I was talking about Taco Bell with a friend at a party last night, and another guy overheard us and pepped up.
“Are you guys talking about Taco Bell?” he asked. “I consider myself a Taco Bell aficionado.”
NOTE: This is a bad way to engage me at a social gathering if you hope to discuss anything besides Taco Bell within the next half hour. But while I was initially skeptical of this guy’s credentials as a Taco Bell aficionado, it turned out he had the resume to back it up: He soon produced a series of cell-phone photos from the time he ordered 200 tacos and 200 tostadas for some (presumably awesome) party he hosted.
His name is Neeraj and he’s legit. Here’s what his car’s trunk looked like when loaded with delicious, delicious Taco Bell:
What Taco Bell riches!
It turns out he purchased about $180 worth of Taco Bell stuff (there was way more of it in the backseat), disproving the longstanding urban legend that Taco Bell cash registers don’t even operate past the $20 mark. Neeraj said he called in advance to set up his order, which was a little disappointing to me because I like the idea of just rolling up to the drive-thru all like, “200 tacos, please!”
The other obvious issue here — and I’m sure a bunch of East Coast Taco Bell regulars have already raised their eyebrows — is the matter of Tostadas. Neeraj placed his epic Taco Bell order in Dallas, where Tostadas are regular menu items. Denver native Ted Burke reports that they are also on the menu in his hometown.
But as a New York-based Taco Bell enthusiast, I can’t say I’ve ever eaten a Tostada, nor am I even certain one has ever been made publicly available to me. The Tostada is not on Taco Bell’s online menu, but it’s listed on the nutrition facts page.
Is it delicious? Probably. Is it the type of thing they’d be willing to make me at my local Taco Bell even if it’s not on the menu? Maybe. I’ve got to assume it’s made up of all regular Taco Bell stuff, just in some other configuration, since, you know, so is everything at Taco Bell. Are they available at your Taco Bell? Can I have one?
