Del Taco

Ah...Del Taco. Haven't eaten there since I worked at a Del Taco across the street from Richardson Square Mall when I was in high school. Looking back, I'm kind of impressed that we did things like make refried beans from scratch. The place is still very clean, some stuff is fresh, but there are things like those packets of "salsa"--not very fresh, and full of sodium. 

The staff was extremely professional and courteous.

Beer-Battered Fish Tacos. This is what Robin got, and they looked great. I was already impressed they'd updated their menu to this extent.

But here's a classic that tastes exactly like it did when the album London Calling came out: a crispy Del Taco with ground beef filling. 

They were out of Romaine Lettuce, and I didn't want to order a salad mainly consisting of Iceberg lechuga, so I got this Avocado Veggie Bowl, served over rice and black beans. Pretty good.

Here's one of the main shocks: Carne Asada Street Taco. It was actually pretty outstanding. This is definitely what I'd order again, though there are some better versions around. Still I'm extremely impressed.

Here's the other shock: one of the most disgusting things I've tried in a long time, and definitely not what I expected. They call it the Epic Cali Steak & Guac Burrito, but what they should call it is a Carne Asada Fries Burrito. The fries are completely disgusting, clearly frozen, soggy, and a total waste. Everything else is OK, but this burrito is about 65% fries. I have a hard time imagining why they named this burrito something that's such a small part of the product. I know Carne Asada Fries are thing around California (some people get extreme munchies, and apparently don't care what they put in the mouth), but there's much better burritos (made with carnitas, for example), and think this is an insult to the Golden State.

No, I don't want fries with that shake.