The design still works! One local shop better than TB sits across the street from a new TB build. It's ironic to sit in the sunlight and enjoy good food watching SUV's load up and haul way $100 in pure garbage to feed to their precious children...
I'm giving away my age but back in the 1970's Taco Bell had great tasting food. The taco's were outstanding , but my absolute favorite item was the Bellbeefer. It was very flavorful as where the rest of their menu. I remember standing just outside a Taco Bell and you could smell a aroma of seasoned ground beef. Not no more. Anyone will tell you a taco today and one from 1970 are different as night and day. I might ad I'm not a big fan of Yum Brands. They love to reverse engineer recipes with one thought in mind. Profits over quality. That is a shame.
Yep.. Anybody who was around knows that markedly it was when Yum! Brands took over that so many of our favorite fast food chains declined in quality. Very sad.
All fast food has declined as over processing has taken over . We have a fat epidemic due to all the sugars and processed oils in the foods . Along with all the obesity has come diabetes 2 , Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease , Nonalcoholic stetohepatitus and metabolic syndrome . It is the same in super markets . Time to go back to eating whole foods , grass fed beef , wild caught fish etc like most people in first half of the 20th century did .
I remember a time when Taco bell cooked real pinto beans to use in their menu items. In an effort to increase profits, they abandoned the old fashioned ways and introduced a freeze dried bean substitute that has the appearance and texture of dried rabbit food.
Yeah I worked at taco bell in 1982. We had too wear uniforms and we got one meal free. And at the end of the shift I ordered one meal too go home with and my husband and I ate off the .59, .79, and. 99 meal menu. Different times in America for sure.
I worked there from 86-88…and employees lunch was only half off…we just waited for the boss the go put in the deposit at the bank, and then everyone would make something to chow real fast before she got back,lol. We had to wear uniforms too. The food was better , the meat was 2 big 5lb bags, the seasoning was made by employees and put into sealable containers till ready to use when cooking the meat by hand….I used to get 2 tacos and a bean burrito for 1.49 plus tax. Their menu sucks now: no steak tacos , no enchirito, no taco salad , no meximelts,no chili chees burrito,no mexican pizza and for a long time,no taco Bell grande (double length taco).
I work at taco bell in 2021. We have to wear uniforms and we get 1 meal free. And at the end of the shift I ordered one meal too go home with and my wife and i eat off dollar menu. Different times in America for sure. :p
When I was in junior high in the 70's, many times me and my friends would hop onto our bikes and ride to our neighborhood Taco Bell where a kid could feast with just pocket change In my city, abandoned Taco Bell buildings have been converted to neighborhood taco shops. One in my old neighborhood was even converted to an auto insurance business.
In my town it's the KFCs that got converted to a Mexican fast food franchise (they have pretty good food, too, everything is made fresh on-site including guacamole and hot sauces) because the Taco Bells are still doing well.
Oh man, I love those damned things so much. My old man got me into them back when I was a kid. I hope they bring it back sometime. Taco Bell would have people lining up for miles if they did!
I do and the Ench caused me to come within an inch of a brown pants back then one time and I just got lucky, making it to a bowl at Union 76 about 2 in the morning. The Taco Squirts were always a legit threat back when Taco Bell was a post party, 2 AM munchies stop.
losing the steam tables was a huge step back!!! The flour tortilla items were never the same!!! The chihuahua's name was Gidget. She was also in Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Keep up the great vids!!!
I just called my mom who grew up in southern ca and went to Taco Bell during their early years. She said they never called them tay-coes and had never heard of that until I brought it up just now.
2:50 “By 1970, the chain had expanded west….” That’s a really amazing feat, considering it started in Los Angeles. Or did you mean it had expanded east?
When I heard that a franchisee had opened up a Taco Bell in Torrance and then the chain moved west, I thought where could they go... Inglewood? El Segundo? Catalina?
Good choice for a video. I miss the old look of the buildings from the 70's & 80's. Those felt more authentic, unique architecture. The food was great.
Agree. I ate at them back then, way back, in the early 70s. They were unique. Today, the look is septic and corporate, and the color scheme is for a cake shop.
Yes, the old mission style buildings, they were very small . We still have a few of those around in the Houston , Texas area, but they are being used as other restaurants , not Taco Bell.
The old color scheme was more comfortable. I think the seats were too. The current interiors are like a Subway franchise, garishly lit with hard seats. Before Covid, one location had a line of cars backing out into the street for the drive thru and empty seats inside.
Me too. My family moved to a much more suburban neighborhood in the late 70s when I was a teenager and I was first introduced to TB. I loved the original menu. It was somewhat offset in the past decade or so by the 7 layer burrito at least, but now they even have dropped that one recently, sigh. From simple relatively healthy fare to frankenfood in just part of my own lifetime.
I love Taco Bell. I was very disappointed when they removed the Mexican Pizza from their menu. Thanks for another great video RR. Hope you do one about Jewel-Osco one day.
@@NANotApplicable I was told by a manager that they stopped making them,because of packaging (boxes),but yet sell meals in a big box,so I make them take it out of the box & put my food in a bag.
@@blue55blue15 good question. I forgot we had them until this video popped up. I vividly remember the display with all of them at the Taco Bell in Tracy Ca where we got them. They might be in storage there. Most likely they are there, but that stuff has been stored away since the 80’s when my grand parents passed. There’s lots of stuff come to think of it. I live 350 miles away. :(
Those were first started at Gold Circle actually, at there Snack Shop in front right across from the cash registers and so, did K-Mart back in there snack shop/ deli. They also were on jelly jars back in the 70s.
@@JazzDrummer1946 that’s amazing. We finally got a Speedy Gonzales glass. I was so happy. I need to go through that stuff and find them. There’s other stuff there from 1960 I’d guess. I was born in 66.
