Del Taco is one of the most popular fast-service Mexican food chains, especially in the west. There are locations in 15 states and one in Guam, with over 350 located in California. Menus may change from time to time, but the Del Taco in Barstow, CA still serves the original menu from way back when it all began. The California chain even still has stores operated by the family that started it all.
The three Del Taco locations in Barstow are owned by the Hackbarth family, who have made keeping the restaurant’s heritage alive a priority. Some of the Barstow offerings even qualify for secret menu status, and you can order them at any Del Taco if you know what to ask for. Original Del Taco is an absolute must stop on any road trip to Vegas or the river!
Here are some Del Taco menu hacks and secret menu items you can order:
- Bun Taco: All taco fixings, but on a hamburger bun. Some stores allow it to be ordered on a limited time basis or through the Del Taco app.
- Stoner Burrito: This one is a true secret menu item. Ask for a bean and cheese burrito with fries, special sauce, and red or green sauce.
- Taco Cup: Ask for a taco salad or small taco salad and squeeze mild sauce on top.
- Combo Cup: Asking for your burrito in a cup cuts out the tortilla, so this one is keto friendly. Comes with beef and beans, cheddar cheese and red sauce.
- Green Bean Machine: An egg and cheese burrito with beans and green sauce.
- Original Breakfast Taco: Ask for a hard shell taco with hash browns, scrambled eggs, cheese, and salsa.
- Cheese Burrito: A burrito with cheese, sour cream and red sauce, Tasty!
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Shake: Ask them to blend a cookie into your shake when you order.
- Orange Vanilla Milkshake: Ask them to add a splash of orange Fanta in your vanilla milkshake.
- Macho Bacon And Egg Burrito: This one comes with scrambled eggs, bacon, beans, lettuce, cheese, and red and green sauce.
- Fish Burrito: Order the 1/2-pound bean and cheese burrito (or the rice, bean and cheese burrito), and request two fish fillets, cabbage, and pico de gallo to be added to it.
- Go Bold: A secret menu hack that adds crinkle cut fries and secret sauce (creamy white) to any menu item that you order.
- Go Shell-less: You can order any taco or burrito without a shell.
- Go Wet: Ask for an extra side of red or green sauce and add on top of your burrito.
- Go Beyond: You can switch out the meat on any Del Taco item in favor of Beyond Meat.
- Vegan Beyond Taco: Ask team member to remove cheese. The meat is Beyond Meat, a 100% plant based protein.
- Vegan 8 Layer Burrito: Ask team member to remove cheese and sour cream.
- Make It Deluxe: This will add an upcharge, but you’ll get lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream added to your item.
- Customize Anything: Del taco will pretty much customize anything to your liking, substitute or add meats, sauces, vegetables and more. You’re only limited by the ingredients Del Taco has on hand.
- Ask for Chicken in your hard tacos instead of beef.
- Ask for steak instead of chicken in your quesadilla and a side of secret sauce for dipping.
- Ask for chili cheese fries with no chili topping – add beyond beef instead and red sauce.
- Add jalapeños and queso blanco to your bean and cheese burrito.
- Order a Cheddar Quesadilla, no green sauce and add bacon and egg for a breakfast quesadilla.
Del Taco History
The first Del Taco opened in 1964 in Yermo, California. Started by Ed Hackbarth and David Jameson, the original menu featured tacos, tostadas, and fries for 19 cents, and cheeseburgers for 24 cents. Sales hit $169 on the very first day.
Del Taco was off to a successful start and by 1978 there were 100 stores. The brand continued to grow and added new items to the menu. In 1988, Del Taco acquired another Mexican fast food chain, Naugles. The Southern California chain was opened in 1970 by a former Del Taco partner, Dick Naugle. The first Naugles was located in Riverside, CA.
The company was sold in 1979 with only three restaurants, and by 1984, the new owner Harold Butler expanded the company to 275 restaurants. Butler sold Naugles to Collins Food International in 1984, and in 1988, Collins Food and Del Taco were purchased at the same time by Anwar Soliman who merged the companies together. Some of the Naugles menu items made their way to the Del Taco Menu, like the bun taco and the Macho items. Slowly, most of the Naugles were turned into Del Tacos, and some were shut down completely. By 1995, all Naugles locations were gone.
