***The Doritos taco shell in the Doritos Locos Taco lacked a real Dorito flavor; the new menu item was thus average and disappointing***
(The Simpsons)
Homer: "Hey, Apu, you got that new beer with candy floating in it...Skittlebrau?"
Apu: "No such product exists sir. You must have dreamed it."
Homer: "Well, then just gimme a six pack and a bag of Skittles."
Growing up in the Midwest, my first experience with a tortilla chip was a Dorito. And even though I wouldn't consider Taco Bell to be an authentic representation of Mexican food, one of my first experiences with Mexican food or pseudo Mexican food was Taco Bell.
I think several people might be in the same boat because the advertising for Taco Bell's Doritos Locos Taco seems to tug at the inevitable and perfect combination of those two nostalgic food experiences. The TV commercials were really well done; instead of the in-your-face food shots and fire you get in most Taco Bell commercials, they focused simply on footage of people enjoying the taco and seemingly perfect narration: "It is everything you imagined it could be."
The concept and the advertising pulled me in, but I ultimately felt the taco was disappointing (the taco was passable enough as fast food, but it was nothing greater than that).
Part of it is that (for me at least) you cannot go home again when it comes to childhood food. Just because you grew up on McDonald's and Lay's does not mean you are going to love them as much after you've tried much better burgers and potato chips.
I have never really been a big fan of Taco Bell--even as a kid--but Doritos have a good crunch and an artificial salty cheese flavor that is not that bad (even today). I definitely like them less now than I used to though (I still like Bob Evans' sausage gravy and biscuits even though they are probably not the most homemade out there. And if they brought back Jell-O Pudding Pops, I'm sure the first taste would make me realize why I loved them so).
But while my expectations were thus moderate going in, I did not think the Doritos Locos Taco was the best representation of that flavor combination. The taco part delivered as expected. The ground beef was what you would expect with Taco Bell (flavorful enough but I have never liked how fine their beef is; almost like a puree).
There was also the standard shredded lettuce and cheddar cheese. My first Mexican fast food experience was at Casa Del Taco in southern Ohio. For that taco, they used that very thinly shredded, fine and soft cheddar cheese (kind of similar to what you would get with Cincinnati chili). That cheese works better. The softness is kind of a contrast and it allows for a little more natural melting too.
While the taco portion was as expected, the Dorito taco shell did not really have a noticeable Dorito flavor. It did not have that reddish orange color or provide that get-artifical-cheese-all-over-your-hands type experience. Instead, it ended up tasting like a stale Dorito or just a plain corn chip.
I also had their nachos supreme (pretty similar to what you would expect, but it could use more color like the green onions of old though I think they moved away from them after that one bad experience). This Taco Bell is combined with a KFC and I had some hot wings too. I am typically okay with their hot wings, but these had been sitting around a while because they were dry.
Service has often been bad here and even on this visit, there definitely seemed to be a lack of management control. The cashier though on this visit was more professional and personable than I have had in the past at this location.
Prices are consistent with most fast food chains. However, when you order a la carte, your meal can actually get quite expensive if you are not careful.
I was not a big fan of the Doritos Locos Taco, but you should probably consider giving it a try if you are intrigued by the concept. I am not sure if this is the best location for it though since the food at this Taco Bell seems to be not as good/fresh as other locations.
Like other Taco Bells, this location has a free parking lot and it is easy to find an open space. read more