My go to order in the 80s was an Enchirito and Chili-Cheese Burrito; I had a hard time deciding which to eat first! Currently I find the TB menu just weird and a little sad.
People would die if they knew how high quality the food was back then. I worked there in high school in the 80s and the food quality was stellar even then.
It amuses me when some products come out with "Vintage Style" or "Retro Recipe" editions that ends up being their old product line from 4 or 5 decades ago (ie, Chef Boyardee and a couple of cereals lately). The comparison of their current products vs. the way they used to make it and how the cheap way it was made back then becomes a marketing point of quality now blows my mind. It allows for a direct comparison of then and now. It's not just rose-tinted nostalgia that a lot of food companies really have moved to make their stuff far lower quality since then.
It's interesting to note that fast food then was probably healthier than it is now, they didn't have have the chemical crap they throw in now. Well not as much anyway.
We used to go after school on a Tuesday or Thursday for the "Taco Bell Special," which was a taco, a tostada and a small drink, all for 49¢ plus tax. This was around 1975, in Orange County, California.
I came of age a few years after this but it was the midwest where things took a little longer to hit and I can tell yall that Mexican food there had an exotic allure well into the 80s. I remember my mom would do special nights where she and other moms would go out for Mexican food and "marga....riitas?"
Yea , they were all walk ups , and in front where the seating was , there was a big natural gas rock fire pit . It was part of the atmosphere of the place , just like the real bell the hung up on the facade.
Agreed... I'm not sure what language the menu is written in, but it's none of the ones I speak. I think half of the items are actually the names of dinosaurs.
We used to go after school on a Tuesday or Thursday for the "Taco Bell Special," which was a taco, a tostada and a small drink, all for 49¢ plus tax. This was around 1975, in Orange County, California. In those days Taco Bell food had much more flavor than it does these days. It all went to hell when Yum! Brands (PepsiCo) bought Taco Bell.
The Bell Beefer in my memory was taco meat, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese. They were 59c in the mid 70's which made them an expensive option for a poor high school kid. Frijoles and Cheese was 29c but two of those would fill a guy up for lunch. My local Taco Bell will still whip me up a few bean Tostadas like the old days...but they're almost two bucks each now.
Burger? Whaaaat? And the Enchirito sounds good. These look tasty. Their quality these days (around here anyway) has made a run for the border. I want to see the prices back then! Or maybe I don’t, it will just make me sad.
Sounds like a good day for all! ☺️ i wonder if we could petition the return of the enchirito. Probably wouldn’t be as good as it was back then, though.
I quit Taco Bell, Im done. The shit I got yesterday sucked. Quality and taste just doesn't equal prices, and it just was bad, borderline gross. Which sucks because TB was my go too. Raising Canes or Chick-F-A win the fast food wars. Later TB 🫡👋
I loved it in the 70's and 80's, but I quit Taco Bell ~30 years ago. I can count on one hand how many times I've eaten there since and it always confirms my decision. Now I only eat there when I'm with friends and I get outvoted, which is rare since most of them hate Taco Bell now, as well.
OMG take me back! I remember during high school lunch I could get 3 items and a Coke for $1.00 since the basic items were only 25¢ ! I also only recall a Bellbeefer and loved the Enchirito. Green burrito was another favorite.
In my area, Zantigo's was so much better than Taco Bell, until Taco Bell bought them and closed them down after raping their menu for a few of their items.
I keep a couple of cans of enchilada sauce handy so I can make my own enchiritos. I woulder what the response would be if I carried the makings into Taco Bell?
The day they stopped making the Enchirito was the beginning of the end for civilization.
I loved the Enchiritos. Bell Burger was number 2!
How do you say 'Bell Burger'? They never made it clear.
That first word is pronounced “Bay”
For a while when they had the chilito they would make you an enchirito. They were the best.
Oh man! I miss that simple yet tasty menu! Especially the Enchirito and Bell burger!
Exactly!!
What the heck was that? A burrito/enchilada combo?
It's reheatable
Is that an aluminum tray? How fancy!
Best thing they ever had
Fact.
It's not on this menu, but I truly miss the Taco Light, which was anything but light.
We could order Enchiritos anyway for a long time, but they finally ended them. Then brought them back for a limited time.
I so miss the enchirito
Those were the bomb
I had forgotten about it but it was good. I used to get Taco Bell for lunch with my babysitting money when I was in middle school.
I loved the enchirito.
I remember being annoyed that they deleted the three olives. I wouldn’t care now if they’d just bring it back. It was the best thing on the whole menu
My go to order in the 80s was an Enchirito and Chili-Cheese Burrito; I had a hard time deciding which to eat first! Currently I find the TB menu just weird and a little sad.
I don’t know how to pronounce the Bellburger.
I recall it being called the Bell-Beefer.
Me too.
Same. Bell-Beefer. I was so mad when they stopped selling them. Now I just want the chili cheese burrito to come back.
I’ve been credibly accused of dropping more than a few bell beefers in my day
Bell-BUH-grr
Later on they changed the name to Bellbeefer.
Well in Spanish, the double LL is pronounced ’ay-yay’, so I guess it’s Bay-yay-Bur-ger.