A Naugles revival effort began in the 2000s. In 2015, Christian Ziebarth, Josh Maxwell, and Dan Dvorak were granted approval to use the Naugles name and menu items, and the group began hosting pop-up Naugles around Orange County before opening a location in Fountain Valley. Today, there are two Naugles locations – 18471 Mt Langley Street, Fountain Valley, and 12120 Beach Boulevard, Stanton.
Some of the original Naugles menu items included the bun taco, combo cups, taco salad cups, hombre nachos, asada tacos, ortega burger, and the club burrito.
Jack in the Box purchased Del Taco for $585 million in 2022.
Del Taco FAQs
Does Del Taco Have Breakfast All Day?
No, breakfast is served daily between 11 p.m. and 11 a.m.
Is Del Taco open 24 hours a day?
Yes, most locations are open 24 hours a day. Check out all the Orange County 24 hour restaurants.
Did Del Taco Discontinue the Spicy Jack Quesadilla?
Yes, to the dismay of many, Del Taco has discontinued the Spicy Jack Quesadilla which also includes the Spicy Jack Chicken Quesadilla. Spicy Jack aficionados can only hope it comes back as a seasonal menu item or there is enough outrage to return as a permanent item. The Jack in the Box acquisition is off to a very poor start. For now, try making it at home or on your way to the river or Las Vegas stop by the Original Del Taco in Barstow (they still have it!).
Does Del Taco Have Shrimp Tacos?
Del Taco offers shrimp tacos annually on a limited time basis usually around February. During this time they also offer shrimp burrito and quesadillas.
Will Del Taco Bring Back Old Menu Items?
Del Taco changes up the menu now and then and will occasionally add new items or bring back menu items from the past. Sign up for the Del Yeah! Rewards App to get product/menu updates and offers.
What Are Some Limited Time, Seasonal and Old Menu Items?
Shrimp tacos, burritos and quesadilla , fish tacos, spicy jack quesadilla, stuffed quesadilla tacos, Del Taco Epic Burritos (surf and turf, fajita, steak & potato, chicken chipotle ranch), tamales, slow-braised carnitas tacos, burritos and fries, Fiery 6 Layer Burrito, Takis Double Del Cheeseburger, The Takis Roller, Loaded Takis Nachos, Takis Fuego Rolled Chips, Takis Grilled Chicken Burrito, jalapeno poppers, Poppers (fruit-juice popping boba drinks), Orange Vanilla Milkshake, Mr Pibb.
Old Naugles favorites: Taco salad cup, cheese burrito, bun taco, combo cup, Macho bacon and egg burrito, bean and cheese cup.
See the Del Taco menu for current offerings.
What is Del Taco’s Hottest Sauce?
Del Inferno is Del Taco’s hottest sauce and the heat comes from the ancho chili pepper.
Del Taco Sauces
- Mild Sauce (original)
- Del Scorcho (medium)
- Del Infefrno (hot)
- Ketchup
- Secret Sauce (a creamy white sauce with a combination of soybean oil, vinegar, egg yolk and buttermilk solids)
- Green Sauce
- Red Sauce
Can I Order Del Taco Online?
Some Del Taco locations offer online ordering through the Del App.
Does Del Taco Deliver?
You can order Del Taco to be delivered to your door through third party delivery services like Postmates and Grubhub and through the Del App.
Does Del Taco take EBT?
Most Del Taco locations do not accept EBT payments. A limited number of Del Taco locations participate in the EBT Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) and are able to accept EBT as a form of payment.
What Is The Del Taco Free Taco Society?
When select new Del Taco locations open, the first 100 guests win free tacos for a year. This does not happen at all new locations. Visit https://deltaco.com/freetacosociety to find out if there are any locations offering this opportunity. The prize is two free Del Tacos per week for 52 weeks. The free taco promo codes can only be redeemed at the participating restaurant location.
Is Del Taco Open During Holidays?
The majority of Del Taco restaurants generally stay open during the holidays except on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas day. Check individual store locations for days and hours.
Does Del Taco Have a Taco Tuesday?
Del Taco does not promote a Taco Tuesday but they do promote Tuesday Taco Night where you can order three value tacos from 3 PM to 11 PM. They also have a Taco Thursday night where you can order three grilled chicken tacos for one low price, all day.
