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BU won't be getting a Taco Bell

By adamg on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 7:23am

Just didn't fit into remodeling plans, the Daily Free Press reports.

Neighborhoods: 
Allston
Topics: 
Dining
Free tagging: 
Taco Bell


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Comments

By anon on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 8:07am.

You gave up on your Taco Bell, BU. You don't deserve another one!

By BostonDog on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 9:23am.

Did you ever go into it? It was like a scene out of Max headroom. The place was dirty and normally empty. From what I could tell the students avoided it. They can go to the new cookie place if they really need a munchie fix at 2am.

By RhoninFire on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 9:46am.

When the old Taco Bell was around, there were its patrons. I never ate there except maybe once to try, but some of my peers did miss it. One friend of mine told me she loved Taco Bell because she was vegetarian. Come to think of it, I just took it on her word on Taco Bell's late night vegetarian offering. A few held a half-serious protest standing in front of a camera saying they will miss it.

I recalled the reasoning to its shut down was a survey done found the students wanted something healthier and another Starbucks while Taco Bell was rated the lowest of the restaurants (BU probably didn't realize of a possible dissonance that we apparently love eating it but hate it for being fast food). So BU knocked-down Taco Bell and replaced it with a Subways, Starbucks, and Olecito (replacing the "Mexican" side of Taco Bell). The Subways and Starbucks proved to be quite popular during my time at BU. I enjoyed trying Olecito, but it was anything particularly special and now got moved.

By anon on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 10:55am.

IIRC, it was no grosser than any typical Pizza Bell / Taco Hut. Went a handful of times and never had an issue.

But +100 Internets to you for making a Max Headroom reference.

By Sarcastic Sam on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 9:47am.

...why not get a Boca Grande or Anna's (or both, and let the relatives fight it out...some more). Both of those have local roots.

And, why is this thread tagged with "Fenway" , just curious.

By adamg on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 9:50am.

I never know where to draw the line between Fenway (well, should probably be Fenway/Kenmore) and Allston when it comes to BU. But, yeah, wherever Warren Towers are, they probably aren't in the Fenway. :-).

By RhoninFire on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 10:05am.

I always viewed BU as its own area distinct from Allston and Fenway. With the edges being Packard's Corner and Kenmore (and the dorms in Kenmore falling as both).

By cybah on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 10:04am.

Im surprised that BU is looking into this. Mostly because colleges lately have been on a big push to get rid of the fast food and junk food on campus..

By RhoninFire on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 10:13am.

They kicked out the original one. I guess students have kept up the pressure to bring it back since the old one was knocked down. Apparently we would rate it low on the surveys, but I guess we still want to eat it despite we know its bad fast food (or maybe its because it is).

By gotdatwmd on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 10:03am.

Alston already smells like farts, glad the air quality won't worsen even more.

By anon on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 10:23am.

Bring back the Burger King that used to be near where Campus Trolley is!

By anon on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 12:08pm.

As someone who attended BU in the early 90s, I ate at Taco Bell quite often in 93-95 (twice a week at least!) because I was in the computer science program and it was around the corner from most of my classes. It usually wasn't busy when I took my lunch (11:30 - 12:00) and though sometimes the food was a little lackluster, I cannot remember getting sick from it. The Burger King across the street (at one time we had two, one in the street and one in the student union) gave me distress at least 2-3 times, which is why I stopped eating there early on.

I have to say, for two soft tacos and a burrito for lunch for $5, it is a good bargain on a student budget. I do not have any health side effects, and really, never ate the beef there (just chicken) - I recently tried the Doritos Tacos at the mall and damn, they are delicious.

Anna's is so overrated it isn't funny - I miss 'Big Burrito' in Allston. They butter the inside of the tortilla, delicious.

By Michael on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 12:15pm.

Who or what do we have to ritually sacrifice to get an Arby's anywhere near here? I am ready...

By adamg on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 12:26pm.

Was on what some of us still call Rte. 1 on the West Roxbury/Dedham line - right near Boston's last Taco Bell (which is still there and has very nice fake flowers on all the tables), on land that must be cursed, because the Arby's was replaced by a Dunkin' Donuts that recently shut down.

Yes, you read right: A Dunkin' Donuts in Boston actually closed. Probably has to do with the Dunkin' Donuts built a couple miles before in Dedham sucking out all their business, which on the one hand you'd think would be dumb even for Dunkin' Donuts to do, but which on the other hand, they really had no choice but to do, because it's attached to what used to be our final Krispy Kreme.

By Michael on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 12:45pm.

I remember the Arbys in Waltham Center, and there was a booth at the Cambridgeside Food Court for a brief time. But now there's nowhere that's not a 50 dollar Zipcar trip away. Sigh.

By BostonDog on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 6:35pm.

I remember taking the Orange Line to Assembly Sq to see a film when the area was still at its lowest points. I walked by the Building 19 and could peer into the plywood which was covering the door openings -- to doors had been removed for some reason. The lights were on but the enormous space was empty. The wind was blowing hard and the leaves/debris was twisting around the baron interior. Strange sight.

Across the parking lot was a McDonalds that had gone out of business. The drop ceiling and ductwork had collapsed onto the tables.

That place was more surreal then whatever film I saw that night.

By Scratchie on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 2:15pm.

Why on earth would you want Arby's when we have Kelly's, Bill & Bob's and dozens of local roast beef places that use actual pieces of beef? (RIP Riley's)

By SwirlyGrrl on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 2:34pm.

all of those roast beef places outside of Boston that are apparently "World Famous" - or, at least, "World Famous" in Everett, Salem, Woburn, etc.

By adamg on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 2:25pm.

Or maybe I'm missing the world-famous roast-beef place in Greater Roslindale ...

By anon wd on Mon, 09/16/2013 - 7:46am.

I can't believe I've been around long enough to see a lamentation on Riley's being gone- the "Max Headroom" description of the Taco Bell above would apply to there

There also was an Arby's on Gallivan Blvd in Dorchester by the Expressway- went out of business about 15 years ago (IIRC?)