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Taco Bell - My Guilty Pleasure, My Secret Shame


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Dudes,

Could everyone sign in today and post about their most recent restaurant experience? I'm curious to see where people here have been dining. Hell, post on the McDonald's thread if you want to (I admit it - I went there once last week myself).

Cheers!

Rocks.

Saturday night, after a long day of yard work, Paula and I got carryout from Taco Bell in Vienna. It was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday night, as we were the only ones in the restaurant.

We each ordered the 7-Layer Crunchwrap. Layers of hearty beans, nacho cheese sauce, "zesty red sauce", chunky guacamole, cool sour cream, "fresh tomatoes", and crispy red tortilla strips blended together perfectly. It was wrapped in a warm, soft flour tortilla that was grilled for maximum portability.

I also enjoyed a Double Decker Taco, which was a warm, soft, flour tortilla spread with hearty beans and wrapped around a crunchy, corn taco shell filled with seasoned ground beef, crisp, shredded lettuce, and real cheddar cheese. I could have upgraded this item with marinated and grilled all-white-meat chicken or authentic carne asada steak, but I prefer the original.

Utensils and napkins were in ample supply for our use. In addition, three different sauces (Mild, Hot, and Fire) are available for diners to enhance their meals. The Hot sauce went very well with the Double Decker Taco. We did not need sauce for the 7-Layer Crunchwrap as we preferred it unadorned. Service was friendly and efficient, as we received our food within 5 minutes of ordering. I'm sure we will return soon.

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We each ordered the 7-Layer Crunchwrap. Layers of hearty beans, nacho cheese sauce, "zesty red sauce", chunky guacamole, cool sour cream, "fresh tomatoes", and crispy red tortilla strips blended together perfectly. It was wrapped in a warm, soft flour tortilla that was grilled for maximum portability.
I prefer the original Crunchwrap to the 7-Layer. As much as I stand behind Taco Bell, I'm just not sure I can get behind their likely-from-a-powder guacamole.
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Excuse me for getting misty, y'all, but Taco Bell is one of my favorite childhood memories. While living in Oklahoma City, my two year old self used to beg my mother to take me there. I still have all the Warner Brothers character Pepsi promotional glasses that I collected. Cool Cat has almost all his paint off from going through the dishwasher so many times.

To the new Taco Bell menu that decided the Big Beef Burrito and sopapillas were out, I say FIE. FIE on you! I still love a burrito supreme and a crunchy taco, though. :blink:

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Man, I haven't eaten here in a while, but the caramel apple empanada/pretty much the deep fried apple pie they used to sell at McDs with a a crystalline caramel on top. I hope they still have that. And the cheesy potatoes with sour cream. Mmmm... And don't forget the choco taco.

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The Mexican pizza is my secret pms shame. Of course, I will deny it if I ever meet any of y'all face to face. Does anyone remember the Santa Fe gordita? I loved those things when I was pregnant. I still crave them occasionally.

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Gotta say that I miss the one on Wilson Blvd already. That drive-through was perfect for times when I was in the car and didn't want to see another burger for a while. Now the only one that I know is on S. Cap near the Nats stadium. Looks like I'll be saving trips to The Bell for when I'm out of town (except for when I'm in CA while ironically enough they have much better TB than anywhere else in the country, but I'll only be found chowing down on my double-double animal-style)

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Gotta say that I miss the one on Wilson Blvd already.
WTF happened? That used to be my go-to T-Bell when I lived in Courthouse Plaza, Courtland Towers, and the Meridian. Is it because I moved away and they lost my business?
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WTF happened? That used to be my go-to T-Bell when I lived in Courthouse Plaza, Courtland Towers, and the Meridian. Is it because I moved away and they lost my business?

The same thing that happened to Little Viet Garden, Queen Bee, Atami, Lazy Sundae, etc., etc. etc..... (May Dr. Dremo rest in peace.) Maybe if we are lucky we will get a TGI Fridays or Chilis in the new condo they are building there for when the line at Cheesecake Factory is too long!

