# Taco Bell vs authentic Mexican food - What are the real differences? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516 "2008-09-21T05:35:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/21 "2008-09-22T00:55:23Z")
Whereas Canada, another beef-eating country, is North American. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/22 "2008-09-22T01:13:40Z")
In honor of this thread, I had Taco Bell for lunch. Volcano tacos and a burrito with salsa verde…YUM! 😃 > [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Argent Towers** > the “authentic” food of any given ethnicity is typically going to be the working-class, common people’s food. Well, when you think of TB’s clientèle, it consists of **lots** of common working-class people. Does that mean it qualifies as “authentic” fast food? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/23 "2008-09-22T01:30:58Z")
Ironically, Pizza Hut and Dominos both seemed very popular in Mexico City, and even have stores inside the metro stations. ---
**Author:** ![gravitycrash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@gravitycrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gravitycrash)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/24 "2008-09-22T02:55:50Z")
Just anecdotal but my ex and her new hubby said the Mexican food sucked when they were at a resort on the Yucatan. And Yes, even out of the hotel grounds. She was a Fajitas type of gal so take this post with a huge grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/25 "2008-09-22T03:00:29Z")
> [@gravitycrash](#): > > Just anecdotal but my ex and her new hubby said the Mexican food sucked when they were at a resort on the Yucatan. And Yes, even out of the hotel grounds. > > She was a Fajitas type of gal so take this post with a huge grain of salt. She’s crazy. Yucatecan food is awesome. It’s the home of the habanero! Pok chuuc and pollo pibil and sincronizadas…mmm. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/26 "2008-09-22T03:17:15Z")
Even if you leave the resort, it still doesn’t make tacos and fajitas the local speciality. And honestly, you have to get pretty far from Cancun to get outside the tourist zone. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/27 "2008-09-22T03:22:37Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Out here we have a bizarre psudo-chain of fast-food Mexican restaurants. They are all more-or-less identical, but they all have different prefixes for their names. Off the top of my head I can think of: > Rolbertos > Rolfbertos > Fillibertos > Aribertos > Eribertos > > They are also quite good, for basic Mexican fast food (much, much better than that Taco Bell swill). You forgot Humbertos! That’s my favorite. It’s fun to see them close down for health violations and reopen under another -Bertos a few weeks later. True story. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/28 "2008-09-22T03:49:11Z")
> [@Queen\_Bruin](#): > > She’s crazy. Yucatecan food is awesome. It’s the home of the habanero! Pok chuuc and pollo pibil and sincronizadas…mmm. I loved the sincronizadas the little Mexican place around the corner from my apartment made. A tortilla, folded over and filled with ham and melted cheese. But you have to order carefully. Mention any meat filling and forget to specify what you want it to fill, you get (filling) taco. My Spanish is pretty bad. I wanted to order a _sincronizadas_. When I got home, I discovered I had accidentally ordered _cinco asada_. > [@An Gadaí](#): > > Ceviche sounds delicious! It is. But you have to be very confident of the food handling standards of the particular restaurant. One bad ceviche tostada gave me a week of intestinal Hell that I wouldn’t wish on anyone except Dick Cheney. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/29 "2008-09-22T03:56:41Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I loved the sincronizadas There used to be a Mexican restaurant called Casa Miguel (not Case de Miguel) at Montgomery Field in San Diego. Maybe it’s still there. Maybe they changed their name. Anyway, they had a sincronizada that was a flour tortilla with refried beans, then a layer of ham, then a layer of cheese, then another tortilla. It was served with guacamole and sour cream, with some diced tomatoes and shredded cheese. MAN, I loved those when I was a kid! If I knew how to make guacamole, I’d be inclined to make one. (Or maybe I could find some good pre-made guac. Not hopeful.) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/30 "2008-09-22T04:24:43Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Out here we have a bizarre psudo-chain of fast-food Mexican restaurants. They are all more-or-less identical, but they all have different prefixes for their names. Off the top of my head I can think of: > Rolbertos > Rolfbertos > Fillibertos > Aribertos > Eribertos > > They are also quite good, for basic Mexican fast food (much, much better than that Taco Bell swill). They _all_ used to be Filibertos until a couple years ago when the chain imploded, or something, and the other 'bertos sprang up in the same locations. Kind of like Vinchell’s Donuts in Mesa. Same yellow-and-brown color theme as Winchell’s, and when I was stopped at the light, I studied the sign closely – you could make out the faint traces of the left half of a W. Filiberto’s is head and shoulders above TB for authenticity, but **DesertRoomie** says the food is too greasy for her. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/31 "2008-09-22T12:35:31Z")