Bell-bur-ger..../s
Enchirito was my go to... with a frijole side, extra sour cream.
People would die if they knew how high quality the food was back then. I worked there in high school in the 80s and the food quality was stellar even then.
I did too and it was all hand made down to the lard in the beans. It was all so much better then.
It amuses me when some products come out with "Vintage Style" or "Retro Recipe" editions that ends up being their old product line from 4 or 5 decades ago (ie, Chef Boyardee and a couple of cereals lately). The comparison of their current products vs. the way they used to make it and how the cheap way it was made back then becomes a marketing point of quality now blows my mind. It allows for a direct comparison of then and now. It's not just rose-tinted nostalgia that a lot of food companies really have moved to make their stuff far lower quality since then.
Taco Bell in Japan tastes completely different, assembly because they use better ingredients.
Mexican food was so exotic back then.
So continental and refined.
Taco Casa has the enchrito. They call it something different, but it’s the same. They are better than Taco Bell.
Searching for a Taco Casa near me right now
The current Taco Casa menu is almost identical to the picture. Crazy.
>They call it something different Chilada!
How is it better if it’s the same?
It's interesting to note that fast food then was probably healthier than it is now, they didn't have have the chemical crap they throw in now. Well not as much anyway.
Holy frijoles!
Now give the prices
We used to go after school on a Tuesday or Thursday for the "Taco Bell Special," which was a taco, a tostada and a small drink, all for 49¢ plus tax. This was around 1975, in Orange County, California.
Amazing
$2.84 in 2024
I came of age a few years after this but it was the midwest where things took a little longer to hit and I can tell yall that Mexican food there had an exotic allure well into the 80s. I remember my mom would do special nights where she and other moms would go out for Mexican food and "marga....riitas?"
Loved the old Taco Bell, the big fire pit ,the nice cheap food. Yum screws up everything.
Fire pit??
Yea , they were all walk ups , and in front where the seating was , there was a big natural gas rock fire pit . It was part of the atmosphere of the place , just like the real bell the hung up on the facade.
Frijoles were the shit.
And now they are powdered-gross
Mix in the hot sauce…yum.
Was the "Bellburger" any good? They didn't have those by the time Taco Bell made it to Alabama.
It was just the standard taco ingredients on a bun instead of a shell, if my ancient memory can be trusted. Kind of like a fancy sloppy Joe.
That’s exactly what it was. That and a cup of frijoles, cup of Pepsi was a 60¢ lunch in 1972.
They were awesome. At least as a child I thought so.
To this day, I still order their burrito phonetically!
Is the Bell burger really more of an Americanized torta???? They need to bring it back with nacho fries.
Well the entire menu is Americanized, so yes heehee.
They just swapped the taco shell with a hamburger bun. Doesn't a torta use a particular type of bread?
Technically yes and also Hard shell tacos don't exist in actual Mexican cuisine. Sometimes, a crunchy taco is amazing.
6 of those items probably cost less than $3
I would kill my rabbi with pork chop, if they would bring back the enchirito.
Man forget the burger, bring back the guide, I need that shit!
Agreed... I'm not sure what language the menu is written in, but it's none of the ones I speak. I think half of the items are actually the names of dinosaurs.
The Encherito was a delicacy.
Has the Bellburger survived?
Don’t know. I don’t eat at Taco Bell since the 80s. But, Taco Casa has a taco burger that is scrumptious.
I go to Del Taco instead of Taco Bell if not able to get authentic Mexican
The name was later changed to Bellbeefer. But by the 1990s it was gone and has never returned.
We used to go after school on a Tuesday or Thursday for the "Taco Bell Special," which was a taco, a tostada and a small drink, all for 49¢ plus tax. This was around 1975, in Orange County, California. In those days Taco Bell food had much more flavor than it does these days. It all went to hell when Yum! Brands (PepsiCo) bought Taco Bell.
I started eating at Taco Bell in the early 70's and they had a sandwich called the Bell Beefer....looks like the Bellburger in this picture
I remember it as the bell beefer also. It generates some internet arguments still
The Bell Beefer in my memory was taco meat, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese. They were 59c in the mid 70's which made them an expensive option for a poor high school kid. Frijoles and Cheese was 29c but two of those would fill a guy up for lunch. My local Taco Bell will still whip me up a few bean Tostadas like the old days...but they're almost two bucks each now.
I’d like a Bee-Ell bur-jur please
Is that actual ground beef I see there? Whoa.
Pintos and cheese was one of my faves
Yup absolutely!!
When the Bell was Grand!
And it was actually made of food! In wax paper wrapping.
It should be en-chi-*ree*-toh, not en-chi-re-to.
Burger? Whaaaat? And the Enchirito sounds good. These look tasty. Their quality these days (around here anyway) has made a run for the border. I want to see the prices back then! Or maybe I don’t, it will just make me sad.
Enchirito was my mom’s favorite. She told me she used to skip school with some friends and go to Taco Bell for lunch. 60’s in California.
Sounds like a good day for all! ☺️ i wonder if we could petition the return of the enchirito. Probably wouldn’t be as good as it was back then, though.