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Someone mentioned missing the chilito? I thought it was gone, too, but it appears to lives on! At least, it did at the Taco Bell in Steubenville, Ohio when I was there earlier this year. I almost giggled like a schoolgirl when I saw it. It was my favorite hangover food for years - order it with guacamole so they have to make it "fresh." Oh my God, yum.

The Taco Bell in my college town delivered for a while. Now, you couldn't get things like nachos because they'd be mush by the time you got them. And there was a $5 minimum order, so you'd have to eat big - rarely a problem. For stoners on a no-car campus, it was heaven.

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Last night was my two year wedding anniversary. Do I have the best wife ever or am I the worst husband ever?

I had the new triple steak burrito. Juicy, beefy heaven in a tortilla!

It was at Taco Bell eight years ago where I first decided I was going to tell my future wife that I love her. Something about it just moves me, I guess.

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Last night was my two year wedding anniversary. Do I have the best wife ever or am I the worst husband ever?

I had the new triple steak burrito. Juicy, beefy heaven in a tortilla!

It was at Taco Bell eight years ago where I first decided I was going to tell my future wife that I love her. Something about it just moves me, I guess.

Happy Anniversary Dan. Nothing like a volcano taco with lava sauce to spice things up! I think it's sentimental. We just celebrated our 7th with Chinese take out. It wasn't 2941 as planned, but it was so "us". Besides, you cook some amazing food for your lady...lucky gal :lol: .

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Happy Anniversary Dan. Nothing like a volcano taco with lava sauce to spice things up! I think it's sentimental. We just celebrated our 7th with Chinese take out. It wasn't 2941 as planned, but it was so "us". Besides, you cook some amazing food for your lady...lucky gal :lol: .

How is this volcano taco? I haven't been to Taco Bell in a while, but I am inevitably drawn to spicy food commercials and have been curious about this particular offering.

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How is this volcano taco? I haven't been to Taco Bell in a while, but I am inevitably drawn to spicy food commercials and have been curious about this particular offering.

It's not bad. It's not good, but compared to other Taco Bell offerings it's not bad. It's barely spicy, as I expected.

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C'mon, the Volcano Taco is as bad as it gets as toxic hell aka Taco Bell. WAY too salty along with an uninspired shell. My personal favorite post-brutalizing Saturday morning workout is the side of pinto beans minus cheese and a taco supreme. Of all the fast food options, TB still has to be the lesser evil.

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C'mon, the Volcano Taco is as bad as it gets as toxic hell aka Taco Bell. WAY too salty along with an uninspired shell. My personal favorite post-brutalizing Saturday morning workout is the side of pinto beans minus cheese and a taco supreme. Of all the fast food options, TB still has to be the lesser evil.

and by far it offers the most options for vegetarians. Growing up vegetarian, we went to the bell all the time, and I'm still deeply fond of it. The mexican pizza is delicious! and though I wish they'd bring back the cheesarito and tostadas, i think the value menu almost compensates for their loss.

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This past month with all the traveling up to see my Dad in the hospital in West Virginia I have been really thankful for Taco Bell. Hubby and I would be driving home late at night and they are open later, the fresco series made it so I didn't totally blow my calorie count when I just needed sustenance to get me back and forth, and with the fiery hot sauce were pretty tasty actually. I mean not as good as a TECC or Taqueria Poblano, but for fast food, diet fast food no less, I thought they were very good.

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Seems that Taco Bell is being sued for not putting enough beef in their seasoned ground beef...

The lawsuit says that Taco Bell's "seasoned beef" contains other ingredients, including water, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch.

Now in fairness to the Bell, with the exception of the wheat oats this very well could be the ingredient list for one of the dishes at Volt.

