While not a BellBeefer, this is the closest image I could find to the real thing. Pictures of taco burgers are surprisingly scarce on teh internets.
Contrary to their “think outside the bun” philosophy, it’s time for Taco Bell to bring back the BellBeefer, aka Bell Beefer, aka Bell-Beefer. Taco meat, sauce, cheese, onions and shredded lettuce on a plain hamburger bun equals fast-food nirvana.
Sometime in the early to mid 90′s, after a several month hiatus from Taco Bell, I went through the drive through and ordered my standard two BellBeefers with no lettuce. The girl at the drive through window was perplexed. “Bell what?” she asked. “We don’t have those no more.” And just like that, a favorite fast-food icon was “no more”.
The closest I came in recent times to getting an actual BellBeefer was a few years ago at a combination Taco Bell/Long John Silvers. I asked them if they could throw some of the taco fixin’s on the buns they used for the fish sandwiches, but the half-wit behind the counter said it would “mess with inventory.” Whatever. As an aside, one of the worst smells in the fast-food world is the combination of Taco Bell food and Long John Silvers food. The twain should not ever have met.
While I’m on the subject of taco burgers (and places that smell weird), I once ordered one from a now-defunct joint at Metro North Mall (what isn’t defunct in there nowadays?) called Amigos. Let me explain something about taco burgers: no two places make them the same. Some have lettuce, some have tomatoes, some have cheese, some have onions. Amigos used to put some sort of Thousand Island slop on theirs. Because I could never keep straight the make-up of taco burgers across the KC metro area, I would order by telling the cashier what I wanted on my burger, rather than what I didn’t want. This avoided the scenario where I ask for a taco burger with no tomatoes, only to be met with hostile confusion because the taco burger at that particular establishment didn’t come with tomatoes and what kind of idiot was I, anyway? I digress.
I ordered my taco burger at Amigos thusly: “I’d like a taco burger with just cheese and onions.”
The reasoning behind what happened next has been a point of contention in my household ever since. When I removed my taco burger from the paper wrapper, I was presented with a bun that had nothing but cheese and onions on it. My husband says I got exactly what I ordered, but I argue that the very nature of the term “taco burger” requires meat as a component. If I ordered a McDonald’s hamburger with “just pickles and ketchup” I would expect a hamburger with pickles and ketchup – not a bun with pickles and ketchup but no meat. Needless to say, I returned it for one created the right way, but not before asking the person who took my order if they were a fucking retard. Okay, I didn’t ask them that because I didn’t want the extra ingredient of spit in my taco burger. I probably got that anyway, but I’m still alive, so no worries.
Anyway, I am still on a quest for the perfect taco burger, and to me, it gets no better than the BellBeefer from Taco Bell. I’ll probably never see the day it makes its triumphant return, but a girl can hope.
37 Responses to “Taco Bell, I’m calling you out! Bring back the BellBeefer!”
[...] as I stated in an earlier post, we recently purchased a new [...]
some 25 or so years ago i loved the bell burger. please bring it back everywhere. i can’t wait.
bring back the bellbeefer!
bring back the bellbeefer!
Please!!!
please bring back the bell beefer
Please, please, please bring back the Bellbeefer! I very seldom eat at Taco Bell, but if they brought back the bellbeefer, I would surely eat there a lot!!!
Who cares about “Think outside the Bun”! Some of us don’t want to think outside the bun!
Ever since you removed the Bell Burger from your menu years ago and started thinking “outside of the bun” I have been very disappointed! My favorite item was the Bell Burger with cheese. Please come up with a new slogan and bring back an item that so many of us loved. Who cares if you serve inside or outside of the bun?
And, since I am still blogging, your burritos are so runny and the flour tortillas are so thin that the filling just runs out everywhere. Your bean burrito cannot be eaten while driving, unless you want most of it running down your chin and into your lap.
And, seasoned tater tots would definitely be a huge improvement over the potato sides you serve now.
As I grew up in the Mid-80′s, The Things that I remember most were big hairdos hot summer nights, a flock of seagulls and the Bell Beefer! I miss it so…please bring it back Taco Bell…Please!
BRING BACK THE BELL BEEFER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BUN, MEAT, CHEESE, SAUCE AND LETTUCE
YAHOO THE BELL BEEFER IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes but they were orignally called “Bell Burgers” in the 60′s. Bell beefers came later forget when they changed the name. THEY WERE AWESOME better than anything Taco Bell has now!
Bring back the Bell burger!
I grew up in the 60′s and 70′s and I remember those delicious Bell Burgers (beef burgers). So Taco Bell, bring back the Bell Burgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please, please, bring back the BellBeefer. Why you got rid of them in the first place, I have no idea. 20 years later, and still people want them. Taco Bell’s business would shoot through the roof. The BellBeefer attracts and hypnotises you, society would end up buying other products from there as well. Do it. Do it.
The wife and I stopped in Baxter Calif. last week and stopped by the Taco Bell and just the hell of it I asked for a Bell Beefer–The girl at the counter gave us a weird look and then asked her boss, She said “yeah but its not on the menu” I almost fainted—I ordered 4 for now and 4 more for the road. They were great! I am for Sacramento and I want to go back just for them.
Bell Beefers were the best thing going for Taco Bell. Bring them back and Taco Bell’s business will soar far beyond its competitors.
bring it back
The BellBeefer is the Best Thing Taco Bell Ever came up with….Yesterday,,,,,Today,,,,,Or Tomorrow!!!