Both are still available if you have a good manager. They use the tostata shell still in the crunch wrap. Just add the same ingredients. Add beef to the bean burrito and add sauce and cheese.
Corporations are about making the most money for the least effort, not providing quality products. KFC Pizza Hut everyone of them ever owned by Pepsico the food quality flat lined
PepsiCo owned Taco Bell and the food quality was high. I worked for Pizza Hut through the 80s and was also owned by PepsiCo. PepsiCo sold off many of the chain restaurants about that time.
In 1991 I won a Jeep Wrangler from Taco Bell in the Flint, MI/Detroit area. It had the .59 .79 .99 logos on the rear fenders (As well as a Detroit Pistons logo on the door). Also I remember hearing stories of kids shooting the bell on the roof with pellet guns.
Stopped going to Taco Bell once they "streamlined" their menu by getting rid of the Mexican Pizza, Shredded Chicken Burrito and other chicken menu items. I also truly miss the Mexi-melts.
Taco Bell's original architecture and signage was the best: striking, unique and playful. I remember tostadas piled with shredded lettuce and finely shredded cheese (I think it was Jack and cheddar) and an olive slice.
Thanks for Glen Bell's mug, I never knew what the guy looked liked. In 2015, I ate everything on the menu. Taco Bell is passable, but the best Tacos are made in small mom and pop shops and of course, at home, if you know how to do them correctly.
Your Killin me LARRY! IM STARVED FOR THE ENCHIRITO! THE MEXICAN PIZZA, ETC. I REMEMBER THE TACO BELL IN ORANGE, CALIFORNIA IN THE 1970'S!!!! NOW THE FOOD IS TASTELESS!!! I GO TO DEL TACO NOW!!!!
The quality of Taco Bell is long gone. They went from being my absolute favorite place to eat to the worst within 5 years. Glen Bell must be rolling in his grave. RIP, Taco Bell... :(
I remember when Pepsi took the brand over. he cost of a taco nearly doubled that year, from .25 to .50 each. The recipe for the hard shells has changed also. They used to stay crunchy, now they soak up the grease from the meat so fast that by the time you get home, the shell is much and sticks to the paper, destroying what remains as you peel it open. Still love that flavor though, but miss the crunch as I have to buy soft tacos to keep it from all falling apart by the time I get home.
I'm a former manager (10 yrs)- Taco Bell went to a plan they called 'k-minus', basically taking the kitchen out of the store, and having everything pre prepared; the taco shells now come in a box, pre fried in Mexico. *meat is pre cooked and comes in a "boil-in-bag" to reheat *beans are dehydrated, just add water and heat *lettuce is pre shredded (lacks moisture/very dry) *cheese is pre grated (dusted w/ cellulous powder to prevent clumping for better portion control) **All of the Above Used to be Prepared Fresh, in Store
@Dennis Wilson-The lower food quality was so disappointing from what it used to be, that I quit and followed other endeavors. btw- Del Taco still has that fresh food taste and is my "go to" place for Mex fast food.
The buildings used to feature a real bell 🔔 at the top of the roof. You’ll notice in a lot of the pictures you show in the video, the Bell is missing. Well I’m not sure about other towns, but in Gilroy California (in the San Francisco Bay Area) the high school seniors would steal it as a prank.
@@az_exit1279 so I searched it up on eBay: I’m not interested, however, somebody sold one back in February of this year for $130.00 😂 If I were you though, I’d put it in my back yard for decoration! As a homage to your father!
I was one of the lucky one to have eaten at the first location Taco Bell. My parents and I lived in Downey in the 60's, 70's and 80's. I remember eating there many times.
Taco Bell has introduced so many new items over the years. I can’t keep track of them all- still to this day my go-to is just a good ol original Burrito Supreme and 10 or 12 tacos. 1/2 crunchy and 1/2 soft. With a giant handful of mild, hot, and fire sauce packets. Can’t go wrong with that. I think maybe I shall make a run for the border tonite. Also, I wish they would bring back the chihuahua. That little dog was great!
I loved the enchireto! I wish they would bring it back. Lots of others wanting it back as well. I remember the one I used to go to in Wahiawa HI had the open dining area. Now I can't even get the taco salad seems they just want to serve tacos and burritos now days. Mexican pizza gone too all my favorites are gone. Only thing left that I order is the burrito supreme. There's a reason why people say the good ole days.
I'm 54 and love the old school taco bell restaurant.it had such a awesome feeling to it and fabulous food .me and my sister got to go with my mom while my dad was working on the oil rigs .those were great times in my life.i was a young boy , little did I know I was going to be a professional chef for my life until I retired last year.thanks taco bell for giving me some Happy memories.
I’d never eaten at Taco Bell until last year when Mookie Betts stole a base in the World Series. My dad said “Mookie just got America a free taco with that steal. Steal a base, steal a taco. Mookie, thanks!”
@@RJ-hx5nb Boulder, Colorado? 🏔️ ..yeah, they get rid of menu items every year, but 2021 they got rid of the everlasting, tostada, among 9 better rated items. At my location in Denver, they gave out coupons for getting rid of these items to "apologize" for it. First time I ever noticed them giving out coupons to apologize for getting rid of menu items.
@@anthonychihuahua with the corporations taking over America it makes me wonder how long it will be before rollerball actually becomes a sport. Will there even be a Jonathan E(James Caan)
Yep, I lived in California as a kid in the 60s and 70s and remember the one Taco Bell in our little town. It looked just like the first ones on this video. No indoor seating - just walk up. Loved it. I always got a bean burrito and Mom always got a tostada.
