If you aren’t from Southern California, or haven’t spent some time here, there’s a damn good chance you don’t know what Del Taco is. But trust me, once you’ve come face to face with the Del, you will never go back to the Bell.
Now, normally this is one of those painfully-obvious things that you don’t even bother to write about. I mean, as anyone who has tried Del Taco can testify–comparing the two is essentially like trying to compare In-N-Out to McDonalds; one is a delectable guilty pleasure, while the other has about a 50/50 chance of making you ill. So there’s just not much need to get into extended explorations of why Del rules and why the Bell sucks.
But, whenever I am forced, due to time and/or geographical constraints coming into conflict with a taco craving, to sample the offerings from Taco Bell, I instantly feel compelled to say something, if for no other reason than to help wandering souls to avoid the perils of Taco Bell and their Purina-grade meat, in favor of the deliciousness that is Del.
Today at lunch, because I didn’t have much time, I was forced to visit the Taco Bell downstairs in the building, rather than take the drive to Del Taco a few minutes away. So, I decided I’d go with a Bean Burrito and a Quesadilla….can’t get much safer than that, right?
Oh, how sadly mistaken I was. You see, unlike Del Taco, which offers two different sizes (and flavors) of bean & cheese burrito, for under 99 cents, Taco Bell has just one option, unappealingly labeled ‘Bean Burrito’ on the menu. They do put cheese in it, but for some reason they don’t feel comfortable putting ‘& Cheese’ in the title, which goes against pretty much every Mexican and faux-Mexican restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. Of course, as soon as I took a bite of this monstrosity, I started to understand why. Chances are the good people at the Cheese Advisory Board, upon trying Taco Bell’s so-called ‘cheese’, probably asked that any reference to their product be stricken from the menu. And who could blame them–Taco Bell’s Bean Burrito tastes not unlike a prop from a fraternity hazing ritual. And with each bite I found myself flashing back the college days when dip spit was unfortunately often-times on the menu.
After two bites of the wretched Bean Burrito, I decided to move on to the Quesadilla.
The Taco Bell quesadilla is the one menu item that I thought I could remember a decent experience with. However, apparently since the time I had a decent Taco Bell quesadilla experience, they’ve changed up the recipe some. Now, instead of simply serving me a grilled tortilla with cheese and some green sauce, they gave me some sort of gooey mess, with a heaping helping of a creamy orange sauce slathered all over the inside. Now, I don’t know if this is some sort of chipotle sauce, or if they just mixed mayonnaise and hot sauce; what I do know is, a quesadilla does not need any sort of cream sauce added to it. What, did Taco Bell think it wasn’t fatty enough? Were there no spices that didn’t have a milky base that might be added to bring some zest to this thing? Whatever the story is, the creamy surprise in the Quesadilla was not a good thing. But of course, since I had tossed the dip spit burrito, I had to try and choke down a few bites of the quesadilla.
Which leads me to a side note–is one reason why fast food is so unhealthy that no one can ever stand to chew it up properly? I mean, I’m sure I got sick from this food, if not from the contents, simply from scarfing it down to keep myself unaware of its true taste/consistency.
After this heinous Taco Bell experience, I can assure you, no taco craving will be great enough to get me to make another run to the border.
But one thing is for sure—I could sure use a 99 cent bean & cheese burrito with green sauce from Del Taco to wash the Bell out.
[This post ardently supports Del Taco, and you should too.]
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taco bell was founded bye glenn bell del taco was founded bye ed hackbarth two seperate people they were not founded bye the same person
Taco bell is better.
Case Closed.
taco bell rules.
I agree Del Taco is much better than Taco Bell. I had never tried Del Taco, but we moved to St Louis area recently and I can’t even think about eating Taco Bell again. Suprising for me, because I didn’t even know they had Del Taco’s in the midwest (I had lived in KC for 15 years and they don’t have a single Del Taco).
Anybody who seriously prefers Taco Bell would probably prefer to beef tongue over top sirloin. Just doesn’t make sense
I’ve been going to Taco Bell for over 30 years, and as a previous poster mentioned – their food quality has been dropping the last decade or so. I think they have been making the food blander, and blander so that people up in say…northern Maine don’t complain that it’s too spicy. I bet they have been squeezing suppliers every year to sell them cheaper and cheaper produce until at this point their produce has no taste at all.
They used to use black olives to add a little taste – those dissappeared fifteen years ago. Now they don’t use green onions (even though every other restaurant has went back to using them after the E. Coli scare). You get a “mexican pizza” and it really only has little orangish wedges (I think they are tomatoes), bland beans, bland beef, and some kind of shredded yellow stuff (cheese I think). Taste like crap. I go about once a year now.
Thank goodness a Del Taco has opened up a few miles away. I actually pass two Taco Bells on the way there.
I think if Taco Bell insists on keeping pricing fixed so low like it has, they will eventually just start using wood chips to substitute for beef & beans.
dude, del taco is the shit
it gives me the giggles
We are both SoCal transplants living in Houston now. We just received the best mail package EVER!!! A huge care package of DT hot sauce. Needless to say we have found very creative things to put the sauce of goodness on….
