No, really. All I hear is complaints about how terrible the food is, how it gives people the runs, how people just can’t eat it anymore.
But the rare times I go to my local Taco Bell, it’s obviously franchised. Which means each one is different. The ingredients are simple - lettuce, beef or beans, sour cream, nachos. None of which individually is really guaranteed to make you sick.
I rather like their food. I know it’s not Mexican food, that’s OK, I don’t go there to eat Mexican food. I go there to get something different from the usual burgers.
I used to go there all the time. But the past few years, even though I remain a stalwart fast-food junkie, I find the prospect of going in unappealing every time I pass by one.
We go perhaps once every few months for those late night gaming stints. We have never became ill from eating the food. Between Taco Bell and Taco Bueno, there really isn’t much difference. Menu is a little different but it is pretty much the same stuff.
It’s not really Mexican Food or even Tex-Mex. I still like it though. Every time I go into one, it is pretty packed. Either the few people that don’t like it are very vocal or the few people that do like it go there all the time.
Taco Bell gives me a pretty instant and pretty bad case of the runs about 20% of the time. I still eat there about 3 times per month. I love the food. The poops are worth it.
I don’t think Taco Bell has ever made me sick, other than the fact that their ground beef is simply disgusting crap. The quality of the beef seems to be several grades below what McDonalds uses for its burgers. I’m not saying it is disease ridden; simply that it is extremely poor quality meat that does not taste good.
What’s more, the food is entirely flavorless combinations of a handful of ingredients. The only real difference between the offerings seems to be texture: crunchy vs soft, open-faced vs. wrapped, layered vs not. Contrast that to other Tex-Mex fast food joints, like Baja Fresh, in which the dishes actually taste different.
For me it’s the quality. The tortillas are loaded with preservatives, stale and preformed for the crunchy, nasty pasty floury for the soft.
The fillings are terrible Sysco quality In my general neighborhood you can go to any number of taquerias and get amazing carne asada, lengue, cesina (my fave!), Barbacoa, pollo rostizado, huitlacoche, flor de calabaza, chiles rellenos…the list goes on. All made fresh on premises, with incredible flavor and texture. I don’t even live in Pilsen or La Villita or any of the other predominantly Hispanic areas of Chicago. I won’t even start on the mind blowing fresh seafood.
There was a TB down on Clark St. back in the 80’s in the middle of maybe 10-15 local Mexican places as well as one a bit further down on Broadway. Both closed, one is an insurance agency and the other is a car dealership. I don’t miss them. The only one that survives in my area is right next to Northwestern University where there aren’t a lot of choices and the lcientele is more interested in how many tacos they can get for 6 bucks
Oh, I tell ya, I love, love, love Taco Bell. I do not consider it to be anything remotely near Mexican food and I order everything vegetarian. Never go near the meat products. And it never makes me sick or gives me the poops. But I dunno how you could turn down a caramel apple empanada. Those things must have crack in 'em. mmmm…
To many years of the same place like everything else. You eat something until the thought of eating at whatever chain of restraunts is not appealing. Then you get to say how crapy a place is.
Their hot sauce stinks, but I love the Enchirito. There are times when Taco Bell calls to me. I generally eat Del Taco if I’m doing fast faux Mex, but sometimes…besides, I dug the dog.
I haven’t eaten at a Taco Bell in about 20 years. The first time ruined it for me. It wasn’t Mexican food by any stretch, and it was more texture and less flavor. Whatever it was I had, I remember spitting it out and throwing the rest in the garbage. My wife likes some of their things, but I never have the desire to eat anything they make.
Here in Australia they are the worst of everything - poor quality meats, soggy salads, low grade breads/tortillas and everything is so amazingly bland and lifeless. The one saving grace is that the servings are minute.
There are usually good, cheap, real Mexican places - so why patronize the fake?
The few times I’ve eaten there have never made me sick, but Mickey D’s is the ritz by comparison.
