM

The meat from these lions no doubt comes from captive bred lions in the US. Breeders will talk about how they're all for conservation, but turn around and promote hunting wild lions in order to beef up the prices of their own. They'll sell them as ego-pets or meals, doesn't make a difference to them. Some of the lions that end up meat are actually former pets returned to the breeder who double dips by selling them for meat.