Taco Bell

Yesterday, me and my partner chose to try out Taco Bell’s heavily advertised new breakfast food. That was my first mistake of the day. I tried the AM Crunch Wrap. I liked the idea of it, but it was just too much in one package. I like to call Taco Bell’s breakfast «Diarrhea before 10 AM», because it hit me before I finished the wrap. And man was it a terrible bathroom trip, I wrecked that place. I feel bad for whoever had the misfortune of being bathroom cleaner that day. I had 3 consecutive bathroom runs before I finally finished my meal. I always thought you gained weight from eating fast food, but I swear I lost ten pounds that morning.

NOTHING WORKED, NO MACHINES And a line out around the building. Couldn’t fill any order because nothing was working and poor management. Unfortunately it’s also the only one around.

I don’t even need to set foot inside to tell it’s bad. It’s what’s wrong with American health, sorry Mr. Obama. If you are actually reading this to get a comparative narrative to your usual TB experience: it looked clean from the outside (with an amazing view of Walmart). No quiero Taco Bell.

I find I’m writing about a lot of the drive-​thrus and fast food places on the Oregon mid-​coast lately. This is because — well — because they have their place and there are some utilitarian reasons for knowing which are good — and which to avoid if you’re out touring the coast/​beaches, or if you just live nearby.
This Taco Bell in Newport makes as good or better food of any Taco Bell I’ve ever visited. That doesn’t make it 4 or 5-​star Mexican food — but it does make it a respectable fast food stop. Taco Bell doesn’t seem to really be shooting for genuine Mexican or even Tex-​Mex — so you can’t mark them down for not doing what they aren’t trying to do.
It is clean — and the restrooms are reliably spotless.
I’m not sure if the current advertised treat «cherry lime-​ade sparkler» is a permanent menu item, or if it’s just seasonal, but it’s as good a cherry lime as I can make at home. I assume the base is Sprite or 7-​Up, but they’ve added excellent cherry syrup, and a lime wedge that can be sqeezed in for extra tartness — which makes this a yummy, if slightly overpriced drink.
The loss of stars here may be something that they can’t control. I don’t know. But there are always — at least every time I’ve stopped, or even driven by – always homeless people here with signs, on the corner (s) and walking nearby.
It may be because it is on the edge of town — away from frequent patrols. Or maybe Taco Bell has told them it’s okay to work this corner. Or maybe it’s the proximity to Walmart. I’m not sure what it is.
But as I was walking back to my car when I stopped and went in for a cherry-​lime — a man followed me back to my car. After I was inside, with the car started, he tapped on my window. Without thinking, I rolled the window down and was immediately terrified as he leaned into my car to ask for money/​food — and look inside. I was not alone — both my husband and my dog were there so it was not as frightening as it might have been (I went into the shop alone, and the tinted windows probably hid my husband from sight.)
And as we were pulling away — one of the employees of the Taco Bell came out and handed the man a little sack — I suppose of food. Under other circumstances I might applaud Taco Bell for helping take care of people who need some assistance. But I am autistic/​Aspergers’ and I’m not really equipped for this kind of event. I left shaking and panicy. Which is not good.
I’m not sure what the rules for panhandling are in this area — but I was caught off-​guard. As a result — I will only ever drive through this location in the future, if I stop at all.
I understand that the homeless are special considerations for towns and cities. But frightening people or accosting them in their cars is not acceptable. I don’t want to punish or limit the ability of the homeless to ask for and receive help. And I don’t want Taco Bell (or anybody else) to make their lives harder than they already are.
I suppose what is needed is agreement between Newport, the fast-​food places in town, and the homeless (who, I believe, will follow productive and useful rules) — so that everybody can co-​exist.
And when that happens — I will be more than happy to take down this review myself, or rewrite it without the discussion of the current problem.

Bad service, never gets order right!