I remember watching The Partridge Family as a kid in the 70's. Keith said to his date, "Let's get a taco". I had no idea what he was talking about until 1980 when I was 16 and the first Taco Bell opened in our area.
haha wow that's crazy. lately I've been questioning how old I was before I learned what an avocado is though. I'm pretty sure I was in my 20s. Literally never heard of them before like 2011
The last time, I had Taco Bell was in 1995 at the Chesterfield, Michigan restaurant located on 23 Mile Road and I-94 freeway. The food at Taco Bell was very good. Now, the all the fast food restaurant buildings look like shoeboxes. The Taco Bell restaurant buildings also look like shoebox buildings.
My first job in 1975, Northridge California. Made $1.70 an hour and all we could eat! We made the frijoles fresh from raw pinto beans, and deep fried every taco shell. Bring back the Bell Beefer!
I miss the old Taco Bell and the encherito was my fave. I liked the taco pizza, too, but they got rid of it. They don't fill their tacos very well. You shouldn't order a whole meal and still feel hungry. But I did like the story.
It's not the amount of food that's leaves u wanting more cause u aren't full it's the preservatives and chemicals in it. All processed- pre packaged foods do that to us all.
A Del Taco opened in my small town in 1979. The locals didn't know what to make of it. one guy ordered some burritos at the drive thru; drove up and then backed back to the window and asked: Am I supposed to eat the cardboard this is wrapped in? I knew we we're done, and about 6 months later closed.
Back in the mid 70's it was so good and the prices were perfect for a teenager like me. My favorite was the burrito supreme with extra sour cream...and an order of pintos and cheese and a large coke...ohhh what memories...
Ahhhhhh! Remember those little bowls of refried beans they used to serve topped with cheddar cheese. Yum ! 👍😀👍 p.s. that was back in the late 1960's and early 1970"s yum!
Recollection Road: Great video...My dad was an original franchisee- I grew up w/ Taco Bell. @6:09- I was there, at the 100th Grand Opening on Brookhurst St. in Anaheim, California
Thanks for this video! I was surprised to hear that Glen Bell had difficulty trying to figure out how to make a taco . He obviously have other talents. 😀
I grew up in Southern California in the early '70's and I never heard anyone say "tay-co" but we had relatives from NYC come visit and they said "what's a tacko".
The year was 1973 in San Luis Obispo CA. Ours had a large fire pit in front of the walk-up service window that always stayed lit. The original building is still there but taco Bell moved just down the street.
My first Taco Bell was in Glendale California in the mid-60s. The fireplace was great eating around during the chilly winter nights outside there until the energy crisis shut them down. 5 out of 6 of us, my dad didn't like tacos much, would pound down 16 tacos, rice, beans, and a soda.
At 2:48 you so the clip of customers at outside table.... Believe it or not that's me (in the glasses Yikes!) and my high school classmates. (Joliet Illinois East High) Early 1970s ,Where did that picture come?Ahh for the good days , Food was pretty good also.
I live in a large city and I remember going to a large Taco Bell that had an large outside eating area with white covered Bricks and a fire pit. This was when I was going to school at university; The food was definitely very good; I remember eating those encharitos (spelling??) Especially with those black olives , Those were the days. The place definitely was enjoyable and delicious🌮🌮🌮🌮 Man how I really miss that place. Things have definitely changed over the years.
A friend of mine, his (and his wife's) favorite Taco Bell treat was the enchirito (see 3:19); and for YEARS he was able to order it "off menu." Well, finally in 2020, you can no longe get an enchiritio; on or off menu. Sad day for them :-(
Miss that old label & signs of TACO BELL & DISPLAYS of the food. & the firepit.Remember the promotions they had.The albums. Especially the glass cups. Still have a couple of the LOONEY TUNES CUPS.
I remember the first Taco Bell that I ever ate at. It was the late sixties in Chandler Arizona and you could walk in there with a dollar and get two tostadas or two tacos and still get change back from your dollar but that goes into another restaurant's ad campaign from back then 🤣🤣
Remember my first Taco Bell at the corner of Collins and Arkansas Ave in Arlington TX. 7-11 was next door so was on the bike riding route as a kid. Just an empty lot with foundation still there.
Taco Bell is my all-time favorite fast food place, but I believe they've hurt themselves by taking away so many popular menu items, like the enchirito, the taco salad, the double decker taco, and so many others. And having eaten there for more than 50 years, I never once heard anybody call the tacos "take-ohs."
I loved going as a kid, back in the 70's.. The colors of Taco Bell were awesome.. The frijoles with cheese were my favorite.. And of course the crunchy tacos.. The original design of the building is still my favorite.. 🥰😋
My kids always loved Taco Bell, we used to eat there frequently. I loved their taco sauce but the bottled stuff in the store didn't taste at all like what was in the packets.
Thanks for the info on the bottled sauce. I had been thinking about buying it, I believe you when you say it doesn't taste the same. So I decided not to buy it.
Remember the orange paper the tacos were wrapped in? I loved the chicken Cesar burrito...the meximelt. I lived in Tucson as a kid in the 70's....so good. We had El taco and Taco Bell.
It seems that back in the day, Taco Bell's food had a unique taste and smell. I prefer their food over Del Taco, but it would be cool if they could bring that back.
In 1972, before Patrick Duffy became a star, he played the part of that Taco Bell employee in a TV commercial. In the 1990's, Rocky & Bullwinkle became TV commercial spokes-characters for Taco Bell restaurants. Hokey smokes!!!
My grandfather was an architect and he helped design and build Taco Bell locations back in the day.
😳 Your shitting me! I love that old sign, it brings back great childhood memories. Edit: ❤️🤗❤️ Way to go gramps! ❤️🤗❤️
Congrats to gramps !!! Tell him I've been to MANY of his designed locations !
