Glen Bell’s initial foray into fast food started with hot dogs. Then, hot dogs and hamburgers. Eventually, after watching long lines form at the Mexican restaurant across the street, Bell decided to take on a different type of sandwich: the taco. While Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s and Burger King were trying to out-sandwich each other, Bell was innovating, giving people something they didn’t even know they needed yet.
Since its launch, the Taco Bell fast-food chain has experimented with typical Tex-Mex ingredients to give us more. Each new Taco Bell menu item causes us to wonder how simple ingredients like beans, cheese, and tomatoes are still used to stun us senseless. With the ability to substitute beans for Taco Bell meat (ground beef) on virtually any menu item, vegetarians are able to enjoy a wealth of options as well.
From the Beefy 5-Layer Burrito to the XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito to the Cinnabon Delights, Taco Bell has cult favorites that, if brought back, would have fast foodies flocking to the drive thru like moths to a flame. Though the classic ingredients are reason enough to come back, the price point is a source of comfort as well. With cheap specialty items, secret menu items, and a solid Dollar Cravings menu, it only makes sense that we keep coming back.
Taco Bell keeps us on our toes with new freeze flavors, $5 Cravings Box offerings, and limited edition menu items that are gone in a flash. It’s no wonder why 1993’s Demolition Man projected Taco Bell to be the last restaurant standing in the “franchise wars.” These are the best Taco Bell items of all time.