The Legend Of Barstow Del Taco

If you've lived in the HD all of your life, you'll know about how popular Del Taco is in the area. Del Taco is the go-to fast food joint for residents of all ages, being that they're open 24/7, it's a quick and cheap fix for your late night post-bar adventures. Originally established in Yermo, Del Taco now has locations all over California and parts of Nevada. While they eventually became franchised establishments, the Barstow locations remained privately owned and operated. Thus began the legend of the Barstow Del Tacos. They were said to have fresher ingredients, larger portions, and menu items that can't be found at other franchised Del Tacos.

When you finally make it past the huge line and finally get a clear glimpse at the menu, the first thing you'll notice is that the tacos aren't called "taco", they're called "Barstow Taco", same with the soft tacos. Also notice that the menu has "Bun Taco"'s and Tostadas, these items used to be exclusive to Barstow, but are now available at select locations in California. Although the picture looks similar to the taco pictures on the menu of your local Del Taco, the flavor and size isn't. I decided to go with a Barstow Taco, 1/2 Pound Green Burrito, Fries, and a drink. My wife went with the 2 taco combo with one of those tacos ordered as a "Barstow Soft Taco". It was time to turn the legend into reality.

One other cool thing about the Barstow Del Taco is that the condiment packets are nicely arranged in a basket and easily accessible at your table, removing the problem of having to get up for more sauce during your meal (lazy, i know).
The first item I cracked open was the Barstow Taco, the first thing I noticed was that this beast was the size of 2 standard size tacos from any other Del Taco. The taco was loaded with meat, cheese, lettuce, and a tomato slice on top. The first bite definitely surprised me because the taco didn't taste anything like a normal taco from Del Taco. The meat was tender and had no burnt pieces, the lettuce wasn't soaking wet, and the cheese had the consistency of a freshly grated pile of cheese (no huge clumps of stuck-together/super-cold cheese). The tomato on top tasted extremely fresh and was better than chopped tomato's in my opinion. The shell was crispy and wasn't soaking in grease, mainly because the meat wasn't super greasy. This tasted similar to a restaurant style taco and was packed with flavor up until the last bite.
Next up was the Green Burrito, the first thing to take notice of is the sheer size of the Burrito while in the wrapper, notice that it runs the entire length of the tray. I also ordered french fries, the french fries are the same as the ones served in any other Del Taco, but they were perfectly fried and weren't dripping with grease or overly soggy.
The beans in the burrito were piping hot and the cheese was evenly distributed throughout the entire burrito (it wasn't just clumped on top). The beans tasted fresh cooked and had a slightly more authentic taste than beans from a normal Del Taco. The green sauce tasted the same as a franchise Del Taco, but was evenly distributed and wasn't just in one spot of the burrito. At this point it became clear to me that the main difference between Barstow and any other Del Taco is that the food is made with CARE. Attention to detail seems to be a priority in every item, and no particular item looked thrown together with withered effort, this was not an average fast food restaurant, nor was it a normal Del Taco.
Here's a picture of the "Barstow Soft Taco" that my wife ordered, the tortilla could barely hold the large amount of fillings inside. Take note that the wrapper doesn't have any grease on it, it's perfectly clean! After visiting one of the 3 Barstow Del Tacos, it's clear to me that it's not even worth it to eat at a normal Del Taco, I would just be cheating myself due to the fact that the same food is made 10x better in Barstow. The food is made with care, and the ingredients are fresh, also notable are the gigantic portions and great service. If you're going to eat at a Del Taco, don't even waste your time with your local location, make the drive to Barstow and sample what Del Taco is supposed to taste like. For my food and my wife's combo, the bill came in at just above $13. The location I visited was the Lenwood location just outside of the Tanger Outlets. On your pass through Barstow on the way to Vegas, forget about going to In-N-Out, Tommy's, Chipotle, or Chilis. The real gold mine is Del Taco. Barstow's Del Tacos are located at 401 N. 1st Ave, 1310 E. Mountain View St., and 2871 Lenwood Rd.