Awesome!!!
my cousin was your grandma
The design still works! One local shop better than TB sits across the street from a new TB build. It's ironic to sit in the sunlight and enjoy good food watching SUV's load up and haul way $100 in pure garbage to feed to their precious children...
I'm giving away my age but back in the 1970's Taco Bell had great tasting food. The taco's were outstanding , but my absolute favorite item was the Bellbeefer. It was very flavorful as where the rest of their menu. I remember standing just outside a Taco Bell and you could smell a aroma of seasoned ground beef. Not no more. Anyone will tell you a taco today and one from 1970 are different as night and day. I might ad I'm not a big fan of Yum Brands. They love to reverse engineer recipes with one thought in mind. Profits over quality. That is a shame.
Yes!! Bellfeefer was so good!
Yep.. Anybody who was around knows that markedly it was when Yum! Brands took over that so many of our favorite fast food chains declined in quality. Very sad.
Now they are EXPLODING tacos
All fast food has declined as over processing has taken over . We have a fat epidemic due to all the sugars and processed oils in the foods . Along with all the obesity has come diabetes 2 , Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease , Nonalcoholic stetohepatitus and metabolic syndrome . It is the same in super markets . Time to go back to eating whole foods , grass fed beef , wild caught fish etc like most people in first half of the 20th century did .
I totally agree :-) Taco Bell then was great :-) Now not at all :-( ROCK ON!!!!!!!
I remember a time when Taco bell cooked real pinto beans to use in their menu items. In an effort to increase profits, they abandoned the old fashioned ways and introduced a freeze dried bean substitute that has the appearance and texture of dried rabbit food.
Taco Bell was really good in 1984. Remember the Big Beef Taco? They were so good.
Remember when Arby's had briskets of actual roast beef that they sliced to order?
Yeah I worked at taco bell in 1982. We had too wear uniforms and we got one meal free. And at the end of the shift I ordered one meal too go home with and my husband and I ate off the .59, .79, and. 99 meal menu. Different times in America for sure.
Where was this at?
am Indianapolis, Indiana.
Those were much better days than now. Period.
I worked there from 86-88…and employees lunch was only half off…we just waited for the boss the go put in the deposit at the bank, and then everyone would make something to chow real fast before she got back,lol. We had to wear uniforms too. The food was better , the meat was 2 big 5lb bags, the seasoning was made by employees and put into sealable containers till ready to use when cooking the meat by hand….I used to get 2 tacos and a bean burrito for 1.49 plus tax. Their menu sucks now: no steak tacos , no enchirito, no taco salad , no meximelts,no chili chees burrito,no mexican pizza and for a long time,no taco Bell grande (double length taco).
I work at taco bell in 2021. We have to wear uniforms and we get 1 meal free. And at the end of the shift I ordered one meal too go home with and my wife and i eat off dollar menu. Different times in America for sure. :p
When I was in junior high in the 70's, many times me and my friends would hop onto our bikes and ride to our neighborhood Taco Bell where a kid could feast with just pocket change
In my city, abandoned Taco Bell buildings have been converted to neighborhood taco shops. One in my old neighborhood was even converted to an auto insurance business.
In my town it's the KFCs that got converted to a Mexican fast food franchise (they have pretty good food, too, everything is made fresh on-site including guacamole and hot sauces) because the Taco Bells are still doing well.
The old packaging of taco 🌮bell was legit AF! They should bring that back like Burger King did
👍👍🌮
Not in this day and age wouldn't be politically correct.
That would be awesome
Absolutely. Couldn’t agree more.
I remember those too. They were larger back then too. There's an old Taco Bell building here in Salem, but it's some other named resturant now.
My grandpa opened 12 taco bells in San Diego and surrounding areas starting in 1964. Three are still Taco Bells from when they were started
If hes still around, would you mind asking what the unit numbers and addresses were?
We never got to go when I was a kid. My dad said only hippies ate there!! LOL!!!🤣
The mission style buildings were neat. The lava rock fire pits were exciting as a kid
Better Days.
Remember the enchirito? They were delicious.
Oh man, I love those damned things so much. My old man got me into them back when I was a kid. I hope they bring it back sometime. Taco Bell would have people lining up for miles if they did!
I do and the Ench caused me to come within an inch of a brown pants back then one time and I just got lucky, making it to a bowl at Union 76 about 2 in the morning. The Taco Squirts were always a legit threat back when Taco Bell was a post party, 2 AM munchies stop.
They were great. So were the bell beefers and the simple bean burritos with red or green sauce. The flour tortillas were so soft
I ask for them, sometimes the people know what I'm talking about and a few will make them for me
Pepperidge farms remembers.
losing the steam tables was a huge step back!!! The flour tortilla items were never the same!!! The chihuahua's name was Gidget. She was also in Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Keep up the great vids!!!
I miss those cinnamon crispas. Not the twists now, I'm talking about big cinnamon corn chips. Those were so good. BRING THEM BACK!
Enchiritos in the 60s and 70s were absolutely AWESOME 😎
Take some flour tortillas, cut them up. Fry them, dust with cinnamon sugar. You’re welcome.
Yes! They were awesome! Bring them back.
Bring back the Encheritos along with the Bellgrandes and the Chalupas
and the mexican pizza!!!
I remember when Taco Bell tacos were 25 cents. I really loved the Bellbeefer. They should bring that back. You could eat like a king for a buck
I remember when Taco Bell tacos were ten cents each, 12 for a dollar.
Today a combo meal three tacos and drink $8 or $9 goes for
I just called my mom who grew up in southern ca and went to Taco Bell during their early years. She said they never called them tay-coes and had never heard of that until I brought it up just now.
2:50 “By 1970, the chain had expanded west….” That’s a really amazing feat, considering it started in Los Angeles. Or did you mean it had expanded east?
