We Tried It: The Greasy Nostalgia of Taco Ding Dong Is Actually Pretty Good?

Those who grew up in Vancouver didn’t get much of a chance to try out Taco Bell. Sure, there were the odd mall food courts on trips to the suburbs that you’d get a chance to tango with a Cheesy Gordita Crunch.

Mostly, though, if you were 15 years old and wanted Mexican fast food your options were left to Taco Bell knockoffs (looking at you, Taco Del Mar) or the dearly departed Mexicali, RIP, real ones know.

Thankfully, Vancouver patrons have another knockoff to turn to these days. And, both shockingly and very predictably, it’s of a higher quality than the Bell.

Taco Ding Dong (get it?) comes to Vancouver from The Narrow Group (the folks behind The Narrow, Uncle Abe’s, Key Party and The Emerald, among others). And while it’s more or less a direct copy of Taco Bell’s style and menu items, it’s also undeniably good.

Even back in the day, Taco Bell was something of a guilty pleasure that really wasn’t that pleasurable after the first couple bites. And the turmoil it did to the stomach was, um, memorable. I can’t imagine the wreckage it would cause today.

But while Taco Ding Dong does pile on the cheese and sauce on its wraps, burritos, tacos and gordita crunches, it’s not going to lay waste to your insides. And it’s really good even beyond the first couple of bites.

It’s also, like Taco Bell, damn affordable. The Gordita Crunch and the excellent Tots go for $4, while the hefty Rock’N Super Crunch Wrap comes in at $6.

It may not be a gourmet meal. But hey, it’s cheap, greasy and quite good. Even if you aren’t 15, there are much worse ways to feel like you are.