Have You Missed Del Taco? It's Making a Colorado Comeback!

It was a dark February for taco fans when the shuttering of all but one of this state's Del Taco outposts turned the stomachs of the Del-faithful. But just a few months later, the skies have opened up and, yes, it's once again raining tacos in Colorado.

The parent company of Del Taco — which has been Jack in the Box Inc. since that fast-food chain bought the California-based company in 2022 — announced last that it will reopen seventeen of its corporate-owned locations in this state, if in phases. (Sorry, Aurora: The store at 3465 Salida Street is the unfortunate exception to the reopening plan.) All of Colorado's Del Taco locations except a franchise-owned spot in Grand Junction had closed earlier this year after another franchisee filed for bankruptcy.

Those unfamiliar with the deep bench of Mexican food in Colorado will perhaps shrug off this news, but they do so at their own peril. Because the "eh, Taco Bell is enough" argument holds absolutely no agua fresca. As even devotees of Taco Bell will readily admit, Taco Bell offers a wide variety of dining options, all of which taste exactly alike. They all just taste like...well, Taco Bell, and vary only in shape and degree of wetness, from the extremely dry bean burrito with no sauce to the much-missed soggy enchirito, which graced menus up until 2019 (and sometimes shows up again on "throwback" menus, which are like Taco Bell's version of McDonald's occasionally touting the return of the McRib).

Del Taco, on the other hand, offers a plethora of other options, and has for years. For one, it has fries, a thing that the Bell has only toyed with recently. But Del Taco has always had them. Are they great? No, they are not. But they exist as a ketchup conduit, and in the end, that's all we usually ask of fries. (Frankly, once McDonald's stopped using beef tallow in its fryers, the bar just kept dropping lower and lower.)

Granted, Del Taco also has burgers. Sort of. They're no one's favorites, but they're there, primarily for those who are too young or too old or perhaps too Midwestern to want to try something with a little spice. But yes, they're there, and they, too, are serviceable — unlike at Taco Bell, where the burger-lovers are shit out of luck.

But that variety of offerings isn't limited to just an obligatory burger and fries; it's the stuff that goes into the tacos and on the nachos and in the burritos. Steak and chicken and fish. Sometimes carnitas, sometimes shrimp. There are different sauces, too, and an option of either red or green sauce to go on them. (Pro tip: the Del Taco bean burrito with extra cheese, onions and heavy green sauce is a meal in itself under $2.)

The reopening of Del Taco outlets in Colorado brings with it a number of small benefits that prove this chain's superiority over the Bell. The jalapeños that crown the nachos are freshly sliced — an option often absent from Taco Bell. The breakfast menu at Del Taco is available at all time, which is great if you have a kid (or a palate) that just wants an egg burrito for dinner.

Perhaps most telling is the Del Taco sauce game, which actually offers flavor options instead of just heat levels on the Scoville scale. The Mild is just that: an innocent, sweet little sauce with just a hint of spice. It doesn't even get a Del- on its packaging. It's just Mild. It is red. It can go on things. It's not hurting anyone. But the big brothers of Mild earn their Del- label. Del Scorcho is hot, with just a hint of smoke. Del Fuego is even hotter, made with ancho chiles. All of these standard sauces have their own flavor profile, unlike the Bell's Billy Goats Gruff trio of primary sauces, each one just being a little hotter than the last. Del sauces are rugged individuals. Mild has a nice personality. Del Scorcho might steal your girl, but he'll also fix your carburetor when he gets off work later. Del Fuego? Well, better not to ask what she's up to, but rest assured: If someone messes with you or your family? Del Fuego will be there for you. Just don't ask questions.

Has Del Taco seen some missteps? Sure. Like all fast-food joints, it's had its share of "let's throw this item at the wall and see if it sticks" — which in this metaphor, is a good thing. Most recently, Del Taco discontinued the use of Beyond Meats in its dishes as a substitute for real beef or chicken, for those vegans who still wanted their Del-fix. Getting rid of that option was a bummer — it made Del Taco an attractive option for groups of friends whose dietary needs don't often align well — and we'd like to see it come back with the re-opening of the Colorado stores. The vegetarian and vegan page is currently pretty sad; most of the page comprises things that are passively vegetarian, and only a couple are actually vegan.

Still, the news at Del Taco is far more good than bad. As a fast-food chain, it fills a void left by the same-same taste of Taco Bell. And for Colorado: It's back, baby. We don't need no stinkin' Chihuahuas.

Some Colorado Del Taco locations have already reopened in Lone Tree, Firestone and Colorado Springs. Find more information at deltaco.com.