Who Invented Totchos (Tater Tot Nachos)?

Totchos, or tater tot nachos, can usually be found in the appetizer section of most sports bar and grill-type establishments. But the dish's origin has as many layers as the totchos toppings. From its roots in TexMex cuisine to its debut on the menu of a pub in Oregon, we have many to thank for totchos.

The late Jim Parker, former journalist and co-owner of Oaks Bottom Public House in Portland, Oregon, is credited as being the inventor of totchos. Parker introduced totchos to the pub's menu in 2006, despite some skepticism from his fellow co-owner Jerry Fechter who considered the idea "stoner food." The tater tots — covered in melted cheddar and jack cheese, black olives, sour cream, and jalapeños — were a major hit. But while Parker was a beloved fixture of the community, his role in the creation of totchos is mostly just in the name. Fechter notes that before the dish got its catchy name, Colorado-native Parker said he had seen it made back in his home state before bringing the idea to the Oaks Bottom Public House in Oregon.

The state of Oregon is home to the tater tot side of totchos, being that it's where the Ore-Ida food company debuted the product in 1954. But, it's the nacho side of history — and its link to Mexican cuisine — that adds yet another layer to the totchos tale.

Jim Parker may have drawn inspiration from a tater tot nacho plate back in Colorado, but there's evidence that a tater tot nacho mashup was on the menu of a Wyoming restaurant in 2001 — at least five years before Parker bestowed the dish with an official name. In fact, totchos might also have connections to another Mexican cuisine-related controversy.

Wyoming TexMex chain Taco John's may have battled with Taco Bell over "Taco Tuesday," but it's also arguably one of the first restaurants to serve totchos. In 1979, Taco John's introduced a side dish called Potato Olés, which were essentially shredded balls of fried potato with a bean filling. Years later the Potato Olés got a makeover and eventually the TexMex chain introduced Super Potato Olés which are tater tot-like seasoned potato crisps topped with beef, refried beans, a four cheese blend, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream. These Super Olés don't bare the name totcho, but their resemblance to the version introduced by Parker years later is undeniable. Yes, the argument could be made that the Potato Olés aren't technically tater tots because of their disc-like shape, which would then mean they can't be considered totchos. But, on the other hand, at their most basic level, totchos are simply nachos with fried potato bits replacing tortilla chips.

With that in mind, it would stand that the late Jim Parker deserves recognition for the name, while Taco John's might be responsible for the meeting of tater tots and nacho toppings. Like the Cronut that changed everything or the audacious Thanksgiving turducken, sometimes a food mashup is so revolutionary that credit must be given wherever it's due.