Taco Bell 2005–2011

[Andrew Fenton]

The worst Taco Bells that I've seen, by the way, seem to be the ones which are combined with other chains into one location (most often KFC, from what I've seen).  Those places don't do ANY of the food well.

And from the Mild Coincidences desk over at the Onion comes this report:

Food Court Taco Bell Not As Good, Area Man Reports

ERIE, PA—Fast-food consumer Don Turnbee announced Monday that the Taco Bell in the Millcreek Mall food court is "not as good" as regular, full-service Taco Bell restaurants.

"It was so-so," Turnbee told reporters outside the mall. "It's not as nice as the one I usually go to. This one had tacos and burritos, but no Double Decker Tacos."

Click here for the full story...

[Bernaise]

I had a friend who's interest in food was minimal at best. He once served me tinned beans with cold slices of weiner on the top - yuck! However even he drew the line at Taco Hell claiming, "I will not eat food that costs $0.69!

[Chris Amirault]

Those were some damned pricey tinned beans.

[Misa]

Taco Bell is my husband's favorite fast food place. When we go, he gets enough for several days. I'm not fond enough of it to eat it several days in a row, so I get less... and I almost always get cheese and rice and pintos and cheese, along with something chicken.

[ratgirlny]

I don't normally eat at fast food places. But I often find myself up in Yorktown Hgts NY in the evening with my two small kids and need to feed them dinner quickly. Although we often bring sandwiches, I have taken them to the nearby Taco Bell a number of times, because both kids like the rice and the beans, which are sold individually as "side items". A couple of times, I made the mistake of getting real entrees. Ugh. The ground meat they use tastes just like salty dog food. In fact, I could not discern any flavor other than salt in anything. I've also noticed that my kids wake up desperately thirsty in the middle of the night after they have eaten at Taco Bell. The food must have mega amounts of salt in it.

[annanstee]

I have never been to a Taco Bell- I live in Vancouver- not sure that they even have them right in the city. I think there is one on the way to Whistler. I have always wanted to secretly try it.

I once had a roommate who told me that the Chilupa from Taco Bell was the most satisfying fast food experience of his life. Mind you he also warned me that he didn't think he could live with someone who hadn't seen Star Wars: Phantom Menace (it had been out for about a week). Good Times.

[Josh]

It should fail in a place like San Francisco and many other places in this country as well! Unfortunately, not every place is fortunate enough to have even decent Mexican restaurants. That is certainly one of the culinary weaknesses of where I live. While I do not find the food horrofying, instead reasonably palatable, I would be very happy indeed, if the chain failed everywhere for the reason you mentioned.

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Mmmmm.... Taco Bell.... My guilty pleasure

I cannot tell a lie -- occasionally I crave Taco Bell. But never, never, never do I find myself saying, "Hmmm, I want Mexican. I know, let's go to Taco Bell!" Never. Why? Because it's not Mexican -- it's Taco Bell! My Mexican cravings take me to hole-in-the-wall tacquerias... Similar experiences could be found with some people and their McDonalds cravings (fries excluded, because them be good fries!).

Moving along, while I joke with the best of them about the Chihuahua mascot vanishing because he visited a processing plant and was mistaken for raw materials by the line men working the grinder, the quality of ingredients is actually quite okay.

I just did a quickie nutritional comparison on the Taco Bell and McD's websites.

A beef soft taco supreme at Taco Bell is 220 calories, 14 grams of fat (22% DV), 7 grams of saturated fat (35% DV), 360 mg of sodium (15% DV), 35mg cholestorol. Excluding drink, a meal would probably be 3 of 'em, so triple those numbers and you get 660 calories, 42g fat (66% DV), 21g saturated fat (105% DV), 1380mg sodium (45% DV), and 105mg cholesterol.

FYI, if you opted for bean burritos again thinking they are more healthy, think again -- each has 370 calories, and while there's 1/3 less fat and cholesterol, each one of these suckers is 1200mg of sodium (50% DV)!!!

