Much depends on one’s first experience. My first burrito ever (or even TexMex) was a Taco Bell Beef Burrito in Kansas in either '76 or '77. It was really good. I was impressed. I agree their quality has gone way down hill since then. Pity.
@Hungryman8 - if you’re thinking Taco Bell isn’t what it was in your youth I suspect you aren’t what you were then either. Nostalgia has a way of making you think nothing today compares to what you had when you were younger. I wasn’t a fan of Taco Bell when I was growing up in the 80s. Found it to frankly be greasy and not good. Actually like it much more now, especially the Doritos locos version.
But if you want to replicate what you recall go for it. I recall you said in an earlier post that you are on Long Island. Depending on where you are a drive of 1/2 hour to an hour will take you to some of the best Mexican style tacos around. Taqueria Ramirez in Greenpoint Brooklyn. Just like what you were describing.
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I understand your perspective. However you need to realize that Toxic Hell also changed their sour cream from regular to low-fat. That changes flavors dramatically. They changed their cooking oils from coconut oil to vegetable. Again the flavors change. They also removed the green onions, the black olives, etc. These are real changes. many think I am nostalgic. This is not the case. I taste the changes and they are for the worse. No sense repeating the changes to the meats and the tortillas and chips. In addition, many would think the changes were for the better as in “more healthy”. That is also false. Low fat, man-made oils are not healthier. They are detrimental to good health. There is a very well written explanation using past research on a website called Wellnessmama detailing the ill effects of vegetable oils compared to natural animal fats or cold pressed oils like coconut and olive that we all should consume. A heart surgeon came clean not too long ago stating that natural saturated fats are the truly healthy fats and that heart disease has a main culprit of unsaturated man-made fats. That is one of the main reasons so many today are obese. Prior to the change in oils across all food facilities in the 90’s the population for the most part were thin. All you need to do is look at films of back then when people fried chicken and everything else in beef tallow and lard. People were thin.
I taste the difference and it is inferior to the past. I am in fact a super taster. It’s a curse actually. I have much more taste receptors than the normal person.
Meximelts were great, and were available (here in Vegas at least) until around 2010, IIRC. I agree that cilantro was involved. The Chilito was no slouch either. But my all-time favorite item was one that was only briefly available around late 1995 – that was the BLT Taco. A generous amount of crispy bacon (not bacon bits) with lettuce and tomato in a flour tortilla, with some sort of peppery ranch-esque sauce. Those things were just excellent.
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I had a 3 speed manual Nova. Not my finest moment but at least I was certain nobody would ever bother stealing it. I never double-clutched. It did eat an alternator every year or so.
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I really liked the bean burritos. Would you like the red or green sauce on them . I don’t know if they still do this .
I do buy the taco bell seasoning packs in the store. When making my gringo tacos .
Way back when I was working a trade show in Köln every spring, I’d go to the Nordsee at the bahnhof if I didnt have dinner meetings. I stayed a fewnblocks away and it was a good quick meal on the way “home”
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Don’t buy the bean burritos now. They are dough burritos with both folded ends. Hardly any filling. Just like what you buy frozen, awful ! Years ago when they made them correctly - they used to put 2 scoops of refried beans and now it is down to only 1 if that much. I had them almost weekly when they had one open end and were filled and heavy ! I used to get 4 of them at a time. Once they folded both ends and went cheapo on the filling I stopped and never bought them anymore. I make my own and have been for many years. They come out just like Taco Bell of the past. Delicious !
FWIW, a Taco Bell customer can order extra: meat, cheese lettuce, etc….There is an extra charge.
I miss Cinnamon Crispas.
They were only 39¢.
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Toxic Hell used to have some decent menu items in the recent past. One was the Gordita now gone, and the Chalupa now gone. Their excuse is “to simplify our menu”. Ah I don’t think so. The menu today is chaos compared to years back. With all these vegetarian items, crave boxes, diet, low fat, fiesta, etc. So that is a ridiculous and deceptive reason.
Oh I just remembered the awesome TACO SALAD ! Remember that great item? It was delicious ! That’s been gone for more than a decade now. All the good items either altered or gone. Glen Bell is quaking in his grave I am certain.
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I’m still saddened I could never get an enchirito and cinnamon crispas at one time.
Yup. Along with the Burrito Supreme and Mexican Pizza, it was one of my favs. But every good taco salad needs good guac & salsa… and TB never had good ones.
And IMHO, no fast food Mexican has ever did these well. They are such simple concoctions, and ones that severely elevate even the most mediocre food, it is a wonder that none of them have ever got these right.
This would be my choice for FF Mexican but alas, Reno is the closest venue.
Based in Wyoming.
The menu changes are purposefully done to arrive at that next marketing scheme/ frankenstein menu item that will take off and become the next gold mine. Then once they milk it for all its worth, they ditch it and go on to the next. Dorito Locos Tacos was like printing money.
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One thing that’s still pretty good is their bean and cheese burrito, especially if you order it as the Hulk.
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Yes I agree. Good guacamole makes them even better. I like guac on my Mexican Pizza as well as normal sour cream. So I add them myself. Of course the sliced black olives and chopped green onions are a MUST ! Good thing is I have a patch of green onions in my garden and can get some pretty much year round. This patch has been growing for 20 years of more. Never needed to plant them again.
I never heard of the “HULK” variation of a bean burrito. I doubt though it exists in my Toxic Hell’s. last time I tried one of those “hacks”, the employees thought I was speaking Egyptian hieroglyphics. They did not make anything of the sort and knew nothing about it. So that was a dead end. I make my bean burritos myself. Had another last night actually for dinner.
Doritos Locos Tacos were good too, in my opinion at least. I took my wife out for her birthday during the pandemic for all the Doritos Locos Tacos she could eat (I’m a big spender). She loved it.
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Not only do I make better tacos at home… but I never liked those flavored shells. They have way too much salt in the coating. Ruins the taste of the filling. I love my simple taco. Old El Paso yellow corn shells, heated in the oven @ 250 until warmed through, my taco beef (which is EXQUISITE and beats any competition or Toxic Hell’s), shredded iceberg lettuce, shredded mild cheddar. That’s it ! Spectacularly amazing. I have eaten these every night for two weeks straight and was still not sick of them. That is how great they are. I would never pay money for tacos at Toxic Hell ever again.
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You can upgrade those substantially. Buy Guerrero corn tortillas, get a taco stand, and pop 'em in a 375° oven. Brush the tortillas on both sides with veggie oil and bake 10-13 minutes… plus you can season the oiled tortillas anyway you like beforehand.
And you can use the same method with flour tortillas to make your own taco bowls (serious YUM if you like taco salads).
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