That’s a legit flex.
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I have been (back when I delivered food), but have never eaten any of their products. None of them look appealing to me. In fact, their commercials almost seem intent on making their food look about as unappetizing as humanly possible.
But I feel that way about most FF places / commercials 
I’m sure the generations of Italian families in Boston’s North End, South Philadelphia, Federal Hill in Providence, RI, Arthur Ave in Brooklyn, and the various “Little Italys” around the country appreciate hearing that. I mean, c’mon. 
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I ate there probably a thousand times during my teenage years. But haven’t had the pleasure in 20+ at this point. Fast food Mexican these days, I’m heading to Chipotle.
Yo quiero Taco Bell. I also like Tex Mex, Mexicali, fancy Mexican, Mexican Mennonite, Mission burritos, Baja fish tacos, Chevy’s, Canadianized Mexican, Mexican food made by Salvadorans, you name it.
I could limit my world cuisines to Mexican, Thai, Greek and Italian and live a very happy life.
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Fun fact: I didn’t like “Mexican” food until just before the pandemic, having only had sub-par Tex Mex in Germany and the US before. Germany is not exactly a hot bed of good Mexican food, and I’m not sure if Taco Bell has made it there yet.
But around 2018, a legit Oaxacan place opened up in a gas station in town that served up proper tacos, birria, elote, tlayudas, etc. etc., where we grabbed lunch about twice a week during the pandemic. Since then, a fantastic fusion taco place we visit almost every Friday for lunch (Cajun shrimp tacos, anyone?) opened, and a local “chain” consisting of two restaurants that have birria ramen on the menu as well as excellent carnitas just down the road from us provides us with all the Mexican food we could ever want 
OTOH, a highly popular locally owned Mongolian grill was just torn down to make room for the second or third Chipotle in town. Meh.
Many Italian restaurants in the US have too many US influences that they are a unique cuisine (Italian-American) that is pretty far and hasn’t much to do with “original” Italian cuisine. But those “Italian-Italian” restaurants in the US which really capture the mind of Italian cuisine” can often easily compare to very good Italian restaurants in Germany. Often they actually care more about making ingredients in-house like pasta which I am often surprised is less common in Italian restaurants in Germany. (and the pizza quality, especially Napolitanean and closely related styles, is overall much better in the US than in Germany)
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I had to look that up! Hopefully that is also a flex😁.
Bet seriously we have about 10 taquerias to one taco bell in my town, maybe 20. Why on earth would I go to Taco Bell?
ETA 27. And then there’s the trucks, and actual Mexican restaurants.
Actually my son has been, but I don’t think he considers it even similar to a taqueria.
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I find this whole process of generalizing about food being ‘better’ in one country or another is just such a rabbit hole of absurdity-- almost as absurd as saying that every Mexican restaurant in America is gussied up Taco Bell. I doubt Enrique Olivera would agree.
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I wasn’t referring to Italian-American cuisine, which is a cuisine of its own right based on predominantly Southern Italian/Sicilian — given the vast majority of early immigrants came from the area, and which explains the predominance of “red sauce” at these places.
I’ve had regional Italian in both Philly and NYC, and they did not compare to what I’ve had in Berlin, surprisingly
Of course, I’ve not dined at every single Italian restaurant in the United States like Steve 
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It’s not even in the same food group as a taqueria. It’s a totally different thing. And agreed, you have no reason to go there.
Now I am curious which restaurant you visited and what you were missing compared to Italian redtaurantsyin Germany. For us, we found quite a few Italian restaurants here in the Us which compared very well to restaurants even Italy
Is it possible that the Berlin stuff was more your speed because it was adjusted for German tastebuds?
I’ve been pretty disappointed with the Italian food in Germany but I’ve only had it a few times. Serious Italian restautants in major cities in the U.S. focusing on specific regions are making their own pasta from specific flours with excellent ingredients. After spending some time in Italy in October, in many cases I felt the quality there could be replicated in certain places in the US. I will say that I’ve only eaten in German and Austrian Italian restaurants a few times so I can’t claim to have any kind of real assessment, just anecdotal.
Oh, but we’re not doing a scientific study here. It is all but collected subjective anecdotes 
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Bingo. My personal experience with Italian restaurants in Berlin, but also other cities including my hometown, is that they import a lot of their ingredients from Italy. It’s close by, so stuff doesn’t travel as long as here, I suppose.
Berlin also has 3 very large Italian markets where both the ex-pats and restaurants shop.
My personal, limited experience with Italian food in NYC and Philly has been underwhelming. I did have a great meal at the now closed Erbaluce in Boston. This was over a decade ago & yet I still recall it… which demonstrates the meal’s singularity.
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So you prefer German Italian food even though it may or may not be ‘better.’ I get it.
How so? I mean, I’ve eaten in Italy in various regions outside of tourist areas presumably not catering to “German tastebuds” 
… and TBH I don’t even know what that would constitute — it’s not like Italian food is so far out there it would be a shock to our sensitive palates
I guess what I am saying is that the Italian food I had in Germany is on par with Italian food I had in Italy, but I initially wanted to avoid comparing Italian food in Italy with Italian food in the US.
Well, now I have. Maybe that clarifies it for you?
It’s not German Italian. It’s Italian. Or, more specifically — Tuscan, Ligurian, Puglian, etc. etc.
Italian Food (ETA: particularly regional styles) served in Germany appeals to your tastes more than Italian Food in America. I am trying to understand.
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