Taco Bell vs Del Taco: What’s the Difference?

Last Updated on September 16, 2024 by Shari Mason

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Del Taco and Taco Bell are fast food chains that serve Mexican-inspired cuisine and have been satisfying customers for many years by putting their own spin on classics such as tacos and burritos.

We dined in, compared, and discovered the better taste, price, and overall dining experience.

This in-depth comparison of Taco Bell vs Del Taco will tell you which has better offerings in this battle for the best taco chain. Keep reading.

Taco Bell & Del Taco Main Differences

Del Taco is better than Taco Bell’s menu in many aspects. However, the latter is more accessible because they have 7,772 stores in the US, while Del Taco only has 592 stores. [1]

Taco Bell and Del Taco are Mexican-inspired fast food chains with the same Tex-Mex food items but significantly differ in taste, flavor, quality, prices, and dining ambiance. [2]

In the store interior, branch stores of Taco Bell offer a relaxing atmosphere while you eat. But in terms of food quality, taste, and flavor, Del Taco excels in many menu items.

“Life is too short to miss out on the joy of a perfectly crafted taco.”

–Eat Pallet Restaurant & Food Advice

Price points at Del Taco are considerably lower, making it much more affordable for customers. Moreover, Del Taco’s chicken soft taco is smaller than Taco Bell’s.

Read: How Do Mexican Restaurants Make Their Ground Beef?

A Closer Look

Burritos

Basic Burritos

Tasting their basic burritos, Taco Bell beans taste like powder and mix- bean-flavored mush in a tortilla, so adding spicy sauce makes it a satisfying supper.

Nonetheless, it is a gut bomb, so refrain from ordering more than one because it can upset your stomach.

Del Taco’s bean and cheese is larger and features shaped beans. As I add hot or mild sauce, it becomes a more flavorful meal. Trulu, a regular burrito, can be enhanced with a spicy sauce. 

Deluxe Burritos

The deluxe cheese burrito of Taco Bell has additional beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, and sour paste. It seems like a blessing but turns into a mouthful of sludge. 

Del Taco burrito options are more like the fast-food “gourmet” Mexican restaurant that emerged decades ago.

Meanwhile, the fantastic burrito blends rice, guacamole green sauce, whole beans, and chicken. Fresh avocado (fresh guac) with chili sauce tastes great.

Del Taco excels at making high-quality Mexican food, like this burrito.

Read: In-N-Out vs Culver’s

Tacos

Hard-Shell Tacos

Warm, crispy tortillas of Taco Bell taste homemade. Every taco shell is delicious and crunchy when pressed against crispy lettuce. The flavor makes up for the low quality of Taco Bell’s beef taco.

Similarly, Del Taco’s tacos are tiny and brittle, and the cheese is oddly gooey even when not melted. However, unlike Taco Bell, the meat needs lots of Del Scorcho sauce to taste good.

Noticeably, both restos used low-quality beef or commercial-graded meat because of the gooey textures. [3]

Soft Tacos

Taco Bell chicken soft tacos have grill-marked bits, which are about as authentic as Cheez Whiz.

They fill the toasty flour-soft tortilla and taste lean and clean. The Cheesy Gordita Crunch has crisp lettuce and shredded cheese, which is delightful Taco Bell’s soft taco.

Del Taco’s chicken soft taco supreme resembles the other, but smaller. They add sour cream, turning a tasty dish into a soggy mess (but reasonable). Also, the flavors of the fresh ingredients clash.

Churros & Cinnamon Twists

Taco Bell Cinnamon tastes like rice crisps dusted with sugar and cinnamon, and when eaten with over-seasoned meat and smokey hot sauce, it is a bomb!

Like fish tacos and French fries, Del Taco churros must be eaten hot.

Saving the churros for dessert will result in a bitter, stale pastry with too much sugar and cinnamon (learn from my mistake). The greasy, crispy flavor only works straight out of the fryer.

Fries & Potatoes

Taco Bell fiesta potatoes are cheesy. Sour cream and cheese overpower the potatoes. They’re good if you get a non-dairy potato. Also, they might be passable if not cheesy and covered in hot sauce.

Del Taco crinkle-cut fries are delicious and crunchy enough to keep my mouth engaged. They stand up to ketchup and taste fresh.

Quesadillas  

Taco Bell quesadilla could be more cheesy. It tastes like lumpy, sour, curdled milk badly seasoned with pepper sauce.

Del Taco’s queso could be better. The quesadilla contains a spicy sauce and works in a pinch.

Tostadas 

Taco Bell sold “Mexican pizza”—two-layer tostadas. For a flat, crunchy taco meat delivery vehicle, try the Crunchwrap Supreme.

A cheesy tostada with beans and a flour tortilla is a good crunch wrap. It’s good, but too much for a tostada.

Del Taco tostada evokes high school cafeterias. It isn’t very impressive, but it’s crunchy.

Specialty Items

Taco Bell’s inventions include deep-fried tortillas for the greasy chalupa and shells dusted with Dorito dust called “Doritos Locos Tacos.” To add crunch, they put tortilla chips in the burrito.

Both street tacos and the tamales from Del Taco are widely available, and both are superior to the food served at average Mexican restaurants.

Del Taco offers hamburgers, and they are average but not bad.

Bowls

Taco Bell chain makes Power Bowls that don’t have heavy tortillas. They added cheese and sour cream, ruining the “healthy” dish.

This chain should stick to rice, chicken, lettuce, and beans. But adding sour cream, cheese, and guacamole wrecks everything.

The bowl at Del Taco is more straightforward than Taco Bell’s because it has no dairy that can upset your stomach.

Tomatoes and guacamole taste much lusher than Taco Bell. Del Taco’s cilantro lime rice is a terrible imitation of Chipotle’s. 

Store Ambience

Most venues have curated Southwestern art at Taco Bell. Their adobe-colored walls and mellow gold lighting make it quite relaxing.

Most locations feature ordering displays so you can order your burrito supreme without confusing the crew behind the counter.

With rough plastic seats and harsh white lights, Del Taco’s dining rooms need cleaning. Though we enjoy the roughness, it feels archaic compared to Taco Bell’s drive-in now.

Prices

The glory days of low prices at Taco Bell are long gone. The regular taco from Taco Bell costs around $5, while combo meals can cost around $10.

Del Taco’s chips and combination meal costs are lower than Taco Bell’s, but taco prices are comparable.

Their tasty Del Combo burrito costs a little over $3. Epic Burritos are a feast for about $6.

“You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.”

– Paul Prudhomme, American Chef

Moreover, Del Taco takes a different approach to its menu, offering a more fast-food take on Mexican classics.

FAQs

In Summary  

In general, Del Taco wins this face-off. It excels in taste and flavor, especially the seasoned beef in its tacos. Del Taco is also cheaper and won in several menu categories battle.

However, Taco Bell wins in the ambiance of the store’s interior and the number of locations. They are more accessible for people craving tacos.

References:

1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Taco-Bell
2. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2014/01/04/best-tex-mex-mexican-restaurants-food/4308625/
3. https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/What-do-beef-grades-mean
4. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-tacos-healthy