Del Taco's standard menu is great, but its low-cost staples become even tastier when
you customize them. The opportunities for mixing and matching items as you please are
limited only by your imagination, so keep watching to discover some delicious ideas.
One of the best-known secret Del Taco menu items is probably the so-called "stoner burrito."
For reasons that should be obvious, it isn't on the official menu. But after you ask for
it, you'll feel like a pretty smart cookie for giving it a try. What you'll end up with
is a bean-and-cheese burrito loaded with red sauce, special sauce, and french fries. Yes
indeed, delicious crinkle-cut french fries are stuffed inside this burrito. It's practically
like an order of chili cheese fries wrapped up in a tortilla. And honestly, could there
be a better food choice when you're experiencing the late-night munchies?
"I want more Del Taco, but my body is maxed out."
If you're looking to really take things up a notch, you could turn your stoner burrito
into a chimichanga by frying it in bacon fat once you've brought it home. It's probably
not the healthiest choice out there, though. And by "probably not," we mean "definitely
not." But ordering a burrito like this one isn't really about choosing the healthy option
after all, so why not indulge your cravings a little?
The "bun taco" is another one of Del Taco's well-known secret menu items. You may not
find it on the regular menu nowadays, but it was originally introduced in the 70s as
an official sandwich order. It basically melds the two types of food that Del Taco focuses
on, which are Mexican cuisine and burgers. It does this by slathering the contents of
a classic taco between the two halves of a burger bun. So that's taco-seasoned beef,
shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes on a burger bun. It's kind of like
a Sloppy Joe, but also very much its own thing.
From this starting point, you can keep personalizing your order. Ask for sour cream, the sauces
of your choice, or add avocado. You could even go a little crazy and ask for a different
type of taco to be turned into a bun taco. Just imagine the beauty of the chicken al
carbon taco or the beer-battered fish taco turned into a hamburger. Could it get any
better?! And since Del Taco makes all their hamburgers fresh, you'll enjoy your bun taco
with a bun that's nice and warm after being heated up on the grill. This hack more or
less doubles the company's "burger" options as the possibilities for ordering customized
bun tacos are quite extensive.
There are two important words that every Del Taco fan needs to memorize: "Go bold." This
phrase is like a password to enter a special club where whatever menu item you order gets
loaded with crinkle-cut fries and secret sauce. The company doesn't really try to hide this
hack from its customers, and in fact, they've even promoted it on their social media channels
by giving fans the chance to chime in with their favorite bold orders.
You could "go bold" with just a basic burrito, but why stop there? You could really go out
to lunch and have sauce and fries added to quesadillas, burgers, or even milkshakes.
In 2014, Foodbeast tried out five different "go bold" items, including a vanilla milkshake,
and basically raved about the entire experience. As they put it,
"It was a hot mess. It was glorious. It was extreme bubble guts a few hours later but
so, so worth it."
Simply put, this secret, or not-so-secret, menu tip is a hit with Del Taco fans across
the country, so it's definitely worth giving it a go.
Much of the coverage about Del Taco's secret menu items mention the "combo cup." This is
basically the Del Combo Burrito served in a cup rather than rolled up in a tortilla.
If you have it this way, you're basically enjoying a cup of chili. That's not a bad
secret menu discovery. But here's the problem with only promoting the "combo cup": at Del
Taco, you can ask for any of their burritos to be served in a cup. How great is that?!
It's a little bit like Chiptole's bowls, as you get to enjoy the contents of the burrito
of your choice while cutting back on the refined carbohydrates in the tortilla.
Maybe the first time that you give this option a go, you should order the tried-and-true
combo cup. And then if you like the concept, go ahead and branch out! The Epic Fresh Avocado
Burrito would probably taste pretty great without the tortilla, as would the 8 Layer
Veggie Burrito. And if you ask for a side of chips, you'll end up with some pretty excellent,
and shareable, snack possibilities.
Just as you can order any of Del Taco's burritos without the tortilla, you can also order any
of their tacos without the shells. One customer tried this out by ordering three shell-less
tacos and adding sour cream and jalapenos to cap off her meal. She then posted the results
on Instagram, and Del Taco loved the idea so much that they shared her picture to their
own social media, thereby confirming the legitimacy of this secret menu idea.
One important thing to remember is that Del Taco tacos aren't huge. If you're looking
to fill up on a full-fledged lunch or dinner, you can't order just one taco without the
shell. You're probably going to need to order at least three. The beauty of this reality
is that you can mix and match the tacos you order to your heart's content for a more interesting
and varied meal. Why not order two regular beef tacos and one grilled chicken taco for
a mix of different meats? Or you could order three different types of chicken tacos for
slightly different flavors and toppings. This idea really opens up a world of personalized
possibilities.
The most basic burrito at Del Taco is the half-pound bean and cheese burrito, which
features, naturally enough, beans and cheese, as well as your choice of red or green sauce.
