Del Taco Fries Review: Sunshine in the "Lime"light

Having over 500 locations, most of which are in the west side of the United States, Del Taco has thrived in becoming a competitor to joints like Taco Bell and Chipotle, competing in the branch of Mexican fast food. Del Taco’s wide array of foods including everything from your general tacos and burritos to shakes has been something the chain specializes in, while priding themselves with the fact that Del Taco locations are working kitchens, where workers prepare real ingredients from scratch every day. This fresh preparation and cooking also seems to shine through as their crinkled fries are seen as one of the best things available at Del Taco locations. As a matter of fact, Del Taco fries received #1 in USA Today's Best Fast Food Fries so we had to try these out.

Del Taco in Manteca, CA. The lime green contrasts well with the crisp blue sky!

There isn't a single operational Del Taco in the Bay Area within a 50 mile radius, though there were a handful in the past that have now all closed. Hence the team decided to travel to San Joaquin County where the chain seems to still be thriving. Here is our review of the Del Taco fries!

Texture (8/10)

The fries had a surprising amount of crisp along the golden edges of the crinkle cut ridges. The fries produced a great crunch as well, which was supported by an interior that had just the right amount of stuffing to adequately bolster the superb crisp and crunch of the fry. Although the crisp was near perfect out of what can be seen of a crinkle cut fry, the crunch could have been bolstered with double frying. But we are nit picking at this point. All in all, the texture was fabulous and Del Taco has definitely taken advantage of the increased surface to volume ratio of crinkle cut fries.

Texture of Del Taco crinkled fries. They look awesome!

Flavor (6/10)

The fries seemed to have only the average salting, which coated the exterior nicely, but of which was lacking slightly. Although this could have been due to cooking methods, the interior of the fry was also slightly bland. There were no other seasonings except for salt. The fries also went quite well with ketchup, however, which was good as it fulfilled the message at the back of the carton that explained why Del Taco used crinkle fries, which was to hold sauces better.

Shape (6/10)

The last time we were impressed by crinkle cut fries was with Sonic's Groovy Fries. However, Del Taco's take on the crinkle shape is subtle yet different. The ridges for Del Taco fries are more clear and pronounced due to not using any batter for the skin and the fries, although adequately thick, had a slender width to length ratio. We were happy that the fries were a bit more orderly than some of the shards of potato seen from other fast-food joints. The structure was solid, and did not fall apart in the hands. Unfortunately, the fries were inconsistent in size, some being a stubby chips while others being long and lanky, which reduced their score. We suspect this is because Del Taco is crinkle cutting natural portatoes than using ground up puree, but we cannot be sure.

These are beautifully shaped crinkle cut fries.

Presentation (7/10)

The carton the fries were received in was quite large, stood upright by itself well, and most likely to fulfill the purpose of holding the fries vertically. We seldom see this type of a carton but again, was impressed at the thoughtfulness as crinkle cut fries tend to take up more space to pack. We were just a bit disappointed that the fries did not stand upright and feel a bit more attention to detail could have boosted the scores. The carton also had a message printed on the back referenced earlier explaining why Del Taco uses crinkle cut fries in particular, which we really appreciated. According to the message the, ridges were to hold the various sauces that Del Taco offered. Given that the fries were engineered for sauces, we wonder why they don't do a better job helping customers try various sauces. Why not have a sauce taster / platter add-on?

Del Taco fries are served in a cup-like tall carton that can stand stable. We love how the color of the fries and the yellow in the carton go perfectly together.

Experience (9/10)

The fries cost $4.50, which we believe is fantastic value considering the quantity and how it tasted. We truly reviewing and munching Del Taco's fries. On top of that, the fries also blended nicely with the rest of the meal, being a complement as well as the star of the show. Along with the price, how it tasted, how it supported other menu items, and the presentation, and all of this being delivered fast, the experience was quite memorable. We also need to give a shout out to the consistent lime green interior accents and the California baja / surf themed design language. Even the exterior sported the lime green color and the orange golden sun. Such intentional consistency absolutely raises the experience.

Texture	8
Flavor	6
Shape	6
Presentation	7
Experience	9
Overall	7.2 / 10

Beach, punk, surf feel with lime green interior. Refreshing and energizing.

Conclusion

To summarize, Del Taco has provided a fry in which the aspects of what makes a good fry were fulfilled adequately. The fries had good texture, as they were crispy and crunchy, along with having a sturdy shape and structure, which helped it support other items on the menu, all for the very reasonable price of $4.50. They were presented in a carton engineered for this purpose, following a clear design language spanning from the exterior, interior, and food packaging. Del Taco's fries are amazing, and one of the best fries we have ever reviewed.

Classical fast-food layout. Lime green version of Taco Bell?