Friday, September 07, 2007

Make a Run for the Border

Though I have not eaten there in I don't know how long, Taco Bell was once my fast food mainstay. And why not? MexiMelts were a quick, cheap and easy way to fill my stomach after an afternoon spent drinking Natty Boh, Old Swill or Milwaukee's Beast at the college radio station. Free Mountain Dew refills and Mexican Pizza offered a caffeinated, crunchy and entertainingly layered way to pass the time on a Sunday morning, waiting for the pounding headache, beer sweats and sour stomach to leave me in peace. And who can forget that summer romance when the Bell started staying open late and offered Extreme Nachos?

These days I'm far more likely to go to Qdobo or Baja Fresh when I need a "Mexican" food fix, though Chris and I have been talking about exploring some of the storefront operations that continue to operate amid the creeping gentrification of Fells Point.

But I must admit that Mark Dery's remembrances of tacos past over at Salon.com has me thinking about making a run for the border.

THG FLASHBACK: Reviews of Mexican Pizza and Light Taco Supremes & The Chicken Club Burrito.

2 comments:

Synd-e said...

I've avoided Taco Bell for years, and after watching the raw footage of the Rat Fiesta at the combo KFC/TB in New York City earlier this year, combined with the bad lettuce incident also this year, I don't think I'll be going back, ever.

That being said, I ate a lot of TB in grad school in Ohio - this was during that brief period in the mid-90s when they had a "light" menu. However, I've also found TB to be the fast food chain that varies the most in quality from location to location.

There's so much other good Mexican food in Philly and Upper Darby these days, it's not worth it to bother with TB.

There is a 3-store chain in Delaware County called "Mesa Fresh" that is actually much better than nearby Baja Fresh, which is often slow and dirty.

Dan said...

I liked Baja Fresh a lot more before I had Rubio's and Qdobo. I'm not a Chipotle fan at all. Unfortunately, I have not located any really good Mexican in Baltimore. Great Greek, seafood, sushi, BBQ, burgers, chicken... yes. Mexican, no.