Yo kind of quiero-ed Taco Bell

A few weeks ago, I had a hankering for something my father had described to me: the new Pacific Shrimp Taco at Taco Bell. I have never been more than an occasional visitor to the Bell; I love tacos, but I don't really consider that incarnation of the food a "real" taco. Fast food is great, but it's not like real tacos are a luxury item, so why waste time and money on an inferior product when I can make a great batch at home? And of course, when I say "I," I mean my wife.

But the combination of the taco and one of my other favorite food items--shrimp--was enough of a lure to get me into a Taco Bell for the first time in several years. I bought whatever combo they featured with the Pacific Shrimp Taco and took it back to the office for a hasty but hopefully satisfying bit of fast food goodness.

Well, I won't say I won't be back to Taco Bell for a few more years just because of this experience, but it certainly didn't impress me enough to make itch to return. On one hand, it's my fault. I got the soft tacos, and I'm just not a soft taco guy. I like my taco shells the way I like my trigonometry exams--hard. So that's one strike.

Then the taco itself, even allowing for the soft-shell handicap, just wasn't all that tasty. I'm not sure how fresh it was; it certainly wasn't piping hot or anything by the time I bit into it. Ehh. It was a taco, I guess, and it had shrimp. But it wasn't exceptional.

And besides, it just didn't feel like all that much of a deal. Isn't that kind of the reason we buy fast food, because it's cheap, or at least feels like a good value? I can't remember the exact amount I paid for two soft tacos and a fountain drink, but I had to supplement my meal with a side of nachos because the soft tacos looked kind of puny. Now, granted, I have been known to strike fear into the hearts of innocent bystanders by swooping into the kitchen and gobbling up mass quantities of tacos without concern for the well-being of other diners, but still, I don't think I'm just being a glutton when I say two Taco Bell tacos don't exactly make a feast fit for un rey.

So I bought the side of cheap tortilla chips with the fake nacho cheese, and it hit the spot for what it was, but why did I have to buy that as a side item? Shouldn't nachos be part of a combo meal there? Every burger joint worth its excessive sodium gives the option of a deal that includes fries or some healthier alternative. I felt kind of ripped off having to shell out 6-7 bucks for what I got--and what I got was SOFT shell!

So to summarize: Unexceptional food--even by fast food standards--and unexceptional value equals me kind of avoiding the place, especially since I've cut back on fast food in general. I am willing to give the concept of fast food tacos a try, but it may have to be the McTaco that revolutionizes the industry, because I'm not too impressed with what Taco Bell is doing.