My thoughts too.
Came looking for this before I made the comment myself.
Yeah I was going to say I grew up in NJ/NY in the 70's & I don't ever remember seeing a Taco Bell anywhere.
When I heard that a franchisee had opened up a Taco Bell in Torrance and then the chain moved west, I thought where could they go... Inglewood? El Segundo? Catalina?
They forgot to mention the offshore Taco Bell on the oil rig.
Never in my old life have I heard a taco called "tako" ... I do remember when Taco Bell tasted much better. Better menu also.
I think when Pepsi bought it, the taste changed . It was way in the 70s and early 80s
I think you mean in your white life.
@@waytospergtherebro I'm pretty confused by this reply. My life is not white
Wow!!! This made my day!! Thank you for creating a Taco Bell historic travel back in time video.
Good choice for a video. I miss the old look of the buildings from the 70's & 80's. Those felt more authentic, unique architecture. The food was great.
I agree.
Agree. I ate at them back then, way back, in the early 70s. They were unique. Today, the look is septic and corporate, and the color scheme is for a cake shop.
Yes, the old mission style buildings, they were very small . We still have a few of those around in the Houston , Texas area, but they are being used as other restaurants , not Taco Bell.
That purple looks cheap like the food
The old color scheme was more comfortable. I think the seats were too. The current interiors are like a Subway franchise, garishly lit with hard seats. Before Covid, one location had a line of cars backing out into the street for the drive thru and empty seats inside.
When I was a kid it was the Bellbeefer, Cup O'beans, Enchirito and a soda for $2 :)
Mmmm . . . the Enchirito. Probably my favorite menu item. I don't think they still have it, do they?
That would be $10 now
I miss the old simple menu
I was just complaining to my daughter the other day "why can't I just order a simple beef burrito any more?"
Me too. My family moved to a much more suburban neighborhood in the late 70s when I was a teenager and I was first introduced to TB. I loved the original menu. It was somewhat offset in the past decade or so by the 7 layer burrito at least, but now they even have dropped that one recently, sigh.
From simple relatively healthy fare to frankenfood in just part of my own lifetime.
I remember when taco bell came out, wish the food were as good as then
Really enjoyed the Encherito. It was my favorite.
Wasn't that thing awesome? Thought I was the only one who wishes they still had it.
That's all I would order until they stopped selling it.
I love Taco Bell. I was very disappointed when they removed the Mexican Pizza from their menu. Thanks for another great video RR. Hope you do one about Jewel-Osco one day.
Same ,💔😢 when I'd get half way I'd just eat the rest like a taco 😂
@@NANotApplicable I was told by a manager that they stopped making them,because of packaging (boxes),but yet sell meals in a big box,so I make them take it out of the box & put my food in a bag.
I know, that was one of the best items.
We had Loony Tunes glass tumblers in the mid 70’s from Taco Bell.
Those are cool. Do you still have them?
@@blue55blue15 good question. I forgot we had them until this video popped up. I vividly remember the display with all of them at the Taco Bell in Tracy Ca where we got them. They might be in storage there. Most likely they are there, but that stuff has been stored away since the 80’s when my grand parents passed. There’s lots of stuff come to think of it. I live 350 miles away. :(
Those were first started at Gold Circle actually, at there Snack Shop in front right across from the cash registers and so, did K-Mart back in there snack shop/ deli. They also were on jelly jars back in the 70s.
@@JazzDrummer1946 that’s amazing. We finally got a Speedy Gonzales glass. I was so happy. I need to go through that stuff and find them. There’s other stuff there from 1960 I’d guess. I was born in 66.
I remember Sylvester and Tweety
Ohhhh wish that Encherito would come back! As often as TB changes their feature menu I wonder why it hasn't.
Yes, I agree. Those were soooo tasty 😋
Yeah, yummy!
Yes!
I was just going to write that exact comment.
We can hope, someday, that they do... miracles are in sore need these days.
3:20 - without question the item I miss the most from classic Taco Bell - The Enchirito
Me too. Then they stuck a dagger in my heart by removing the tostada and the final straw was hiring LilNas.
Agreed! Bring back the Enchiritos! They came in little aluminum trays.
I loved that Enchirito too!
Both are still available if you have a good manager. They use the tostata shell still in the crunch wrap. Just add the same ingredients. Add beef to the bean burrito and add sauce and cheese.
Fond memories of that incherito. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Food was great at Taco Bell until the late 80’s. Sad how it ended up.
Corporations are about making the most money for the least effort, not providing quality products. KFC Pizza Hut everyone of them ever owned by Pepsico the food quality flat lined
PepsiCo owned Taco Bell and the food quality was high. I worked for Pizza Hut through the 80s and was also owned by PepsiCo. PepsiCo sold off many of the chain restaurants about that time.
I agree! Pepsico took over all the fast food chains...there's your answer, and it's very SAD!
@@RIXRADvidz True!
Split from PepsiCo traded as YUM since late seventies.
In 1991 I won a Jeep Wrangler from Taco Bell in the Flint, MI/Detroit area. It had the .59 .79 .99 logos on the rear fenders (As well as a Detroit Pistons logo on the door). Also I remember hearing stories of kids shooting the bell on the roof with pellet guns.
My dad was a franchisee, I have the original fiberglass bell in my garage.
They should bring those back. They gave the buildings a southwestern missionary look.
Stopped going to Taco Bell once they "streamlined" their menu by getting rid of the Mexican Pizza, Shredded Chicken Burrito and other chicken menu items. I also truly miss the Mexi-melts.
Taco Bell's original architecture and signage was the best: striking, unique and playful. I remember tostadas piled with shredded lettuce and finely shredded cheese (I think it was Jack and cheddar) and an olive slice.
