Taco Bell: Classic or Dud?

I'm a bit of a food snob. I've had some really good, high-quality Mex/Tex-Mex meals, and I can tell you all about them. But I enjoy a burrito from Taco Bell every now and again. Does that make me a philistine?

Apparently you don't live in the south. It seems like most of the best stuff here, from Tex Mex, to gumbo to fried chicken, is just food people made from whatever was around. I think equating the quality of the ingredients to good taste is like equating the quality of a guitar to a good song -- I figure it's mostly a matter of who's doing the preparing, and who's on the receiving end.

friday night nerd night for john fail involved going to taco bell and getting a chili cheese burrito (originally called the chilito, but renamed due to an unfortunately slang term for 'small penis'), big beef meximelt, or tostada.

when i turned vegetarian at age 16 i continued to go to taco bell, getting soft tacos with beans, baja gorditas with beans, and tostadas. i quit eating at taco bell about the time the chalupa came out. it disgusted me so much, and made me open my eyes to how disgusting the food was. the chalupa tasted like a burrito inside a donut, and what also pissed me off was how the gordita shells changed after the chalupa was introduced. fuck you pepsico.

sometime last year i had a 7 layer burrito because a friend was going through drive through and i thought 'what the hell'. it was my first taco bell in at least two years, and it was fucking nasty.

there's a weird taco bell knockoff called Taco Maker Express. there's one in breezewood, PA (town of motels) and i always stop there on road trips. it's actually worse than taco bell, but it's this weird novelty to me. the burritos have some special "salsa" or sauce that tastes basically like ketchup. their mascot is named Taco the Cat. they have a thing called a Taco Burger. and tater-tots!

We already have that here! Almost.

39. San Loco
There's nothing "authentic" about this East Village favorite, like a hippie dreaming of Mexican food. Corn and flour tortillas met for the first time in their taco loco, married by refried beans, inspiring Taco Bell's rip-off. The beef enchiladas and fish tacos are also great, especially swabbed with Stupid, the very hottest salsa.

Notice that Taco Bell did not place.

I've been there! It's the only place on the east coast I've ever had a remotely good burrito. The worst was in New York, at a place promising "San Francisco, Mission-style" burritos; which they were somehow trying to do without offering pork or anything other than black beans. Fucking terrible!

I know it can be done "right" -- but I like Taco Bell!!

(Del Taco was gross the one time I had it.)

in texas last month i saw a lot of Taco Buenos - is that any better than taco bell?

I am in love with Suzy now thanks to her post on this thread.

It only makes sense to have this chain in the ponography capital of the United States.

YOU. ARE. INSANE. Eww. They're so greasy and mushy. No way they can compare to some decent sit-down restaurant ones.

el pollo loco loses MAJOR hps (2d20+6) for no refried beans.

San Diego has the -berto's/-berta's family of mex-am chains... 3 rolled tacos with guacamole at 3am after a particularly draining physics lab was my pallid "real genius" episode.

Having joined the AF, however, and been privy to the joys of chow hall cuisine, I now find Taco Bell to be a welcome change of pace whenever I find myself in a position to grab three gorditas and whatever's new on the menu plus maybe a crispy taco or two and no I don't want a fucking Coke with that I have Miller High Life at home. I must admit that there are times when I find that nothing else but Taco Bell will hit the spot. That shit be quintessential to the American life. I bet Madonna hates Taco Bell. Well Madonna can stuff a baja chalupa all up in her ass.

Bought out by Carl's Jr. That should tell you all you need to know.

I think this is funny.
How about Baja Fresh, La Salsa (still around?), Wahoo, El Torito, Baja Grill? All upscale fast food chains. La Salsa was great the first few times I ate there, tho it seemed to get blander and more "processed" tasting later. I think there may still be one inside the local Fuddrucker's.

started by some thousand oaks church lady or something.

and eff poquito mas while you're at it. safe/"fresh"/bland suburban mexican food = no fun.

Don't know if that's still the case now (the Taco Bell is still there).

Taco Cabana? You know about that place?

*pauses*

Where are you, location-wise (aside from in your home, in some room, etc.)?

Wow. I thought for sure I'd be the only one clued in to Taco Cabana. They make good rice & (regular) beans and good corn tortillas, but that's about it. Still, it's way better than Taco Bell. ;)

(dleone is in Big D like me.)

That said, a Baja Fresh just opened up in my neighborhood, and -- sadly -- it probably outdoes most of the "true" Mexican dining establishments in this city already. (I like Baja Fresh, but I'd hesitate to call it "da BOMB" or anything)

Ned hinted at Thai Spice.. the kinda fast food Thai place in Orange County.. And I'll also mention Niki's, the kinda fast food Indian place in O.C. as well. All I'll say is: DON'T GO THERE! Unless you're a fan of culinary diseases.

Oh. my. god. I think even I forgot how to make those. (psst, starry, do you still have the recipe handy?)

I still want one.

However I can't access it cos the site is blocked. I can sum it up basically:

BOIL POTATOES
MASH potatoes with SPICES (cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne pepper, tabasco were the last things I put in a taco mix, I'm sure there was a bit more but can't recall) and loads of BUTTER
PUT IN TACO!

Just search on it you lazy git.

Speaking of fast food I've been told of a place in Stratford called something like Punjab King - looks exactly like McD's but when you go in it's filled with loads of indian food. The person who told me IS a complete and utter mentalist but I AM STILL GOING TO TRY IT.