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My go-to "guilty pleasure" at TB has always been the beef burrito Supreme, and I enjoy both it's taste and the mouth feel -- with the beef being creamy like the beans and the sour cream, offset by the crunchiness (depending on how quickly consumed after maunfacture) of the lettuce and tomato. If extenders in the beef have contributed to its creaminess, so be it. I would observe that TB is not alone in trying out ways to get more beef out of its meat as the price for that commodity has dramatically increased -- I would place the new Burger King Steak House burger with its jalapeno and chedder bits stuffing in that same category.

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I would observe that TB is not alone in trying out ways to get more beef out of its meat as the price for that commodity has dramatically increased -- I would place the new Burger King Steak House burger with its jalapeno and chedder bits stuffing in that same category.

The only extender that was listed in the ingredients were the "wheat oats", the others were mostly thickeners and emulsifiers - though maltodextrin can add sweetness and/or mouth feel.

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The only extender that was listed in the ingredients were the "wheat oats", the others were mostly thickeners and emulsifiers - though maltodextrin can add sweetness and/or mouth feel.

and it appears the original article/lawsuit was incorrect, taco bell says their "beef" is 88% pure beef

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2011/01/is_that_right_the_beef_over_ta.html

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Taco Bell fights back here on YouTube.

Political and contrived (*), and also very well-done and effective. Tackling firestorms head-on is always the right decision (unless your name is John Edwards or Newt Gingrich (trying to be bi- (actually, anti-)partisan here - scum bags are scum bags, regardless of political affiliation).

(*) Maybe a teeny-tiny, slight twinge of guilt at 0:19?

Thought for the day: Worry about the origin of the 88%, rather than what constitutes the 12% (although if you freeze it at 1:00, there are some questionable items on that ingredients list). Where do they get their beef? Their dairy?

But in terms of addressing this issue? I grade them an A- for sure, and kudos to Greg Creed for putting his name on the line.

Cheers,

Rocks

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You know, I've always been kind of a snob about my Taco Bells.

I only ever patronized Taco Bells that were standalone - no Taco Huts, KF Bells, and most certainly no KenTacoHuts. My thinking was that offering the additional options would in some way dilute the quality and flavor I'd come to expect from my runs south of the border.

Well I stand corrected, and I apologize for my snobbery. It turns out that, at least at the two combo restaurants I've been to, my chalupas were every bit as chewy, crisp, and crunchy as they were at the "purer" 'Bells.

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I have to cop to loving TB's sauce. I love it on eggs.

omg, me too! i will sometimes even squeeze it on my quesadillas and burrito bowls at home. i've found the green and chipotle sauces a huge dissapointment though.

And my experience with the KenTacoHuts has been mixed--on one hand, they are less likely to know what you're talking about if you order slightly off menu or ask for substitutions(for example, i love adding some of the mexican pizza sauce to the cheese roll up, and will sub beans for meat in many items) and are less likely to be able to give you an accurate answer about the differences between various menu items. but if you stay on-menu, or they they actually perform your substition properly, what you get is pretty comprable to the stand-alones, IMHO.

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Well I stand corrected, and I apologize for my snobbery. It turns out that, at least at the two combo restaurants I've been to, my chalupas were every bit as chewy, crisp, and crunchy as they were at the "purer" 'Bells.

I'm usually the same way, though there's something about getting a personal pan pizza and nachos that appeals to me...

Still, my favorite Taco Bell is Broadlands - I drive right by a KFC/Taco Bell to get to it, and the latter IS inferior to it in every way, shape, and form.

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I was at the Taco Bell on 355 in Rockville near Iron Age restaurant and saw what, to me, was a new item.  I believe it is called "Chicken Rollup" ($1.99 for two + choice of sauces).  It is a taquito (or flauta), that is, a tortilla with filling that is deep fried.  The chicken was spicy and when dipped in nacho cheese sauce, the combination was delicious (there are, I think, four available sauces, one of which is guacamole).  I've found the service at that location to be consistently good.

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