Taco Bell vs. Taco John's showdown

Quest for the Best Podcast

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Taco Bell vs. Taco John's showdown

Today we put an end to the argument that has been plaguing mid-westerners for decades... which is better? Taco Bell or Taco John's?

Amy Hummel

Mar 31, 2022

Today on Quest for the Best, we will put an end to the argument that has been plaguing mid-westerners for decades… which is better? Taco Bell or Taco John’s?

Which menu items will we be trying?

Crunch Taco vs Crunchy Taco
Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes vs Potato Oles
Crunch Wrap Supreme vs Taco Bravo
Cinnamon Twists vs Mexican Donut Bites

And as a special surprise, we are trying Taco Bell’s Baja Blast vs our own homemade Baja Blast copycat recipes.

Who is brave enough to battle it out?

Nate, the guy who has not had these sober.
Kris, just happy we are not eating Jack-in-the-Box.
Matt, the guy who prefers it crunchy.
Amy, hater of sour cream.

And of course, our paid subscriber and future guest, Loraine! We want to say thank you, thank you, thank you! We love you!

The History of Taco Bell

Taco Bell was originated in California. It was founded by Glen Bell, who opened the first Taco Bell restaurant in 1962 in Downey California. Before opening this restaurant, he owned and operated a hamburger stand called Bell’s Hamburgers. In 1954, Bell opened his first Taco stand, Taco Tia.

When Glen Bell opened his first Taco Bell, he served his Tacos on his own invention - the Crunchy Taco Shell. He was trying to figure out the best way to sell large amounts of tacos quickly, and came up with the pre-formed crunchy shell. They could be made ahead of time and kept at room temperature, speeding up service.

It didn’t take long for the franchise to take off, and by 1967, Taco Bell had 100 locations. In 1978, with 868 Taco Bell locations, Glen Bell sold to PepsiCo. For $125 million.

If not inventing pre-formed taco shells was enough, Taco Bell also pioneered the concept of linking fast-food marketing promotions with major movie blockbusters. In 1989, Taco Bell campaigned with Batman, which was a huge success. Taco Bell ran a promotion all summer involving Batman Collector Cups. Customers who ordered a large drink would get one of the collectible plastic Batman cups. Sales skyrocketed thanks to the promotion.

In 1997, the new parent of Taco Bell, Tricon, Declared its independence from the PepsiCo conglomerate. Today Taco Bell has 7515 locations and is in all 50 states. California leads the way with the number of Taco Bells, 964. Followed by Texas and Florida with 590 and 387 stores. In our great state of Iowa, there are 53 locations. And don’t forget about the most infamous Taco Bell location in Iowa, the Blairs Ferry Road location in Cedar Rapids, where in 2015 an active methamphetamine lab was found inside. According to the criminal complaint, police found an active lab with fuel, lye, drain cleaner, and other items used to make meth, along with 1 or 2 grams of meth at the scene.

Taco Bell has trade marked the Soft Taco Supreme, Crunchy Taco Supreme, Nachos Bell Grande, Burrito Supreme, and the crunch wrap supreme.

The History of Taco John’s

There’s a whole lot of Mexican going on. At Taco John’s. At Taco John’s.

Let’s go back to 1968, to Cheyenne Wyoming. John Turner wanted to share his one-of-a-kind tacos with the world, well at least with the crowds of tourists who turned out for the annual Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo. So with the help of a couple real estate brokers, Turner turned a camper into a Taco Truck of sorts. And it worked. The tacos and burritos Turner served to the tourists were considered “exotic” and the customers couldn’t get enough of the food. The two brokers who helped Turner with the venture realized this could be very successful and bought the franchise rights, buying out John Turner for $3,525,000. They named the business Taco John’s and decided to focus on smaller towns. Some of the earliest locations were in Rapid City South Dakota, Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and Torrington Wyoming. The brand continued to expand throughout the Northern Rockies and Upper Midwest.

Today there are nearly 400 Taco John’s restaurants in 23 states. The state with the most Taco John’s? Minnesota has 59 locations, just beating out the great state of Iowa, which has 58. The founding state of Wyoming has 26 locations.

In 1989, Taco John’s made a smart and bold move, and they trademarked the term Taco Tuesday. Other trademarked items are the Potato Oles, Six-Pack and a Pound, and Taco Bravo.

The Results

**SPOILER ALERT!**

Listen to the episode first if you do not want the results revealed to you yet!