A quarter pounder with cheese at McD's is 510 calories, 25g fat, 12g saturated fat, 1150g sodium (WOW!!!!), and 95 mg cholesterol. Excluding drink, a meal would add at least a medium fries for another 350 calories, 16g fat, 3g saturated fat, 220 g sodium, but no more cholesterol. Total here? 860 calories, 41g fat, 15g saturated fat, 1370mg sodium, and 110g cholesterol.

So it seems to be a wash, except for the sodium on those darn bean burritos. Friends, I am now thoroughly disgusted

Guilty pleasures are just that -- guilty! I don't have the heart to look up any other items...

[PurpleDingo99]

I worked taco bell for two summers.

# The whole bit about guns are caulking guns, and that's for the sour cream and guacamole, not beans.

That bit is quite true.

# The beans apparent come as a dried powder and are reconstituted.

I dont know if I would call it a powder, although they are certainly dehydrated and reconstituted.

# Ditto for most of the sauces.

Nope- all came out of pre-mixed bags last I checked.

# Meat and nacho cheese come in pre-portioned boil-in-bags.

Quite true.

# Lettuce arrived at the store pre-shredded

Affirmitave

# Tomatoes were peeled and sliced on-site.

For us, they all came pre-prepared in bags. Salsa Frescas (pun intended. ) was actually prepared from pre-diced ingredients and uncut cilantro.

As far as health issues go, it matters on the store. I never heard a single illness resulting from our store, but another store in a different company nearby was downright notorious for it. If you order steak-not beef- then you shouldnt have a problem for the must part. They keep rather strict time controls on all the ingredients, but the beef is nasty to begin with.

[CandyRanch]

Hi eG friends:

I have an obsession to admit.... I am in love with Taco Bell. Some people think it is so gross, but I have to say that anything from that restaurant is as good as gold to me (for a quick, spicy meal). Sure it is unhealthy, but I think thats the case wherever you go for fast food. Any one else?

[NancyH]

About once a year, I am seduced by the TV ads and drive through the Taco Bell. I bring whatever it is back to my office and take a sniff - then one bite - then, I throw it out and wonder "what was I thinking"???

[sickchangeup]

I agree with the guy who said that when he craves Mexican, he doesn't think Taco Bell. Taco Bell is it's own food category.

But having said that, I LOVE Taco Bell. I see absolutely no problem with on the one hand, spending $500+ on a fancy meal, then turning around and enjoying Taco Bell the next day. No problem at all :-)

In the end, I still only eat there a handful of times a year though.

[chappie]

(I do see a bit of a problem with spending $500 on a meal, period, but ...)

I love the Crunchwrap Supreme and all its funky incarnations. Damn. I'm craving one now. And I agree, it's in a separate category all its own.

[Pierogi]

Until a year or so ago, Taco Bell (or Taco Hell as we called it when I was in school) held a special place in my gastronomic heart of hearts. It was THE fast food of choice in So Cal when I was in high school and college. There was one literally out the back door of where I worked while I was in college, so many a lunch break consisted of a cup of frijoles, a tostada and a burrito. *SIGH*......good times as they say.

Even in my more mature years, I'd get a craving about 3 or 4 times a year for two tacos Supreme and a Mexican Pizza (I believe that's combo #6).

Then......e. Coli hit, and Taco Bell stopped using scallions in any of their food, even though scallions were ultimately vindicated as the source of their contamination incident.

Taco Bell food without scallions is just not the same. I've only been back one or two times in the past couple of years, and I no longer hear the siren song of Taco Bell calling my name. Sure wish they'd bring back scallions.

[CaliPoutine]

Until a year or so ago, Taco Bell (or Taco Hell as we called it when I was in school) held a special place in my gastronomic heart of hearts.  It was THE fast food of choice in So Cal when I was in high school and college.  There was one literally out the back door of where I worked while I was in college, so many a lunch break consisted of a cup of frijoles, a tostada and a burrito.  *SIGH*......good times as they say.

Even in my more mature years, I'd get a craving about 3 or 4 times a year for two tacos Supreme and a Mexican Pizza (I believe that's combo #6).

Then......e. Coli hit, and Taco Bell stopped using scallions in any of their food, even though scallions were ultimately vindicated as the source of their contamination incident.