On point: TB was a great place to eat in Socal when we were kids. You remember when they used to have the firepits in front. I am specifically talking about the one in Costa Mesa on Fairview and Baker…. we used to go there as kids… it was very very good back then. For me TB all started to change when they did away with the original enchurrito.
But I digress….
Living in Houston all we have is TB. Yes I do eat there a couple times a month and probably will keep on doing so, there is no comparsion to me.
I’ve lived in the south central/eastern part of the US nearly all my life, except for the two years I lived in MI. There were two Del Tacos there, which I drove past often, in ignorant bliss, until one day, I took the kids there for lunch while in a hurry. Then I had a Del Taco TACO. Just let me say: It was amazing. Every bite was another exclamation about how different it was from Taco Bell. The cheese, the meat!!!!, the sauces…it was amazing. I moved back to GA shortly after discovering Del Taco (like a month or so!!) so I’ve only eaten there twice. But I crave it like a mutha, and so do the kids, and I’m planning a trip back up to MI soon. Guess what’s for lunch?
I live in Boise, Idaho where we have a few Del Taco locations. The one I go to is just a block down the street from a Taco Bell. There is no question that Taco Bell is always more busy, and the drive thru line moves much faster.
Beyond that, however, the quality of Del Taco’s food is far superior to Taco Bell. It’s a bit more expensive but definitely worth what you pay for.
My only problem is how God awful slow the drive thru is. I don’t know if this is typical of Del Taco, but it is often reason enough for me to skip Del Taco for Taco Bell.
I had the same experience with what I can only guess is animal-fat based thousand island, mex style.
Taco Bell used to have an okay Bean Burrito and good Quesadilla. They used to be so much better than Del Taco. USED TO. Over the past 20 years bell got much worse and del got a tad better.
Del Taco rocks…
I’m a cashier at Del Taco in Anaheim, CA and I’m pleased to read all these comments from this chain – and I thought Del Taco was only located in SoCal! I really hope all of the Taco Bell fans give Del Taco a chance…if you don’t know what to order, ask for the bean and cheese burrito with green sauce!
As a Hackbarth, DEL TACO ROCKS!!!
del taco is absolutely the best!! sorry to say we don’t have them in the south anymore. can’t understand how the bell took over. i eat my tacos at home now. OH del taco, we miss you!!
Del Taco is much better in quality and price then Taco Bell. At one point they might have been decent, but you do have about a 50/50 chance of getting sick at Taco Bell. I used to work there and meat and beans were kept about three times as long as they were supposed to be kept. Something would say keep for three hours and the assistant manager would change the date and keep it for ten hours to two days. That’s why you get sick. Del Taco is awesome every time I go. Hopefully Taco Bell will go out of business as they should, stop eating crap. I got some food from there the other day for the same reason time constraints and proximity the food tasted like dog food dude f taco bell forever. Just go the extra mile for the quality boy cott there rip off stores.
I personaly take a liking to Del Taco over Taco Bell, mainly because in the immediate area of my upbringing there were, in fact, 2 Del Tacos and 0 Taco Bells in sight. Now i am older and have been around the block a few times and have found and tested Taco Bell’s bland burritos and i have to say i am not as impessed as with Del Taco. Maybe its because i was brought up on one before the other and not both at once. Though i will admit i had a favorite at some point i can happily say the last time i ate from Taco Bell was the last time i had thrown up in my young life… Thus my original opinion stands. I prefer Del Taco over Taco Bell any day. (however I will admit Taco Bell isnt so far beneath me that i would rather starve if it be the last thing on earth. If the situation calls for it, i would eat it ONLY if it be the last thing on earth.)
taco bell chicken tacos have nothing against Del’s Chicken soft tacos. Yumm.. im eating one now
I worked for del taco for years in high school. Everyone needs to know, the meat is made in 10 lb. batches. They fry 10 lbs. ground beef, 2 whole onions chopped, mildly spicey red sauce, and about 2 cups oatmeal as a filler. That is there “secret recipe” lol. There meat does not sit in a warming vat swimming in oil and grease like taco bell, and del taco meat tastes like meat. You decide!
I just tried Del Taco for the first time because I’ve lived in North Carolina my whole life until moving to Vegas Nov 2008, and I didn’t try Del Taco until today because I had a 2free chicken soft tacos coupon. I LOVED IT! I always eat taco bell because yeah it is around the corner of my house here in Vegas but also because TB is all the have in NC. I am now addicted to Del Taco’s quality, taste, and service. The drive-thru was empty and service was fast I went to the DT off Boulder Hwy Las Vegas, NV.
I moved to Washington state from southern California in February…I am so wishing for a Del Taco to come here! There is a Taco Bell in town, but I just can’t eat there. We found a Del Taco between here and the SeaTac airport…now I spend a lot of time trying convince people to fly out of SeaTac so I can drive them there and get a Del Taco green burrito fix on the way! It’s the green sauce I miss the most!
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