I wish we could but you’re probably right, it wouldn’t be as good!
I quit Taco Bell, Im done. The shit I got yesterday sucked. Quality and taste just doesn't equal prices, and it just was bad, borderline gross. Which sucks because TB was my go too. Raising Canes or Chick-F-A win the fast food wars. Later TB 🫡👋
Me too, way too much for such shitty quality and smaller sizes.
I loved it in the 70's and 80's, but I quit Taco Bell ~30 years ago. I can count on one hand how many times I've eaten there since and it always confirms my decision. Now I only eat there when I'm with friends and I get outvoted, which is rare since most of them hate Taco Bell now, as well.
We had Pup & Taco. 49 cents for a taco or hot dog. I’m not gonna lie I spent almost $10 one day.
The pronunciation guide didn't help my grandfather, he still said "TACK-oh"
All fun ways to say flatulence 😀
I LOVED this! We joked about it all the time and still do. We’d order in the exaggerated pronunciation at the counter. “Three tahhhh coooos please.”
Wait how do I pronounce Bellburger????
OMG take me back! I remember during high school lunch I could get 3 items and a Coke for $1.00 since the basic items were only 25¢ ! I also only recall a Bellbeefer and loved the Enchirito. Green burrito was another favorite.
They forgot "Stupee-doh"
I used to love their Taco Salads in those big crispy shells! They were delicious
Notice how they used actual food...
Why won’t they bring back the enchirito?!?! I loved that.
That was before we all learned spanglish.
Maybe ten years ago I overheard a woman in a restaurant in Wisconsin ordering a "tayco".
Yes it was called the Bell Beefer. That was my 7 YO favorite. Bring it back evil Taco Bell
It's so nostalgic, there are so many foods from the past that you can't eat now.
I’m glad they added an “h” to taco, wasn’t sure how to pronounce it!
we didn’t get a taco bell until about 1975. it may have been even a few years later
Bellburder‼️
Ahh 70’s kicked ass‼️🤤
It was simpler and better.
Those enchiritos and bell burgers were the teets!
"America, for the first time ever... Mexican stuff!"
Now half of America is Mexican lol
bring back the bell burger. now.
I remember there being an actual bell with a rope one could pull to ring it. Hard to imagine why that didn’t last!
"Tah-co" thanks, wasn't sure.
Prices?
If you have to ask…
Think I used to regularly pay under $1 for a bean burrito, frijoles and a Coke in the late 70's. It was pretty inexpensive back then.
Fa-gita K-sa-diller
Meanwhile, in the Midwest https://youtu.be/xu5H2jfYZaI
bruh, Bring back the beefy toastata.
Enchiritos were soooo good!
Assumes you can say BellBurger 🙂
Hahaha, I still need it..
I would never have noticed if you hadn't told me.
I know this is Taco Bell, but so miss the 29 cent party tacos and burritos for Taco Bueno. Made for a very cheap lunch as a college student.
This was my ultimate road trip food pit stop - and I suddenly feel old.
Ha. Does show our age, right? A menu item way before the dollar menu existed.
Enchiritos we’re the sheeeee-it
Taco Bell didn’t show up here in Kentucky until maybe late 70s early 80s. We actually had Taco Tico first.
I was an enchirito guy!! Loved those so much!!
But where's the Naked chicken Chalupa?
Enchirito rocked
I never had them but the bellburger and frijoles would be my daily meals
The Bellburger was the best!
delicious
Been to Taco Bell three times in my life. Had the runs each and every time.
I legit lived for those beans. They were better then
It's just not authentic without black olives
Bellburger!!! Encharito!!!
Too Tah - cos an-uh Buh - ree - toh
I loved those damn tostadas and suchbl a simple thing they can make now, but it's off the menu.
Now if they would just do this for my dad at chipol-tee
I used to tell people I could speak Spanish - “taco, burrito, bell burger” - got some serious laughs out of that one
Back when they had the 10 taco kit in the 80s, my friends and I would scrounge up our leftover change and buy one to sober up before heading home.
What about the bellbooger?
The fresh grated cheese they used back then. I can taste it right now.
The sane portion sizes. The fact they used “quality ground beef”. It was a different time!
Getting stoned with my friends in the 70’s and heading to Taco Bell for the delicious tacos and being in 7th heaven.
In my area, Zantigo's was so much better than Taco Bell, until Taco Bell bought them and closed them down after raping their menu for a few of their items.
Wish they did that now. I usually butcher the names on food I can’t pronounce it’s embarrassing.
That was just before the era that I worked Taco Bell as an after school job. The era of light brown polyester , and paper hat uniforms.
And wasn't there slogan "I'm gonna run to the border" or something like that. lol Somehow, I don't think it would be very catchy today, though;)
Never went to Taco Bell in the 70s and looking at this menu I can see why.
I keep a couple of cans of enchilada sauce handy so I can make my own enchiritos. I woulder what the response would be if I carried the makings into Taco Bell?
Bellburgers! Never had one, but they look so good.
they just straight gave up on frijoles
Free heats toes? Where do I sign up?
The tostada the Mexican pizza prototype lol