Taco Bell food without scallions is just not the same.  I've only been back one or two times in the past couple of years, and I no longer hear the siren song of Taco Bell calling my name.  Sure wish they'd bring back scallions.

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I always picked taco bell in S. Cal too. Dont know why, when there are so many great mom and pop taco stands.

Here in Canada, Taco Bell sells fries. You can get them loaded( I always leave off the meat). The last time I got them, they were topped with dried chives. Horrid!!

[gingerbeer]

I don't know why, but as a person who will quite unfortunately eat both KFC and McDonalds with little resistance, Taco Bell really scares me. The food just tastes awful, and my stomach always feels uneasy afterwards.

I'm surprised that some things are prepared on site!

[Susie Q]

If I Take In-N-Out out of the mix I would eat Taco Bell over any major burger chain. That's if I had to chose a major chain fast food place. Since we have several Alberto's stands (small but good chain), hundreds of other hole in the wall mexican places, and also wagons/carts here in So. Cal. I never have to settle for Taco Bell.

[Restorer]

Taco Bell sometimes satisfies my hunger when I'm back home visiting my parents, but it's hard to go there anymore. I have such a hard time finding something that's okay to eat. Everything either has beans, cheese (or "cheese"), or way too much sodium. While I don't always try too hard not to be naughty with my diet, I always feel guilty, especially if it makes me feel bad the next day. The standard hard taco is actually decent in nutrition for me, if a little low in protein, but I prefer the taco supreme, where the sour cream is verboten.

[Jaymes]

I get the Taco Bell chicken soft taco with fixings. It's tasty, the price is right, and I think it stacks up very well nutritionally with other fast food choices.

As an aside... I always thought that the logo and name came from the common Mexican mission church bells. But nope. It's named after the man that started the chain. A Mr. Bell.

[Peter the eater]

As an aside...  I always thought that the logo and name came from the common Mexican mission church bells.  But nope.  It's named after the man that started the chain.  A Mr. Bell.

That's the kind of info that just shatters my belief system. I would've wagered heavily that "Taco Bell" was the product of a careful focus group analysis.

[Lilija]

I like a few things from the Taco Bell menu. Weirdly enough, nothing else will do when the craving hits. Mostly it's for the bean burritos, or enchirito, or now the volcano taco. A good lunch, not too horrible nutritionally is 2 bean burritos. I don't like anything else on the menu, though. I think the thing that hooks me in is the sauces.

[emilyr]

I like a few things from the Taco Bell menu. Weirdly enough, nothing else will do when the craving hits.  Mostly it's for the bean burritos, or enchirito, or now the volcano taco.  A good lunch, not too horrible nutritionally is 2 bean burritos.  I don't like anything else on the menu, though.  I think the thing that hooks me in is the sauces.

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Sauces for me, too. I've started getting the Big Taste Taco. It's just a regular taco, but with crunchy red tortilla strips and the spicy-ish sauce from the quesadillas. Plus, it's 89 or 99 cents. I can't remember. I used to always get the chicken soft taco, but I don't like it as much now that they only offer it with the ranchero sauce. I like both the chicken flavor and the ranchero sauce (on other products), but I"m not a big fan of them together.

I only get TB maybe once a month. I prefer it over McD's but not as much as even chain, sit-down Mexican.

[DTBarton]

I occasionally eat a snack at Taco Bell (cheap and fast). But speaking of their sauces, many years ago (would have been early 90s given where I was working), they introduced a sauce in the packet called "Wild" sauce. It tasted kind of like their regular hot sauce in the packet but with a heavy shot of cilantro and it was very good. Bean burrito with wild sauce was a regular bargain lunch in those days.

I did notice that no one but me ever got the wild sauce, and as expected, it disappeared.

[JimH]

Crunchy Beef Tacos, Mexican Pizza, Nachos Bell Grande, now I'm hungry.

[jsmeeker]

Taco Bell is rolling out a taco shell made from a cheese Dorito.

http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/13/taco-bell-tests-nacho-cheese-doritos-taco-shells/

[Chris Hennes]

MM, perhaps they can use these for their crunchy volcano tacos. Which clearly need even more fake cheese-like product. And salt. I'd try them.