The Forsyth Missouri Taco Bell

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t visit this emporium of fast food often enough. I mean who doesn’t like a good taco or a bucket of crispy chicken from time to time? So, I made it a point one day in January to stop by and grab a couple of tacos along with a with a medium sized Pepsi.

A previous review by someone else on the SuperPages.com website was less than encouraging. However, one person’s opinion does not a world make. So, what’s the deal? Is the food good, bad or somewhere in between? I was going to try and find that out on my visit to the Taco Bell side of the operation and I was going to try and be as objective as possible!

For this review, I decided to rank the establishment on the following: Ambiance, Quality of product, Hygiene and Service. Each received a score of 1 = get me to a hospital fast to 10 = I’ve died and gone to heaven. (A score of 5 is a take it or leave it place to eat). I also added a few comments to support the score. OK. That’s the ground rules – now it’s time to eat!

When I pulled into the parking area on a Monday at xx pm, I found that there were a few cars parked in the lot. When I walked up to the order counter, my order was taken immediately by a server and then within a few minutes it was ready to go. I was asked if I wanted one of two hot sauces and I said yes. The lady, whose name I recall was Glenis, was very nice and engaging. Now onto the scoring…

Ambiance – 5

Well, the place is colorful and bright! I’ll give them that much. It’s also laid out nicely meaning I could find everything I needed. The lack of bathrooms hurt the score a bit. (I think all restaurants should have bathrooms as part of the warm and homey feeling that every business strives for). Other than that, I felt quite comfortable eating there.

Quality – 6

This category is a big deal to me. (Frankly, if the product sucks, who cares about any of the rest)? I had ordered the two hard shell tacos and I felt the toppings were more than adequate once you’ve factored in the overall cost. (I mean at a buck a throw, what do you want)? I also edged the score up a bit because the overall taste was acceptable! The only thing missing, I felt, was the lack a selection of regular french fries on the menu board. They offer something called 'cinnamon twists' instead. I'm not sure what those are exactly.

Hygiene – 8

Whenever I enter an eatery, especially one that is setup for heavy traffic, I pay close attention to the condiments section and other surfaces like counter and tabletops. If neither of these look to be well maintained, then that’s my last visit. So, it was with some relief when I saw that everything was pretty much spotless. Good job!

Service – 8

In this category, I’m looking at a couple of things. First off, I check out the overall appearance of the counter staff. Do they look clean and professional? In this case yes, my server looked very neat and clean. I also tried to catch a glimpse of the people who were preparing my food and I noticed they all had uniforms and looked like they knew what they were doing. Overall, everything was shipshape here too.

 Ok! Let’s see now…the over all average came out to 6.75. Not really all that bad, though there is always some room for improvement, in my opinion. I think the addition of bathrooms would be really nice. Also, some improvements in the contents of the taco would help. Maybe if they expanded the condiment selection with choices like shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes and lettuce then that would help. (I think I would even be willing to pay a little extra if that was offered). Even so, the bottom line is that I will plan on eating there occasionally.

My next review will be center on the other half of this business – the KFC side! I can hardly wait! Please visit TaneyServices.com for other reviews.

Update: July 2012 - According to inside sources, the Taco Bell portion of the Taco Bell/ KFC has been closed due to management's decision not to carry some of the new required items. This establishment will be only a KFC from now on!

Disclaimer: This review is the sole opinion of the author of this post and may not reflect the views of the community at large. While the author tries to be as objective as possible, he understands that one visit top an eatery does not fairly portray the establishment’s quality over a period of time. He is also a lay person with no credentials covering the food or restaurant industry whatsoever. In point of fact, every business in the Forsyth area deserves your patronage in these troubled times.