Taco Bell: Where's the Beef?

Just a few months ago, Taco Bell faced a potential image-buster that could have taken business down the drain. A lawsuit claimed that the beef in Taco Bell's tacos was not, well, beef.

The lawsuit claimed that the content of the "meat" was only 35 percent ground beef, the rest being filler. For Taco Bell, the No.  6 fast-food restaurant, this lawsuit hit hard as the company is just rebounding from an E. Coli breakout in 2006 and videos of rats in their facility in 2007.

For this week's Bites Nearby, I volunteered as the guinea pig to determine whether the beef is beef.

The Taco Bell on Gwinco Blvd in Suwanee is very clean. The combination Taco Bell and Pizza Hut is great for families with different tastes. Tables were clean as were counters and drink stations. The bathrooms were well kept as well. The last food safety score was a very respectable 97.

When it comes to the food, Taco Bell is great for a very inexpensive meal. It is certainly not steak, but the beef tastes like beef and fills like beef. In fact, my co-diner for the evening, my husband Pascal Fleury, said that he believes "they may have changed the formula because this tastes like pure beef."

The choices are varied, from chicken to beef as well as some seafood. Nachos come in plain cheese and chip versions to ones fully loaded with sour cream, chives, beans, and meat. Gorditas and chalupas offer a thicker shell for a more filling meal.

I was so pleased with the meal that I asked the manager, Tara (last name withheld by request), if the company had anything to say about the lawsuit that is pending. She told me that "the individual stores are not allowed to comment on the lawsuit or the content but you can call the regional office at 678-482-5555."

So whether you believe that it is truly only 35 percent beef or 88 percent as Taco Bell claims, for the price and the convenience, Taco Bell serves up food that is tasty and filling.