8 Mistakes Everyone Makes When Ordering Taco Bell

There's the fried chicken besties, the burger bros, and then there's the fast food Mexi-gang, Taco Bell. Created by Glen Bell in 1962 in the town of Downey, California, Taco Bell is beloved by everyone from Gen Xers to Alpha for its ability to deliver fast, customizable, south-of-the-border fusion handed through the drive-thru window. But if you're a Taco Bell lover who isn't in the know regarding the many, many hacks there are when it comes to ordering, buckle up. You could be missing out on layers of deliciousness and not living your mas life.

Most fast food eateries are known for their menu hacks, tips, and tricks when it comes to placing your order. Spots like In-N-Out, Burger King, Chick-Fil-A, Chipotle, Wendy's, and even Shake Shack all have some level of semi-secret intel on how to compile delicious and sometimes unholy creations if one possesses the necessary ordering prowess. So, too, does Taco Bell, and, in that vein, here are the nine mistakes everyone makes when ordering from this fast-food Mexican spot.

Anyone who's made their own burrito knows that the layering is part of the difficulty when it comes time to put the whole thing together. It's actually become a joke lived out time and again on TikTok and Instagram at Mexican fast-casual joints like Chipotle, as diners ask those poor employees to try and roll literally everything into a thin flour tortilla. As it turns out, asking the fine folks at Taco Bell to combine i.e. mix together all of your components before rolling it results in a much more soundly structured and evenly spaced burrito.

Think of it this way: If you order Taco Bell's Cheesy Double Beef Burrito, you're looking at a combination of seasoned beef, nacho cheese sauce, seasoned rice, sour cream, three-cheese blend, and fiesta strips; and that's before any customizations. Let's say you want to add black beans, lettuce, potatoes, pico de gallo, and jalapenos, too. Sounds pretty good, right? What wouldn't be good, though, is having some poor employee — in a valiant attempt to create your monstrosity — unevenly space your items. So, you'd get a bite of jalapenos then a clump of sour cream; maybe a pocket of cheese. It's all wrong. Instead, next time you're ordering a burrito, ask your friendly staff member if they can combine all of the components before rolling it to lead to a better eating experience. 

Burritos are delicious; grilled (and evenly spaced) burritos are even better. Adding a little char and a little heat to your rolled masterpiece gives your burrito a kiss of flavor that enhances whatever you've added. A regular run-of-the-mill Taco Bell burrito, be it a special like the Flamin' Hot Grilled Cheese Burrito or a standby like the Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito, is always wrapped in a large flour tortilla. The classic burrito wrapper is somewhat easy to fold and layer in multiple ingredients without breaking, and holds in liquids (for a bit) so you can chow down. However, after sitting for a few minutes, that tortilla tends to get a bit soggy, breaking down on whichever end is the recipient of all the sauces and salsas you've added.

Grilling your burrito, though, can help with the flour tortilla breakdown problem. By charring and essentially sealing the burrito, you're keeping everything in and adding a little kiss of warmth at the same time. Think of the fan-favorite the Crunchwrap Supreme: the grilled and sealed five-fold tortilla makes handheld eating a breeze thanks to the extra stability after a few seconds on a hot grill. Another big plus? Grilling your burrito is free. Just ask the fine folks behind the counter to grill your burrito, or make a request in the special section if ordering online.

We've all made the classic "struggle" nachos: tortilla chips, shredded cheese, microwave, and salsa. Taco Bell's are a significant upgrade, but if you're not hacking your nacho order, you could be missing out. The as-they-are nachos on Taco Bell's menu consist of seasoned beef, sour cream, nacho cheese sauce, tomatoes, and beans. Though a whole lot better than struggle nachos, these are still a little on the meh side.

To take them to the next level, there are a few upgrades easily accessible. First, ask for your components separately — nacho cheese in a container, toppings in another, and chips in another. This will prevent your chips from getting soggy and allow you to have fresh, crispy nachos are your own pace. Secondly, hack the nachos by customizing them through the app. You can add everything from black beans to the classic three-cheese blend used on just about everything in the Taco Bell universe. You can even add multiple protein options like slow-roasted chicken and steak.

