When Taqueria Del Sol in Decatur opens on Saturdays at noon, the line of eager customers typically snakes along the sidewalk and into the parking lot of the popular restaurant.
You’ll often find personal trainer and running coach Lee Fidler at the head of that line. He’s been a regular at Taqueria Del Sol’s Decatur location since it opened in 2002.
At the time, Fidler was recently divorced and raising three grade-school-aged children. The laid-back vibe, affordable price point, and kid-friendly, Mexican-meets-Southern food menu from owner Mike Klank and chef Eddie Hernandez made it the perfect spot for a family meal.
“Thursday was the day I got my children, so we would we would often come here for supper after I picked them up from school and other activities like soccer practice,” said Fidler, sporting a faded orange t-shirt screen-printed with the Taqueria Del Sol logo on the front and the word “Regular” on the back.
The t-shirt was a Father’s Day gift from his youngest child, Mac, now 34 years old. Fidler continues to wear it on his weekly visits to the restaurant.
“My son and some friends made these shirts at Decatur High School in some visual arts class, and several other Decatur dads still have them,” Fidler said of the cherished Father’s Day present.
When his kids graduated high school and left home, Fidler kept up the weekly Taqueria Del Sol tradition. But he decided to swap Thursdays for Saturday mornings.
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Fidler is usually in line by 11:30 a.m. Taqueria Del Sol’s operating partner, Steve Shields, often greets Fidler as he waits on the bench outside the glass doors.
“Lee has been a regular from the beginning, and we’ve really enjoyed watching his family grow over the years,” said Shield of Fidler’s commitment to Taqueria Del Sol. “When his son made the t-shirts for his school project, it was a wonderful moment to see how the restaurant is also a big part of their family dynamic and traditions.”
Once the restaurant opens, Fidler heads to his usual spot at the far left side of the bar, sometimes joined by his wife Alison Taylor, or other regulars he’s met there over the years.
“What I love about Saturdays is how the whole bar fills up at once, and I know this person likes sweet tea, and this person’s going to have the salsa trio, and every location has regulars like that,” said Taqueria Del Sol manager Melissa Davis.
She knows Fidler’s usual order: guacamole and salsa, plus a Memphis taco, turnip greens, cole slaw, and a sweet tea with lime—poured into a reusable cup he brings from home. Fidler said he started bringing cups from home after seeing how many Taqueria Del Sol went through a day during the pandemic. It became a small way to help out his favorite restaurant. One less dish to wash.
Sometimes, he’ll change his order up with a special taco or blue plate special. And Fidler always saves room to sample dishes sent out by Hernandez, who loves to give his Saturday lunch regulars the first chance to taste future restaurant specials he’s considering putting on the menu.
“Obviously, the food is good, the staff is pretty stable, and they’re very attentive,” said Fidler of why Taqueria Del Sol is one of his go-to restaurants in Decatur. “And you see the same staff and people who come at the same time every week, and it’s like a Saturday morning community.”
Some people he’s met at the restaurant have become his personal training clients; others attend Fidler’s annual holiday party, thrown at his Decatur home just two blocks from the restaurant.
After lunch, Fidler takes a few to-go tacos and walks them across the street to his friend Warren Hudson, owner of Decatur CD & Vinyl.
“I like to support businesses that I like and pay it forward,” said Fidler. “And I like to create little pockets of community wherever I go, whether that’s my Wednesday night running group, my church, or the people I see every Saturday at Taqueria. It’s good for my health and good for longevity.”
