Taco Bell was an instant hit when they first opened up in Colombo 07, and now they’ve made their way towards a new branch down Marine Drive. We dropped into check the place out on a weekend and yes, even after two branches, it’s still crowded.
Food & Drinks
As you may already know, what Taco Bell serves up is not authentic mexican food, it’s tex-mex. Also it’s fast food, so if you’re looking for something ‘healthy’, run away from this place, and run fast.
The Steak Out (Rs. 1070) Burrito meal is the newest addition to the menu, and it was surprisingly good. It was essentially a tortilla wrap, well stuffed with chunks of tender, well-cooked beef with strong notes of curry, and heaps of veggies.
This one was easy on the sauce, so the fresh, beefy flavor nicely emerged through the burrito.
The nachos were crispy, slightly spicy, but nothing to write home about.
We also tried the Chalupa Meal with Mexican Chicken (Rs. 730), which was quite alright at its best. Its filling was quite generous with cheese, lettuce and jalapenos, but not chicken. We found a few tiny pieces of chicken at the bottom of the chalupa, while the rest of the filling took up too much space.
The chalupa however, certainly could have improved in terms of the batter, because it tasted very doughy. Anyway, the chicken itself was cooked well, and delicious with a nice spicy touch.
We also got a portion of Cheesey Nachos (Rs. 360) on the side, and we liked it. It’s regular nachos with some cheese sauce poured on top, while the bits of tomatoes and onions added an extra tangy flavor.
Taco Bell was known for their generous servings of cheese sauce when they first opened up their Colombo 07 branch, but not anymore. The amount of cheese they put on this portion was barely enough to finish half of this plate. I ended up eating the remaining nachos with salsa and hot sauce.
To wash down our meal, we got a Strawberry Mojito (Rs. 260), which was refreshing, fizzy and had a hint of mint and lime. This drink isn’t overly sweet so it makes for a great accompaniment to your meal.
Ambience & Service
This place is a two story building facing the Marine drive and is more spacious than the Colombo 07 branch. In terms of ambience, both of them are quite similar – nice graffiti and a warm color scheme.
This place is swarming with customers all the time but despite that, their service is quite efficient and prompt. The staff is all smiles, welcoming and helpful.
Overall
It’s pretty much the same this as their other branch, nothing special nor any improvements. Their food is pretty mediocre, but they’ve got plenty of room to hangout, so it’s a good option to grab some tex-mex if you happen to be in the area.
