I ate at Taco Bell for the first time ever and now I'm obsessed

Erin McDowell,Erin McDowellNov 13, 2019, 22:49 IST

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

I'm a die-hard fast food fan, from burgers to chicken sandwiches and everything in between. I also love Tex-Mex and Mexican food and have been known to indulge in a taco or two a week.
Then how, you may ask, is it possible that I've never once been to Taco Bell? I asked myself the same question and decided to try out the fast-food chain for myself.
The chicken quesadilla proved to be the standout item, along with the famous Crunchwrap Supreme. I also found the Mountain Dew Baja Blast to be the perfect complement to my meat-and-carb-filled bounty.
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I am a self-proclaimed fast food and Mexican food lover who's never been to Taco Bell. Yes, you read that correctly.

It's not that I've never been tempted to try out the California-based chain - its cheese-filled burritos have proven an irresistible siren call to many friends in the late-night hours. I, however, have never tried it.

Finally, after 22 years of narrowly avoiding the fast-food establishment, I decided to give it a try and order some of the chain's most iconic menu items for the very first time.

For my first trip to the Bell, I ordered a few staples - a Burrito Supreme, a Crunchwrap Supreme, a chicken quesadilla, a Doritos Locos Tacos, and a side of guacamole and chips. I also ordered the famous Mountain Dew Baja Blast drink and picked up a few packets of mild and hot sauce

I was impressed by the ease with which I was able to order, and everything came out on par with what I expected, or even better. The chicken quesadilla came out on top as my new favorite fast-food menu item. However, the chips and guacamole belong in the penalty box.

Here's what it was like to go to Taco Bell for the very first time.

See I ate at Taco Bell for the first time ever and now I'm obsessed >>

First, I set out on my quest with a clear vision of Taco Bell in my head. The closest Taco Bell was approximately an 8-minute walk from my building, so I zipped up my puffer coat and headed out.

When I arrived, I realized I was at a Taco Bell Cantina, which offers an expanded menu and can be found in urban locations across the country. Many of them serve alcohol, shareable appetizers, and offer a more restaurant-like experience.

Despite being at a "Cantina," I decided to stick with classic Taco Bell menu items you can order in any location. Right away, I was prompted to start ordering at one of the handy mobile kiosks inside.

I found the mobile kiosk easy to use. The handy top navigation bar was a great way to order exactly what I wanted.

I also had the option to order from the cashier and read off of one of the restaurant's screen menus.

In the end, I selected a variety of menu items. My total for four full-size menu items, chips, guacamole, and a large fountain drink came to $23.13 with tax. It was expensive, but I got enough food to feed at least three or four people.

The location I visited displayed order names on a screen mounted on the wall. This made it easy to see how far along my order was and when it was ready.

Seven minutes after placing my order, I was back out in the freezing temperatures of New York City, fighting to keep my food warm and my hands from going completely numb while holding the comically large cup of Baja Blast.

I unloaded my haul of fast food and checked out what I had brought back. Everything looked — and smelled — delicious.

The first item I decided to try was the Baja Blast. Right away, I was taken aback by the carbonation assault on my tongue. It tasted vaguely of Sprite, but more sour and artificial. It did make a nice palate cleanser between bites of fast food.

Next up, I bit into Taco Bell's Burrito Supreme. It comes with seasoned beef, onions, tomatoes, cheese, beans, reduced-fat sour cream, red sauce, and lettuce.

The first thing I thought when I bit into the tortilla-wrapped goodness was that it was mushy. However, the texture didn't completely ruin it for me.

I enjoyed the red sauce and thought that the sour cream added a tangy freshness to the otherwise heavy burrito. The tomatoes were decent. The lettuce, however, completely disappeared into the mush.

Up next, I tried the chicken quesadilla. Somehow, I had added sour cream to the quesadilla in the midst of my ordering — however, I definitely wasn't complaining. It added a whole new level of creaminess, balancing out the delightful crispiness of the tortilla.

The chicken quesadilla blew my mind. It was the spiciest item that I tried without adding any hot sauce, but I thought it had the perfect amount of kick. The chicken was perfectly shredded, and warm jalapeno sauce and sour cream oozed out of the tortilla's folds in the most delicious way imaginable.

I was very excited to try the Crunchwrap Supreme next. Probably one of Taco Bell's most famous menu items, the Crunchwrap Supreme combines a hard taco with a soft outer shell, all the while stuffed to the brim with beef, cheese sauce, tomatoes, lettuce, and sour cream.

They don't call it "supreme" for nothing. My first thought after biting into the large folds of the flat burrito-taco hybrid was that it would make the perfect on-the-go meal. The folded tortilla kept the delicious fillings together, and I found the crunchy inner layer delectable.

By this time, a slight fast-food headache was setting in. I switched to the guacamole and chips, hoping for a lighter option.

The chips were a hard pass. They were bland, somewhat stale, and definitely didn't measure up to restaurant-style chips. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I had somewhat higher hopes. The guacamole was watery and a little fake-tasting. A side of guacamole and chips at Taco Bell only costs $1.89, and it tastes like it.

After a few sips of Baja Blast to cleanse my palate from the taste of stale chips and watery guacamole, I made my way over to the Doritos Locos Tacos. It looked nothing like the advertisement, but I was nevertheless excited to taste the iconic Taco Bell item.

This taco is famous for a reason. I love Doritos and I love tacos so, of course, I was going to love this. However, while I love the cheesy crunch of the chip, Doritos do not make sustainable taco shells. Before I could even take a full bite, the taco had fallen apart. The cheesy, finger-licking goodness made up for it, though.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by my first trip to Taco Bell. I didn't have to wait long, and almost everything I ordered met or exceeded my expectations. I would definitely return to Taco Bell again — and order sour cream on my chicken quesadilla.

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