Thanks for Glen Bell's mug, I never knew what the guy looked liked. In 2015, I ate everything on the menu. Taco Bell is passable, but the best Tacos are made in small mom and pop shops and of course, at home, if you know how to do them correctly.
Don’t be “that guy”.
@@howyoudurrinhunneh "Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more. Say no more."
It’s the love of “Mexican junk food” We know it’s not authentic yet we crave that taste occasionally. It’s food candy
@@sdjahof1964 Very true. 👍👍
I met Glen Bell at a Taco Bell Grand Opening in Rancho Cucamonga, Ca.
These videos both make me happy and sad. Happy because those places I know of today looked so cool and nice back then. Sad because they no longer do..
Your Killin me LARRY! IM STARVED FOR THE ENCHIRITO! THE MEXICAN PIZZA, ETC. I REMEMBER THE TACO BELL IN ORANGE, CALIFORNIA IN THE 1970'S!!!! NOW THE FOOD IS TASTELESS!!! I GO TO DEL TACO NOW!!!!
I agree Julie the food today is nothing like it used to be in the 1970s'
There are old Taco Bell buildings still around. Most are now little Mexican food shops with Berto's on the end at least in SoCal.
The quality of Taco Bell is long gone. They went from being my absolute favorite place to eat to the worst within 5 years. Glen Bell must be rolling in his grave. RIP, Taco Bell... :(
As with so many other entrepreneurs of the 20th century, he cashed out.
I miss their Taco Salad 😭😭😭
I remember when Pepsi took the brand over. he cost of a taco nearly doubled that year, from .25 to .50 each. The recipe for the hard shells has changed also. They used to stay crunchy, now they soak up the grease from the meat so fast that by the time you get home, the shell is much and sticks to the paper, destroying what remains as you peel it open. Still love that flavor though, but miss the crunch as I have to buy soft tacos to keep it from all falling apart by the time I get home.
I'm a former manager (10 yrs)- Taco Bell went to a plan they called 'k-minus', basically taking the kitchen out of the store, and having everything pre prepared; the taco shells now come in a box, pre fried in Mexico.
*meat is pre cooked and comes in a "boil-in-bag" to reheat
*beans are dehydrated, just add water and heat
*lettuce is pre shredded (lacks moisture/very dry)
*cheese is pre grated (dusted w/ cellulous powder to prevent clumping for better portion control)
**All of the Above Used to be Prepared Fresh, in Store
@Dennis Wilson-The lower food quality was so disappointing from what it used to be, that I quit and followed other endeavors. btw- Del Taco still has that fresh food taste and is my "go to" place for Mex fast food.
@Dennis Wilson Beans were cooked in a large pressure cooker; cheese was Wisconsin cheddar (40 lb. blocks).
The buildings used to feature a real bell 🔔 at the top of the roof. You’ll notice in a lot of the pictures you show in the video, the Bell is missing. Well I’m not sure about other towns, but in Gilroy California (in the San Francisco Bay Area) the high school seniors would steal it as a prank.
I delivered food to T.B.’s in the LA area from 82 to 92. The Bell was made of plastic or fiberglass.
@@samiam619 well whatever it was made out of, it made quite the trophy I’m sure 😂
@@bayareanewman1566- My dad was a franchisee, I have the original fiberglass bell in my garage...any offers?
@@az_exit1279 so I searched it up on eBay: I’m not interested, however, somebody sold one back in February of this year for $130.00 😂 If I were you though, I’d put it in my back yard for decoration! As a homage to your father!
@@bayareanewman1566 thx for that' I'll keep it- don't need the $
2:48 by 1970, they expanded west? How much further west can you go from Downey CA?
They put one in LAX
Yep, pretty sure it was meant to be East. One of the only mistakes I've heard after about 20 videos from this channel
Lol. I thought the same thing. He must have misspoke.
They were built west of Downey. 100 in LA county. Downey is in East LA county. Torrance is west of Downey.
Maybe they went to Hawaii or that tiny little island off the coast of California 🦧🦧
We lived in California in the early 70s and I remember going to one of the original Taco Bells as a kid.
Taco salad and Mexican Pizza needs to be brought back wtf
Absolutely! Throw the Enchirito back on there too!
For reals! I agree
...& pico de gallo
& XXL grilled stuft burrito.
I didn't even realize that they stopped making the Mexican pizza until this comment.
I was one of the lucky one to have eaten at the first location Taco Bell. My parents and I lived in Downey in the 60's, 70's and 80's. I remember eating there many times.
First one I ate at , was in 1975 in El Paso Texas.
@@dangreene9846 wow! That was close enough to Mexico to have the real thing. They still had the walk-ups in 75. I enjoyed that.
@@velladune1 The thing is I don't like Mexican food , its tasteless to me or hot . Like Taco Bell though .
yeah, the location was 7112 Firestone Boulevard in Downey.
@@dangreene9846 oh, I see. You have a point there.
Taco Bell has introduced so many new items over the years. I can’t keep track of them all- still to this day my go-to is just a good ol original Burrito Supreme and 10 or 12 tacos. 1/2 crunchy and 1/2 soft. With a giant handful of mild, hot, and fire sauce packets. Can’t go wrong with that. I think maybe I shall make a run for the border tonite. Also, I wish they would bring back the chihuahua. That little dog was great!
Am I the only person who remembers those tasty Bell Burgers I believe sold in the 60's? I loved them
The batman cup and 59 cent menu brought back a lot of memories.
Employees uniforms are cute. Food is fun, fast and reasonably priced. Love it.
I loved the enchireto! I wish they would bring it back. Lots of others wanting it back as well. I remember the one I used to go to in Wahiawa HI had the open dining area. Now I can't even get the taco salad seems they just want to serve tacos and burritos now days. Mexican pizza gone too all my favorites are gone. Only thing left that I order is the burrito supreme. There's a reason why people say the good ole days.
