I was picking something up nearby, and this Taco Bell wasn't too far away that I was willing to…read morestop by this location to see how it would compare to the other locations closer to me.
It was Taco Tuesday, and Taco Bell does this cool thing called a Tuesday Drop where rewards members could get a nice reward, usually for $1, for that day only. However, you have to be quick because only the first 20 or 30 thousand would be able to claim this reward, which usually drops at 2 PM PST.
This time, it was unprecedented because the Tuesday Drop could have been claimed anytime by all rewards members after 8 AM that day, a one-off for Taco Tuesday. That day, it was an Enchirito, normally $3.99, for $1. I promise, the deals are usually better; I've gotten a Chicken Quesadilla, Cheesy Gordita Crunch, Burrito Supreme, Chalupa Supreme, and even Nachos BellGrande all for only $1 each!
This Taco Bell is located on the northeast corner of Palo Verde and Stearns, right off the 405 freeway. If you see Mexihanas Hibachi Grill, that's where Taco Bell is. As a matter of fact, those two are the only businesses in that corner of the intersection. Parking isn't very spacious here, but they do have a drive thru if you do have trouble finding an open spot or if you just want to remain in your car.
I took my chances with parking there by electing to pick up my order in store as opposed to the drive thru. I figured if the parking lot there were full, I could park by Del Taco, cross Palo Verde, and pick up my order. There were some cars there, but I found a few spots open when I arrived at about 7 PM.
It was a couple minutes before my scheduled pickup time, and an employee asked if I was here for pickup. I answered affirmatively while giving him my name, and he said my order should be ready soon. Meanwhile, another employee was placing mobile/pickup orders on the Mobile & Delivery Pickup shelves by the front counter. The shelves were unattended, so anybody could have picked up anybody else's orders. Luckily, when my order was ready, it was literally handed to me. I was also told that sauces and napkins were on the counter behind me.
In my online order, I requested one of each sauce to go with my Enchirito, so I picked up one of each sauce from that counter. Little did I know there was a whole bunch of sauces inside my takeout bag! I've had this happen before, so don't be surprised if this happens to you as well.
For my Taco Bell orders, I usually swap out the seasoned beef with either potatoes, black beans, or beans. Since the enchirito would already have beans inside, I went with the potatoes. I also like to request fresco style, where the heavy dairy is replaced by pico de gallo. If I'm ordering a burrito, I also request grilled, which can be done at no additional charge. For the enchirito, a portmanteau of burrito and enchilada, you can request fresco style, but not grilled.
The enchirito was presented in a compostable container similar to that of a Chipotle burrito bowl, but the lid was also compostable. It also seemed sturdier so that it would be less likely to buckle under heavy weight.
I hadn't had an enchirito from Taco Bell before, so it was nice to try, especially for only $1 in this day and age. It pretty much is a mix of an enchilada and a burrito that if you've had both individually, but not the enchirito, you're honestly not really missing out. It was also smaller than I expected as the photo on the menu made it look like it'd fill the entire container when really, it only filled about half of the compostable container.
There was a good amount of sauce that smothered the enchirito that honestly, I didn't even need any of the sauce packets I ordered! lol in fact, I struggled to sop up every drop of sauce with the tortilla.
Service was decent from the employee who handed me my order. I didn't get his name, but he seemed pretty cool, especially for fast food standards. I asked for a fork and a knife so that I could keep my hands clean while eating the enchirito, and he didn't hesitate to fetch them for me.
They have plenty of tables inside, including four tables for two where each of those tables has an outlet, and you can get some work done here as well, like at a coffee shop, if you so desire.
There is also a kiosk where you can place your order if you'd prefer not to interact with an employee.
Did I mention how close this Taco Bell is to the 405 freeway? If you're planning to head north, the entrance is just right there on Palo Verde. If you're planning to head south, it gets a little trickier; you'd have to turn left on Stearns and hope there's no vehicular traffic in both directions.
Overall, while Taco Bell in general doesn't deserve 4 stars out of 5, I'll happily give this location 4 stars out of 5. I enjoyed the enchirito enough that I'd get it again if it were a Tuesday Drop deal, but wouldn't recommend paying full price knowing I could get much more out of a Luxe Cravings Box for only twice that price.