Is Del Taco in all 50 states?
No, Del Taco has locations in 15 states plus Guam.
What states does Del Taco have locations?
Del Taco has locations in these states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington. Plus Guam.
How many Del tacos are there in the US?
Del Taco has over 590 locations in the United States.
Orange County Del Taco Locations
Anaheim (8)
1141 N Magnolia Ave, Anaheim, CA, 92801
1155 E Orangethorpe Ave, Anaheim, CA, 92801
1290 N Euclid St, Anaheim, CA, 92801
2112 S State College Blvd, Anaheim, CA, 92806
2330 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA, 92802
955 N Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA, 92805e
3181 W. Lincoln Ave, Anaheim, CA, 92801
2801 E Lincoln Ave, Anaheim, CA, 92806
Buena Park (1)
6014 Orangethorpe Ave, Buena Park, CA, 90620
Costa Mesa (3)
1155 Baker St, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626
1720 Superior Ave, Costa Mesa, CA, 92627
2956 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626
Cypress (1)
5981 Orange Ave, Cypress, CA, 90630
Dana Point (1)
34289 Pacific Coast Hwy, Dana Point, CA, 92629
Fountain Valley (2)
17295 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA, 92708
9436 Warner Ave, Fountain Valley, CA, 92708
Garden Grove (1)
11070 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA, 92843
Huntington Beach (5)
17501 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA, 92647
20921 Magnolia St, Huntington Beach, CA, 92646
21401 Brookhurst St, Huntington Beach, CA, 92646
5856 Warner Ave, Huntington Beach, CA, 92649
7175 W Yorktown Ave, Huntington Beach, CA, 92648
Irvine (6)
16211 Lake Forest Dr., Irvine, CA, 92618
3050 Main St., Irvine, CA, 92614
4547 Campus Dr, Irvine, CA, 92612
4780 Irvine Blvd., Irvine, CA, 92620
4820 Barranca Pkwy, Irvine, CA, 92604
59 Technology Drive, Irvine, CA, 92618
La Habra (1)
751 S Beach Blvd, La Habra, CA, 90631
Lake Forest (4)
22349 El Toro Rd, Lake Forest, CA, 92630
22401 El Toro Rd, Lake Forest, CA, 92630
23781 El Toro Rd., Lake Forest, CA, 92630
26702 Portola Parkway, Foothill Ranch, CA, 92610
Mission Viejo (3)
24465 Alicia Parkway, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692
25542 Marguerite Pkwy, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692
26241 Avery Pkwy, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692
Newport Beach (1)
2112 S.E. Bristol St, Newport Beach, CA, 92660
Orange (5)
1301 E Katella Ave, Orange, CA, 92867
2607 N Tustin St, Orange, CA
92865 1440 E Lincoln Ave, Orange, CA, 92865
3730 E Chapman Ave, Orange, CA, 92869
2043 W Chapman Ave, Orange, CA, 92868
Placentia (2)
1171 E. Imperial Highway, Placentia, CA, 92870
1851 E Orangethorpe Ave, Placentia, CA, 92870
Rancho Santa Margarita (1)
22351 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, 92688
San Clemente (1)
109 Via Pico Plaza, San Clemente, CA, 92672
San Juan Capistrano (1)
31780 Del Obispo, San Juan Capistrano, CA, 92675
Santa Ana (8)
2300 N Tustin Ave, Santa Ana, CCA, 92705
2761 N Grand Ave, Santa Ana, CA, 92701
1740 E Dyer Rd, Santa Ana, CA, 92705
2320 E Fourth St, Santa Ana, CA, 92705
2701 S Grand Ave, Santa Ana, CA, 92705
2841 W Warner Ave, Santa Ana, CA, 92704
2900 S. Main St., Santa Ana, CA, 92707
3329 S Harbor Blvd, Santa Ana, CA, 92704
Seal Beach (1)
2900 Westminster Ave, Seal Beach, CA, 90740
Tustin (1)
13742 Red Hill Ave., Tustin, CA, 92780
Westminster (2)
13731 Goldenwest St, Westminster, CA, 92683
15456 Goldenwest St, Westminster, CA, 92683
Yorba Linda (1)
19701 Esperanza Rd, Yorba Linda, CA, 92886