I'm 54 and love the old school taco bell restaurant.it had such a awesome feeling to it and fabulous food .me and my sister got to go with my mom while my dad was working on the oil rigs .those were great times in my life.i was a young boy , little did I know I was going to be a professional chef for my life until I retired last year.thanks taco bell for giving me some Happy memories.
I used to buy two bean burritos and a small Pepsi for $2.13 in the early 90s because of the affordable menu. It fed me many days of the week.
Got my room mate and I through college too.....that and Ramen noodles.
Used to love their bean burritos. Sadly the texture is slimey and taste gross now.
Bring back the Bellbeefer!! I LOVED those things
Hell yeah, and also the encharitto!!!!!!!! 👍
I’d never eaten at Taco Bell until last year when Mookie Betts stole a base in the World Series. My dad said “Mookie just got America a free taco with that steal. Steal a base, steal a taco. Mookie, thanks!”
i went to one in Fullerton CA in 1967 everyday before night shift work. four 19 cent tacos and a drink was a buck.
Sad to see them get rid of the Mexican Pizza and tostada, among many items this year.
I really liked the pizza.
My location Boulder no longer sells the taco salad. WHAT !
@@RJ-hx5nb Boulder, Colorado? 🏔️
..yeah, they get rid of menu items every year, but 2021 they got rid of the everlasting, tostada, among 9 better rated items. At my location in Denver, they gave out coupons for getting rid of these items to "apologize" for it. First time I ever noticed them giving out coupons to apologize for getting rid of menu items.
I never tried the pizza, but I sure do miss their tostada! It was very simple, but I enjoyed them just the same.
@@anthonychihuahua with the corporations taking over America it makes me wonder how long it will be before rollerball actually becomes a sport. Will there even be a Jonathan E(James Caan)
Yep, I lived in California as a kid in the 60s and 70s and remember the one Taco Bell in our little town. It looked just like the first ones on this video. No indoor seating - just walk up. Loved it. I always got a bean burrito and Mom always got a tostada.
Nothin tastes as good now as it used to...
One thing still does!
Love this channel!!
I grew up in Southern California in the 1960’s but we never called them Tay-cos !
I remember when Taco Bell would take your order with a plastic laminated order form and a grease pencil. 1970s and early 80s.
Loved the Enchirito and the Bell Beefer
Made you shart.
I remember watching The Partridge Family as a kid in the 70's. Keith said to his date, "Let's get a taco". I had no idea what he was talking about until 1980 when I was 16 and the first Taco Bell opened in our area.
haha wow that's crazy. lately I've been questioning how old I was before I learned what an avocado is though. I'm pretty sure I was in my 20s. Literally never heard of them before like 2011
The last time, I had Taco Bell was in 1995 at the Chesterfield, Michigan restaurant located on 23 Mile Road and I-94 freeway. The food at Taco Bell was very good. Now, the all the fast food restaurant buildings look like shoeboxes. The Taco Bell restaurant buildings also look like shoebox buildings.
Now, their taco shells taste like a shoebox.
My first job in 1975, Northridge California. Made $1.70 an hour and all we could eat! We made the frijoles fresh from raw pinto beans, and deep fried every taco shell. Bring back the Bell Beefer!
I miss the old Taco Bell and the encherito was my fave. I liked the taco pizza, too, but they got rid of it. They don't fill their tacos very well. You shouldn't order a whole meal and still feel hungry. But I did like the story.
It's not the amount of food that's leaves u wanting more cause u aren't full it's the preservatives and chemicals in it. All processed- pre packaged foods do that to us all.
Easily top 3 narration voices on TH-cam- Love this channel
I live in NY, worked with a guy from California in the early 80's and he always called them Take -ohs. I thought he was just joking.
Did he also refer to steaks as fill it mig non🤣🤣
@@nonamegame9857
We never went to a steak house
@@charles-y2z6c I was simply talking about how some people say filet mignon ✌️
A Del Taco opened in my small town in 1979. The locals didn't know what to make of it. one guy ordered some burritos at the drive thru; drove up and then backed back to the window and asked: Am I supposed to eat the cardboard this is wrapped in? I knew we we're done, and about 6 months later closed.
I grew up in the 70's and never remember them as Take Os. Must have been a regional thing
Back in the mid 70's it was so good and the prices were perfect for a teenager like me. My favorite was the burrito supreme with extra sour cream...and an order of pintos and cheese and a large coke...ohhh what memories...
Ahhhhhh! Remember those little bowls of refried beans they used to serve topped with cheddar cheese. Yum ! 👍😀👍 p.s. that was back in the late 1960's and early 1970"s yum!
Recollection Road: Great video...My dad was an original franchisee- I grew up w/ Taco Bell. @6:09- I was there, at the 100th Grand Opening on Brookhurst St. in Anaheim, California
Thanks for this video! I was surprised to hear that Glen Bell had difficulty trying to figure out how to make a taco . He obviously have other talents. 😀
Glen Bell is my favorite 'rags to riches to rags to riches' success stories.
So cool that they have the original building! 👍😊👍
My favorite thing from Taco Bell was the old Bell Burger which was renamed the Bell Beefer before being dropped all together.
Think outside the bun logo
I grew up in Southern California in the early '70's and I never heard anyone say "tay-co" but we had relatives from NYC come visit and they said "what's a tacko".
The early menus had pronunciation guides .
@@tonycanabal1659 My relatives didn’t need a pronunciation guide. They had my siblings and myself to shame them into saying it correctly.
I stopped going when they eliminated the Mexican Pizza from their menu.
when they dropped the Mexican Pizza, why didn't they just make another one?
