68 replies to this topic

[OliverB]

I haven't eaten there in a good decade, after I left my cubicle hell job and my friend/boss could no longer drag me there DESPITE THE FACT THAT TWO QUITE GOOD HOLE IN THE WALL MEXICAN RESTAURANTS WERE RIGHT BEHIND IT!!
Sorry, had to get that out, LOL.

I never liked it, and I do like the occasional fast food (except in'n out and Tacco Hell) and I'm surprised that this place is still here, as there must be a good 10 or more mexican restaurants around within 5 min by car. But I guess many think that it's actually Mexican food (sorry Mexico...) and go there because it's quick and they don't have to understand or speak a tiny minimum of Spanish

I simply find it so bland, that I could only enjoy it with a good load of hot sauce that wasn't even hot in my book. Just bland, soupy and boring compared to what I can get right behind it.

I'm surprised to read that it's hard to find Mexican restaurants in some areas of the country, there's certainly no shortage here in California - where Mexicans will be the majority soon I guess, which might explain it.

I'm not that much into Mexican food, but if I get the craving I want something authentic and good, not some industrial plastic version of what somebody decided IS Mexican food and pays millions on convincing us that it's actually true.

(I'm glad that stupid toy rat dog is no longer in the ads, but I wonder, where did he end up??? )

Even places like High Tech Burrito are ten times better than anything they make at T'Hell

IMO at least.

[Toliver]

Taco Bell is test marketing a new item in my area. It's called the Locos Taco and is being promoted in conjunction with Frito-Lay's Dorito's Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chip brand.
Here's a picture of part of the wrapper for the taco:

It's a regular Taco Bell taco except that instead of the normal corn tortilla shell, it's a Dorito's Nacho Cheese corn tortilla shell. The shell is orange-ish in color and is dusted with the Dorito's Nacho Cheese powder.
I was questioning the addition of the paper holder/sleeve for the taco (not very eco-friendly to add yet more wrapping to throw away) but it turns out that it's needed for a couple of reasons. First there's the Nacho Cheese orange powder to contend with. The paper holder/sleeve prevents you from ending up with orange-dusted fingers while eating the taco. And, sadly, the other reason is that the Nacho Cheese taco shell doesn't hold up for very long with the moist contents of the taco filling. The taco quickly splits into a soggy mess if not consumed quickly. The paper holder/sleeve helps contain the contents of the split taco. Have your "spork" ready to eat what's left inside the paper holder/sleeve.
How does it taste? It tastes okay, actually. It's Nacho Cheese Doritos with Taco Bell taco filling. What's not to like?
I think it will be a hit with the teen male market that Taco Bell targets as well as with the "It's 3am and I need something to eat" crowd.

[Chris Hennes]

They shoulda used it as the shell for the volcano taco so it had fake cheese on the outside AND inside.

[annabelle]

You know, Taco Bell is just not the same to me sinced I watched "The Wonderful Whites of West Virginia." If you haven't seen it, you must. "What do ya mean ya don't have fajitas? WTF? I want me some macaroni and cheese, then."

Seriously, though. I usually only eat there when my son is done with a wrestling match. He's on a chipotle kick lately and likes the volcano stuff. I've given up on getting anything there that doesn't have the flavor wrung out of it. I got a taco salad there last fall and doctored it with at least ten packets of hot sauce and it still tasted bland. That said, it's not any better or worse than the local Tex-Mex restaurants that I can't stand either. I grew up with real mexican food and it's tough to take a poor imitation.

[Chris Hennes]

I don't think Taco Bell is imitating Mexican food at all: after all, I'm told the TBs in Mexico City specifically push the product as American food. They simply took the basic ideas of "taco" and "burrito" and then figured out how many different permutations of the same fifteen ingredients they can contort into the formula. I'm still waiting for the triple-decker hardshell-taco-in-a-softshell-taco-in-a-chalupa. Hell, go for the gold and and make the Turducken of fast foods and wrap THAT in a "gordita" shell! Pure awesome. Why is this not done yet, TB?

[Darienne]

First time DH and I ever ate Taco Bell food was in Balboa Park in San Diego in 1984. We'd never even eaten Mexican food at the time and we had the Taco Salads being on a somewhat restricted eating regime. They were enormous, and little like today's standardized output. We enjoyed them immensely.

That was then...and this is now.

We still eat at Taco Bell's on the way to Utah each year. Taco salads. Nothing to talk about, but we do get to sit down somewhere else than in the van and we've not been poisoned yet. And they are near the freeway in our mad dash to Moab.

I have to ask tho...what on earth are those horrible little pink strips that come with the salads?

And if you think Taco Bells are dreadful in the USA, you should try them in Ontario.

[Dakki]

I don't think Taco Bell is imitating Mexican food at all: after all, I'm told the TBs in Mexico City specifically push the product as American food.

They were in Mexico City from I think '92 to '97, then reopened with a single restaurant in Monterrey (my hometown) in '08 only to close again a year later. I wasn't aware of them the first time around but my impression for the second round was that they were hoping to cater to USA business travelers by placing the restaurant on the road to the airport.

I might be misremembering but I think one of the financial magazines rated opening those restaurants in Mexico one of the 101 dumbest business decisions of all time.

EDIT: Anyway, they're not in Mexico anymore.

Edited by Dakki, 14 September 2011 - 06:15 PM.

[annabelle]

^^^^
Well, thank goodness for that! Any resemblance between TB and mexican food is passing at best. I did like the Bell Burger that they served a million years ago when I was in high school, though.

[threestars]

I like Taco Bell here in my area but not my favorite. I go there sometimes when I pass by the are but not very often. So far, they serve pretty well and no reports of any bad feedback from friends that I know.