*** Vegetarian Review ***
Full disclaimer ... I would be a fast food junkie, but because the options are extremely limited for vegetarians, my rehab has gone without hiccups. With that said, if you would have asked me just a few short weeks ago if I would ever consider giving a 5-star rating for a fast food restaurant, I would have thought you were El Pollo Loco! But the "Future of Protein" has invaded places like Del Taco and Carl's Jr and it's called Beyond Meat.
Consider this over my 7ish visits. I had to clean my own table a few times. I watched a homeless man physically touch his water bottle directly to the drink dispenser spout. Witnessed a dog wearing a "service vest" (yes, in quotes for a reason) sitting on a chair. Yet still, 5-stars people! The food is just that good and worth overlooking some of the speed bumps along the journey to the future of protein.
Will I Come Back Test? Yes and often. This is saying a lot since I haven't been to a Del Taco in about 25 years and ever since they partnered with Beyond, I've become a regular. Serve these items on plates with silverware wrapped in a linen napkin, you'd think you were at one of the more expensive restaurants that offer Beyond as a substitute. Yeah, you have to pay for the upgrade, but you don't have to tip.
It's an upgrade:
You can substitute Beyond for any menu item, but one location charges differently. Seems borderline "I should report this to someone" because the menu items are all uniform prices, but oh well.
- Natomas (Truxel Rd), $1.40
- Sacramento (Arden Way), $1.40
- Vacaville (Peabody Rd), $1.40
- Woodland (East Main), $2.00
What is Beyond?
Plant-based crumble that looks, cooks, and satisfies like beef without GMOs, soy, or gluten. Beyond truly is "meaty" and offers a texture very similar to Taco Bell's Double Beef burrito and a comparable taste. Triple-threat -- taste, texture, and appearance.
Del Burrito (Grade A+)
My go-to in the 80s was a Taco Bell, Double Beef Burrito. It had all the taste without the distraction of anything green. No frills -- just a warm tortilla, a zesty red sauce, hand-grated cheddar, and beef. Taste buds have great memories and upon first bite, I was driving my faded blue 1984 Honda Accord through the drive-thru on my way back to 5th period.
It is "beefy" and saucy. You can't tell it isn't the real thing because of the way they prepare it with seasonings and spices. After the first bite, all this steam exits the once-wrapped burrito and bottom line, it was a double beef burrito. Savory, leaning towards salty without affecting your blood pressure.
8 Layer Veggie Burrito (Grade A)
Scratch recipe slow-cooked beans, fresca lime rice, tangy guacamole, fresh tomatoes, crisp lettuce, freshly hand-grated cheddar cheese, zesty red sauce, and cool sour cream, in a warm flour tortilla. This is literally a step up from the 7 layer Taco Bell burrito and then, you have the option of adding an extra layer with Beyond.
This is a very large, savory burrito. The fresh produce and generous amounts of sour cream make it a complete meal.
Platos, (Sub Beyond) for Chicken Wet Burrito (Grade A):
Perfect for dinnertime or anytime. Slow-cooked beans, pepper jack cheese, rolled in a warm flour tortilla and smothered in tangy green sauce, topped with more pepper jack cheese and 3 slices of fresh avocado. The plate is then finished with beans, rice, chips and a red salsa.
The best compliment I can give is that I made a mistake by not fully reading the description and when I saw the green sauce, I immediately thought "oh, next time I'll ask for no sauce." Well, after the first bite, I thought, "oh next time, I'll ask for extra sauce." The smothered warm burrito is satisfying -- offering both tang and savory. The addition of the freshly sliced avocado is a "this-is-not-fast-food" welcomed detail. Incorporating the chips between bites of the warm burrito offers a textural component and makes this a complete meal.
The Beyond Meat Crumble tastes like its been stewing for days in a crockpot until they scoop a generous portion into the burrito. I do have to give them a lot of credit for their recipe -- we use this product at home and their recipe rivals home-cooking.
Chips and Queso (Grade A+)
Creamy queso blanco served with a bag of fresh house-made tortilla chips. Perfect textural component. These alone will make you stop going to Taco Bell. The queso has bits of chili peppers and the lightly salted chips are unmistakingly house-made. Even if you're a spicy lightweight, these are worth a try. Even though we know these are made for the masses, it still has a small batch taste.
Bottom Line:
Ignore the messy tables and open sauce packets on the floor and support the fact that Del Taco took the bold steps to partner with Beyond and give vegetarians options beyond bean burritos. The staff at this location has always been super friendly and unlike a lot of reviews regarding the speed of service, our food arrives fast and hot. read more