A real Mexican taco is small and made with two corn tortillas, a scoop of filling, and sometimes a small wedge of lime, lemon or a roasted green onion. That’s it. No lettuce, no beans, etc. The tortillas are not folded over but rather left open for you to add salsa. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/32 "2008-09-22T13:40:22Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > If you’re poor and live in central Mexico, [Menudo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menudo_(soup)) would be an everyday food. Every day? That hasn’t been my experience. I worked in a Mexican restaurant for four years when I was a kid (it’s my stepmother’s restaurant, and she’s from DF). Menudo wasn’t on the menu, but the cooks would make it for themselves–only on Saturday or Sunday morning. And around L.A., when a (real) Mexican restaurant puts a hand written sign that says “Today we have menudo,” it’s always on a weekend morning. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/33 "2008-09-22T14:25:26Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > If I knew how to make guacamole, I’d be inclined to make one. [Nothing could be simpler](http://www.guacamolerecipe.net/). > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > (Or maybe I could find some good pre-made guac. Not hopeful.) You might as well go to Taco Bell. Folks, please keep in mind that Taco Bell is not mexican food. It is a fast food brand. Just the fact that there are not fresh ingredients involved just about completely disqualifies it as food anyhow. The fast food selections at TB were invented not to be authentic recreations of actual mexican dishes, but for their ease and speed of preparation. Well made Cerviche is indeed the food of the gods. If you want fantastic cerviche and happen to be in Austin, check out [Manuel’s](http://www.manuels.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/34 "2008-09-22T14:39:22Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > [Nothing could be simpler](http://www.guacamolerecipe.net/)Well made Cerviche is indeed the food of the gods. If you want fantastic cerviche and happen to be in Austin, check out [Manuel’s](http://www.manuels.com/). I’m more of a Fonda San Miguel, but there’s nothing wrong with your choice at all 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/35 "2008-09-22T14:46:29Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > “Today we have menudo,” it’s always on a weekend morning. That’s because there is nothing in this world that can cure a hangover faster than a big steaming bowl of menudo. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/36 "2008-09-22T14:57:00Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > I’m more of a Fonda San Miguel, but there’s nothing wrong with your choice at all 🙂 The food is always great but it is always so loud at Fonda San Miguel and everyone is packed in there like sardines. Try a “[310](http://www.manuels.com/manuels_menu_drinks.html)” margarita with some cerviche out on the patio at Manuel’s and you’ll never go back. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/37 "2008-09-22T15:12:07Z")
The moles of Oaxaca do not appear to have any fast-food analogue here in North America. Indeed, I’ve not actually eaten any outside of Oaxaca. The chocolate mole is just the most famous (in fact, not my favourite). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/38 "2008-09-22T16:50:21Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > A real Mexican taco is small and made with two corn tortillas, a scoop of filling, and sometimes a small wedge of lime, lemon or a roasted green onion. That’s it. No lettuce, no beans, etc. The tortillas are not folded over but rather left open for you to add salsa. True, but the hard corn tortilla was used. And, lettuce is used on other similar dishes. Taco bell isn’t that far off from _border_ Mexican food. The bean burrito and the simple taco are both recogonizable. The Tabo Bell taco is a taco like the McDonalds burger is a hamburger. My home made all-american burgers aren’t even close to anything served at McD’s. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/39 "2008-09-22T17:43:41Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > The moles of Oaxaca do not appear to have any fast-food analogue here in North America. Indeed, I’ve not actually eaten any outside of Oaxaca. > > The chocolate mole is just the most famous (in fact, not my favourite). Moles are definitely slow food, but can be found in the USA. Check out [Pico’s Mex-Mex](http://www.picos.net/Menus.htm) (here in Houston). The menu also includes other regional specialties. Including the meat-heavy cuisine of the North so popular here in Texas. And seafood–hey, if we can suffer hurricanes, it’s only fair that we can enjoy the _good_ stuff that comes out of the Gulf. Plus a few exotic “Tex-Mex” items. Nachos were invented just across the Border (_our Southern Border, that is!) & can be wretched fast food; but Pico’s has some topped with cochinita pibil_ & pickled onions–specialties from the Yucatán. Plus crawfish enchiladas! And awesome Mexican breakfasts. Not to forget truly excellent margaritas. Hmmm… Time to visit Pico’s again. (By the way–Mexico is in North America too. _Somos todos Americanos_.) ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516/40 "2008-09-22T23:02:26Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > That’s because there is nothing in this world that can cure a hangover faster than a big steaming bowl of menudo. Right. Also, it takes a while to make, and doesn’t lend itself to the schedule of people who have a full day of work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-vs-authentic-mexican-food-what-are-the-real-differences/464516.md?page=3)