From making your items a little healthier by asking for them "fresca" or making them vegetarian by swapping in beans, you may be surprised at how easily customizable Taco Bell's menu is. In our current day and age of either pre-ordering, checking out menus ahead of time, or planning out meals, being able to easily pick and choose pieces of a meal that can then be picked up quickly (and cheaply) is priceless.

As evidenced by items like the nachos we referenced, you can pick and choose toppings to create your own meal. Leave out the sour cream, add more pico, or serve the cheese sauce on the side to tailor your dish to your needs. But you can also change the way items at Taco Bell are served. For example, if you're craving a power bowl like Taco Bell used to make and like Chipotle has, you can swap different items in either the Cantina Bowls currently offered or just take off the tortilla and add in items on a burrito. You can also work your way to resurrecting retired favs, like the old seven-layer burrito, quesarito, and more.

Many fast food joints are leaning into the self-checkout and kiosk ordering models, and Taco Bell is no different. Although the drive-thru can be great and convenient as can putting your order in online, you may be missing opportunities to more easily customize your meal by using the interior kiosks.

Next time you feel the urge to head inside Taco Bell, waltz on up to that fancy ordering kiosk. In fact, the folks behind the counter may actually encourage you to use it, if Reddit is to be believed. The first thing to note is you can still get your meal to go even if you're in store and using the kiosk. This could be a plus — especially if the drive-thru is down or super crowded. Secondly, instead of outing yourself with the massive amounts of extras you want, you can sit in your silent, secret shame! Kidding, but just like ordering online, the kiosk presents every customization option for every item on the menu; from swapping sauces on burritos to adding potatoes to anything to making yourself an unholy concoction of beans, cheese, and meat.

Most fast food joints, from Chipotle to McDonald's to Burger King, are using apps to streamline ordering. So, instead of sitting at the drive-thru, hemming and hawing about what to get, you can earn points, badges, and money back by using the app. Don't you want a free taco? I do.

How's it work? You download the app, then start placing orders. When you pull up to the drive-thru, you'll tell them you've used the app and give them the order number. Every time you place an order, you gain points — 10 for every dollar you spend. Once you hit 250 points earned, you'll get a reward which pushes you closer to different tiers of the program and more free stuff. The goal is becoming a member of the Fire! Tier status which gets you, yes, more free stuff. Additionally, those points you've earned on each dollar can also be used to snag free stuff; like those cinnamon twists we all know and love, classic soft or crunchy tacos, and much more.

If you're looking for a filling meal at Taco Bell, you need look no further than cheesy potatoes. But on their own, these spuds are less impressive than when they're added to, well, everything. Potatoes are bulky and filling, making them a great option when you're looking for a quick way to fill up. Taco Bell's potatoes are deliciously spiced, on occasion covered in cheese, and can be added to almost anything on the menu.

First, if you're going the vegetarian route, you can swap in potatoes for any meat items in your meal of choice. It's likely going to be just as filling and just as delicious. Secondly, you can protein-pack your cantina bowls by swapping rice for potatoes. Users of TikTok frequently show off power bowls with tons of protein featuring potatoes alongside every vegetable Taco Bell offers and several meats. Lastly, you can bulk up your usual quesadilla, Crunchwrap, or burrito by adding in cheesy potatoes. There may be a slight upcharge, but the creamy, comforting, cheesy potatoes make it all worthwhile.

Different sauces and garnishes are sort of what sets apart each Taco Bell item from the other. After all, most of the things on the menu are some combo of meat, beans, and cheese — and we're not disparaging that. It's a great combination. But swapping in fire sauce or cheese sauce for guacamole or pico makes all the difference and opens up a new world of flavor.

That said, in the same way you can customize literally anything on the Taco Bell menu either online or with the in-store kiosk, you can swap sauces and make something totally new and delicious. You can also get extra sauce on the side for the same price as adding it to your meal. Obviously, a cup of side sauce is a lot more sauce than the couple squirts extra you're getting on your burrito. And speaking of side sauce, don't neglect to get your cheese sauce on the side when you're putting in your order of nachos. You can mix in a side of seasoned beef and pico for a Rotel-esque dip that insiders refer to as beefy cheese dip.