Taco Bell Crunchy Taco vs. Taco John’s Crunchy Taco

Taco Bell Crunchy Taco. Cool, bruh. You invented a crunchy taco shell. Too bad you couldn’t figure out that the cheese should go on top of the meat. This taco is not a terrible choice, but nothing to write home about.

Nate: “I have a broken, soggy bottom.”
Amy: “It has that Taco Bell meat taste.”
Kris: “You could have done better, Taco Bell.”
Matt: “It’s kind of cakey? Must be the sawdust.”

Taco John’s Crunchy Taco. They definitely do not skimp on the meat in these bad boys. Though the taco meat seasoning may be a little bland, the taco sauce ties it all together nicely.

Nate: “This thing is packed to the brim.”
Amy: “The meat tastes more meat-like.”
Kris: “I have a blow-out.”
Matt: “The hard shell is the flagship of a place.”

WINNER: Taco John’s Crunchy Taco

Taco Bell Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes vs. Taco John’s Potato Oles

Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes. What can we say? Whoever came up with the idea, sure. Most people can get on board with some diced, fried potatoes topped with sour cream and nacho cheese. Whoever came up with the execution of these potatoes should be fired immediately.

Nate: “I fucking hated it.”
Amy: “It’s definitely rubbery and chewy.”
Kris: “I’m going to be real honest. These potatoes taste like shit.”
Matt: “Taco Bell has managed to mummify a potato somehow.”

Potato Oles. End the show right here. This is the best menu item. Crunchy, seasoned to perfection. You cannot go wrong with a big old bowl of Potato Oles. We will take seconds.

Nate: “I’ve been eye fucking these potatoes since we got them out of the bag.”
Amy: “Potato Oles, the real winner of this episode.”
Kris: “I eat my Potato Oles before I get out of the drive-thru.”
Matt: “Are these sides or appetizers? Because Potato Oles are the only ones that are appetizing.”

WINNER: Taco John’s Potato Oles

Taco Bell Crunch Wrap Supreme vs. Taco John’s Taco Bravo

Crunch Wrap Supreme. We are all over the board on this one. Are you in the search for taco nirvana? Well, you might get one or two bites out of the Crunch Wrap Supreme. You might also get a mouth full of nacho cheese… or worse yet, a mouth full of sour cream. Each bite will leave you asking, “where’s the meat?” But hey, those two perfect bites you had were indeed tasty.

Nate: “This is an on-the-go taco.”
Amy: “I fucking hate sour cream.”
Kris: “When you get all the flavors of the Crunch Wrap Supreme… that’s it right there.”
Matt: “My first bite was good, but I ran out of meat after that.”

Taco Bravo. Will this taco leave you saying “bravo”? We are not so sure on that. It has its ups, it has its downs. Overall, we were hoping for a little more kick. A little more flavor. But it was still packed with meat and toppings.

Nate: “I do like the mix of flavors, just wish the meat was more flavorful.”
Amy: “They put a ton of meat on this.”
Kris: “The Taco Bravo is good in its own right.”
Matt: “This is good too. It has a problem with distribution.”

WINNER: Tie! Crunch Wrap Supreme and Taco Bravo

Taco Bell Cinnamon Twists vs Taco John’s Mexican Donut Bites

Cinnamon Twists. “Just a simple, innocent, delicious cinnamon sugar snack.” Well, we wouldn’t know because they didn’t put the food in the bag! BOOOO TACO BELL! Shame!

Mexican Donut Bites. We wanted the mini churros. However they have been discontinued. But the drive-thru guy politely offered us Mexican Donut Bites instead. Thank you Taco John’s drive-thru employee in Cedar Falls, Iowa. You gave us a little cup of fluffy fried heaven.

Nate: “Yeah… They were good!”
Amy: “I really like these.”
Kris: “Did you notice the air fluffing into your mouth when you took a bite?”
Matt: “They were soft and still fresh.”

WINNER: Taco John’s Mexican Donut Bites

There you have it. After trying 4 different menu items from Taco Bell and Taco John’s, we give Taco John’s the Quest for the Best seal of approval. Check out their website to find a Taco John’s location near you.

https://tacojohns.com/

Thank you for joining us on this exclusive episode of Quest for the Best. Let us know what you thought. Have you tried these menu items? Which one was your favorite? Which restaurant is your favorite?

Also, do you have any foods you would love to get the coveted seal of approval? Let us know in the comments what you want to hear next.