@@az_exit1279 Probably because it was good.
The year was 1973 in San Luis Obispo CA. Ours had a large fire pit in front of the walk-up service window that always stayed lit. The original building is still there but taco Bell moved just down the street.
The only fast food place I ever go to. My favorite. I don’t care what anyone has to say about it.
You must not have a Taco Casa in your town. Of you did, you'd quit Bell.
Taco Casa is like Taco Bell from the 70's.
I hear ya. Just had some tonight for the first time in a month. Like meeting up with an old friend after not seeing them for a while.
@@TexasTimelapse Been to the one in Okie City. Yes, it was good. Just not enough of them. Didn’t go through OK City enough…
My first Taco Bell was in Glendale California in the mid-60s. The fireplace was great eating around during the chilly winter nights outside there until the energy crisis shut them down. 5 out of 6 of us, my dad didn't like tacos much, would pound down 16 tacos, rice, beans, and a soda.
I love, or used to love Taco Bell, but the prices have gotten WAY out of hand for what you get. We just don't go there any longer.
Higher prices for less food and quality..stopped eating there to..sad...
Thas for real, no bang for our bucks anymore. It's not worth the little over a tablespoon of meat. I only stop here when I have too.
When people keep repeating the claim "its so cheap", they raise prices
At 2:48 you so the clip of customers at outside table.... Believe it or not that's me (in the glasses Yikes!) and my high school classmates. (Joliet Illinois East High) Early 1970s ,Where did that picture come?Ahh for the good days , Food was pretty good also.
My favorite was on 12 mile near Dequindre Road
You are better off with the Del Taco in the area now, my friend.
The new nacho fries burrito is bussin! Straight fire. Taco Bell hit a home run with this one...
I live in a large city and I remember going to a large Taco Bell that had an large outside eating area with white covered Bricks and a fire pit.
This was when I was going to school at university;
The food was definitely very good; I remember eating those encharitos (spelling??) Especially with those black olives , Those were the days.
The place definitely was enjoyable and delicious🌮🌮🌮🌮
Man how I really miss that place. Things have definitely changed over the years.
Remember the green sauce? You had to ask for it and it was hand packed in a paper tub. Yum!
A friend of mine, his (and his wife's) favorite Taco Bell treat was the enchirito (see 3:19); and for YEARS he was able to order it "off menu." Well, finally in 2020, you can no longe get an enchiritio; on or off menu. Sad day for them :-(
Miss that old label & signs of TACO BELL & DISPLAYS of the food. & the firepit.Remember the promotions they had.The albums. Especially the glass cups. Still have a couple of the LOONEY TUNES CUPS.
I remember the first Taco Bell that I ever ate at. It was the late sixties in Chandler Arizona and you could walk in there with a dollar and get two tostadas or two tacos and still get change back from your dollar but that goes into another restaurant's ad campaign from back then 🤣🤣
Legend has it you're still sitting on the pot from that visit to this day.
@@situated4 No doubt. I am definitely a legend (in my own mind) 🤣🤣
Remember my first Taco Bell at the corner of Collins and Arkansas Ave in Arlington TX. 7-11 was next door so was on the bike riding route as a kid. Just an empty lot with foundation still there.
Taco Bell is my all-time favorite fast food place, but I believe they've hurt themselves by taking away so many popular menu items, like the enchirito, the taco salad, the double decker taco, and so many others.
And having eaten there for more than 50 years, I never once heard anybody call the tacos "take-ohs."
I love that shot of the classic Taco Bell near the end of Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”.
They have done away with my favorite item here in east Tennessee the taco salad so I no longer make a run for the border..............
I lived for the Taco Salad! I got the bad news one day years ago at the drive thru speaker box. My heart fell when they said it was discontinued!
I loved going as a kid, back in the 70's..
The colors of Taco Bell were awesome..
The frijoles with cheese were my favorite.. And of course the crunchy tacos.. The original design of the building is still my favorite.. 🥰😋
My kids always loved Taco Bell, we used to eat there frequently. I loved their taco sauce but the bottled stuff in the store didn't taste at all like what was in the packets.
Yeah, I've noticed that too. Which is why I end up grabbing handfuls of the sauce packets and keeping them at home.
Thanks for the info on the bottled sauce. I had been thinking about buying it, I believe you when you say it doesn't taste the same. So I decided not to buy it.
@@PorkChopJones Its still tasty, it's just not the sauce in the packets.
Remember the orange paper the tacos were wrapped in? I loved the chicken Cesar burrito...the meximelt. I lived in Tucson as a kid in the 70's....so good. We had El taco and Taco Bell.
The original taco bell looks like the only old time place that looked cool
Jugs & Suds here in Texas was pretty cool in it's limited time run in the 1970s 🤓
My first visit to Taco Bell was in Salt Lake City, UT in 1968 when I was kid. Have loved it ever since.
Thanks for the video, I love this channel. It is a reminder how bad mergers and acquisitions are for us all.
Only when we don't personally own the target shares, haha.
My favorite taco bell items, bell beefer and the mexican pizza, now there memories along with all of your favorites from the past taco bell menu.
Yum Brands destroyed the quality of the “food!”
Yep, they're stomach grenades.
Name is Yum but a lot of the food is YUCK.
I never called them "Take-o's". But I do remember the "Run For The Border" ads. Oh yeah, and the Rock Art Cups, with the ad featuring Rockapella.
It seems that back in the day, Taco Bell's food had a unique taste and smell. I prefer their food over Del Taco, but it would be cool if they could bring that back.
In 1972, before Patrick Duffy became a star, he played the part of that Taco Bell employee in a TV commercial. In the 1990's, Rocky & Bullwinkle became TV commercial spokes-characters for Taco Bell restaurants. Hokey smokes!!!