But if you're the type of person who doesn't want all those beans interfering with the
flavor of freshly grated cheese, just ask for a cheesy burrito. Employees should know
what's on this pared-down version, but if for some reason they don't, just let them
know what sauce you want with a burrito that's all cheese. And if it's just the beans you
take issue with, you can always ask for a cheesy burrito with other items added, like
avocado or the cilantro lime rice.
"I just don't know if I have what it takes to make it at Del Taco. Everyone's so cool."
"Hey, listen, buddy. You are good enough. But right now, you're being an avoca-don't."
And don't forget, you can always kick your cheesy burrito up a notch by using those magic
words of "Go bold." You'll then end up with a cheese burrito stuffed with french fries
and secret sauce. How great does that sound?!
Many of Del Taco's tacos and burritos come with an assortment of vegetables, including,
but not limited to, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, guacamole, pico de gallo, and even cabbage,
depending on what you order. But on the other hand, many of their basic burritos, tacos,
and enchiladas are pretty plain. If you're the type of foodie who wants to order the
basic bean and cheese burrito, but you'd also like a few veggies thrown in, here's a lesser-known
secret menu tip: ask for the employee to "make it deluxe" for just a few cents more. Making
your meal deluxe will reward you with lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream on anything you order.
And for a price addition of less than 50 cents, it's undoubtedly a pretty good deal, as you
won't have to worry if you're almost all out of cash.
"Aw man, I'm all out of cash."
"No, you don't want to kill yourself, you just want a taco!"
Think about it: that basic cheese enchilada would probably taste a whole lot better with
sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce, right? Or when you order the dollar menu 3 Layer
Queso Nachos, you can get deluxe nachos with veggies and sour cream for less than $1.50.
We're salivating just thinking about it.
"Ah. That hit the spot."
Del Taco made headlines in 2019 with its sales success after adding vegan-friendly Beyond
Meat to its nationwide menu with an assortment of "Beyond" burritos and tacos. These items
feature Beyond Meat in place of seasoned ground beef. They also come without sour cream or
cheese, thus fully catering to vegan customers or those who are trying to cut back on consuming
red meat.
Now here's where it gets really exciting for anyone on the lookout for deals. If you're
a vegan, vegetarian, or just vegan-curious, you can switch out the meat on any Del Taco
item and replace it with Beyond Meat. For instance, why not try that bun taco with Beyond
Meat? Or you could go with the queso loaded fries with Beyond Meat in place of the ground
beef. Even the signature taco salad can be enjoyed with Beyond Meat. Just remember, these
other menu items aren't necessarily vegan when you switch out the regular meat for Beyond
Meat. So to ensure that your order is fully vegan, ask for the sour cream and cheese to
be nixed as well.
"It tastes just like the meat one. It's delicious." "You can't tell."
"You can't tell at all."
Del Taco offers a beer battered fish taco on its regular menu. It consists of a beer-battered
fish fillet, cabbage, secret sauce, and pico de gallo. But there's not a single fish burrito
on the menu! Luckily, a Del Taco employee who shared a secret on Reddit has our backs.
It turns out that you can score a fish burrito if you're so inclined. All you have to do
is start by simply ordering the half-pound bean and cheese burrito. Or you could go with
the bean, rice, and cheese burrito if you want your fish served with rice. Then ask
for two fish fillets, cabbage, and pico de gallo to be added. If a fish burrito that
includes beans sounds a little dicey to you, you can nix the beans and enjoy the newly-made
fish burrito without beans.
This same hack applies when Del Taco rolls out its seasonal shrimp tacos. Just ask for
the innards of a shrimp taco to be added to the basic burrito of your choice. Then be
prepared for instant deliciousness wrapped up in a tortilla!
Next up is the "wet" burrito. While the phrase "wet burrito" may not sound all that appetizing
on the surface, it's important to understand what it actually is before you turn up your
nose. Del Taco's wet burritos aren't really soggy, at least not in the sense of "getting
caught in the pouring rain" soggy. Rather, they're part of the brand's "platos," which
feature oversized burritos slathered in extra sauce and cheese, then served alongside beans,
rice, chips, and salsa. If you're not interested in ordering a full plato, and you just want
to enjoy a "wet" burrito, there's a way to do that, too.
According to a Del Taco employee who posted on Reddit, just ask for the half-pound bean
and cheese burrito with your choice of green or red sauce. Then add the meat of your choice
for a dollar and ask for an extra side of red or green sauce, which is usually provided
for free. When you receive your order, douse the burrito with the extra sauce. And just
like that, you have a "wet" burrito! This secret hack doesn't feature the added cheese
or avocado slices that you get with the plato, but you can always ask for extra sides of
those if you want them.
Basically, the key to the Del Taco secret menu is that you can customize anything you
want. You're limited only by your own imagination and the ingredients the restaurant has on
hand and your own imagination. For instance, if you don't like the refried beans that come
with your favorite burrito, ask for them to be switched out for black beans. Or if you
want your tostada to come with meat, ask for chicken or beef to be added. And it's also
worth noting that Del Taco does keep bacon on hand, so why not add bacon to whatever
you order? That's the beauty of being able to customize your order: to each their own.
"Yeah! Now lunch isn't boring like it used to be, Del Taco's the place for me."
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