Taco Bell Vs Taco Bell Cantina: Here Are The Key Differences
Glen Bell founded Taco Bell in 1962 after noticing a local Mexican restaurant selling crunchy tacos at a time when he felt the burger business was reaching a plateau. Throughout the years, the company built a loyal customer base, launched countless new menu items, and expanded into an international chain. And 53 years after the first Taco Bell's opening came another innovation: the first Taco Bell Cantina in Chicago. One of the biggest differences between it and all the regular Taco Bells that came before it? Alcohol.
While Chicago was the first, many more Cantinas have cropped up around the U.S., including in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Kansas City, and even the Denver International Airport. Since 2015, the chain has opened around 60 of these locations. And similar to Starbucks Reserve compared to regular Starbucks locations, each Taco Bell Cantina offers a customer experience that is unlike the one you get at your average Taco Bell, and it starts with the drinks.
Tacos may be in its name but Taco Bell created a niche for itself with its specialty beverages, like its Mountain Dew Baja Blast, Churro Chillers, and Freezes. And if you were a teenager who loved Baja Blast in the 2000s, you might be the target customer for Taco Bell Cantina's Twisted Freeze, which combines any of the flavored slushy drinks with vodka, tequila, rum, or whiskey. Taco Bell Cantinas also offer selections of beer, wine, and sangria. The actual selection varies by location but based on video reviews of the flagship Vegas location, you may find Coors, 805 Firestone, Blue Moon, and others. All that's not to say that if you don't drink Taco Bell Cantina has nothing for you.
A few differences beyond booze
Taco Bell wouldn't open a restaurant that didn't include the food its customers love. You might pay a premium due to the location but you can still order the chain's beloved burritos, crunchy tacos, Nachos BellGrande, and more. However, there are a few items at Taco Bell Cantinas you cannot pick up at regular Taco Bells. These vary by location but can include different meat or non-meat protein options as well as some finger foods or snack-type items. Restaurants that serve cocktails and finger foods usually want you to stick around for some time, and Taco Bell Cantina is no different. Locations feature upscale design and furniture that invites patrons to hang out as long as they wish. By contrast, standard Taco Bells are built on fast table turnover and drive-thrus (one fact about Taco Bell Cantinas is that they don't use drive-thrus at all).
The Taco Bell Cantina is clearly a place to lounge and enjoy your meal with friends. It takes the company's "Live Mas" slogan as far as possible, at least to date. Whether it's drinks, live music, online gaming, and even a wedding in Vegas, Taco Bell Cantinas offer much more than tacos. It is possible to make mistakes at Taco Bell, but getting a drink or two with a Burrito Supreme can't be one of them. Now if the chain could just bring back the Meximelt.