You cant Improve upon Perfection, SO bring it back NOW!!!
Just Think of all the baby boomers that grew up looking forward to the journey to their local TacoBell as their mouths start to water as they knew the ultimate taste of the BellBeefer was about to satisfy their hunger and desire of the perfect meal!!!
So Please, Please, Please bring it back!
mmmmmm…..Bell Beefer. i’m not sure if their taco meat is the same as back then
though, i remember having to get that thing in me pretty quick or the bun would
dissolve in my hand from the golden greasy goodness that oozed it’s way through.
that is a good thing. BRING IT BACK!! and while you’re going retro
bring back the fresh red salsa that you used to have in the pumps by the condiments. you can keep the big hair and the FOSG though
I find if you go to The Bell order a beef burrito with lettuce (i tell them hold the cheese and onion). Take it home and put the meat on a hambuger bun with Taco Bell sauce it comes kind of close to the same taste as the bell beefer. Even if they did bring it back somehow they would mess it up and it wouldnt be the same.
YES, YES, YES….BRING BACK THE BELL BEEFER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I miss the Bell Beefer. It’s been at least 10 years since I had two, Because one was never enough. If Taco Bell would bring the Bell Beefer back as a burger alternative, I’m sure it would be a hit! I’m calling Taco Bell Managment today. Give the customer what they want. Make it bigger this time!
It is with the tragic passing of Gidget, Taco Bell’s beloved Chihuahua actress, that has re-acquainted me with the beloved Big Bell Beefer. With Gidget’s demise heavy in my heart, I have recited the Jewish mourner’s kaddish, Yit’gadal v’yit’kadash sh’mei raba, for 17 days straight, only stopping to weakly eat a Big Bellbeefer that I had ceremoniously frozen during the Summer of ‘92. (I had feared America’s finest sandwich would be discontinued in response to the turbulent shifting political winds of the era). Gidget was more than a world renoun thespian. She epitomized grace, style, and the eternal promise of fine dining for less than $3.50. I am sure that she delighted St Peter and the angels with a rousing cry of “Drop the Chalupa” in front of the Pearly Gates.
I LOVED them when I was younger. I’ve had taco burgers at 2 placees Taco Bell & a local place here called Taco Grande. Anyway, I LOVED the bell-beefer, the cheese/meat..MMM I can taste them now. PLEASE Taco Bell, bring it BACK!
Bring back the bellbeefer, if you ever want my buiness agian.
My mother was devastated when they stopped making the Bell Beefer. I loved them as well in the 80′s. She would be tickled if you brought that back and so would I! Even though the meat does not taste the same back then I’m sure it would be close. Pleaseeeeeeee bring back the Bell Beefer!
Got to taco bell web site and leave a comment requesting that they bring back the bell beefer, they are a business with enough demand they will bring it back.
I wish Taco Bell would bring back the Bell Beefer. It would make me eat more at Taco bell. I could just taste it…MMMMMM Goood!
my brother and i recently talked the manager of our local Taco Bell into making us some bell beefers (bell burgers), we bought some buns and took them to Taco Bell and explained how to make the delicious treat. Taco Meat, chopped onions, red sauce, lettuce & diced tomato. They came out just as I remembered them as a kid in the 70′s. We had a package of 12 and the manager only charged us $1.50 ea.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Bell Burger!!! Please bring it back!!!!!
If you are in West Texas stop in at a Taco Villa for a Taco Burger! Just like the Bell Beefer (only better)!
You can make your own, even better. Use some ground sirloin and taco seasoning,you can use taco bell, I prefer the Lawyer’s chicken taco seasoning, it tastes better. Cook meat with the seasoning, do not add water. When meat is done, get a bun and wrap it with moist paper towels and put in mircowave for about 30 seconds. It will be hot and moist, steamed like taco bell use to do it. Open bun and put some Victoria mild red taco sauce on the bottom of the bun then press the top and bottom bun together to get it on both sides. Open bun then add some of the meat on the bottom, then some shredded lettuce and cheese on top of the lettuce. You can also add onions and tomato if you like that. Get a bottle of taco bell hot sauce, sold in the markets and add and enjoy. It is very good. Let me know how you like it.
My mother and I would order Bellburgers at Taco Bell back in the 70s. They were excellent. I don’t remember there being a lot of toppings on them, they were more of taco meat sloppy joe. We also recall that Taco Bell had a giant pit fire going outside with gas flames and lava rock. You don’t see that anymore either, do you?
BRING BACK THE BELLBEEFER! OMG Taco Bell do it! You will bring in more people.
Also, bring back the chili cheese burritos.
ANDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD the cinnamon crisp treats! The chip kind! Those twisties suck!!!!!!!!!!!
Flames and lava rocks outside of Taco Bell? All I remember were alot of pigeons walking underneath the tables outside.
I had been eating them since the 60′s. Was always a favorite in our San Diego community. Please Taco Bell bring back the Bellbeefer!! My daughters were very little at the time, but they loved them. Now in there late 30′s, they even ask what happened to them. They still remember the Bellbeefers!! It would b a wonderful comeback to all of us who remember them…..PLEASE Taco Bell bring back the Bellbeefer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
join my “bring back the Bell Beefer” group on facebook.
search for me, sheldon stiel, and send me a friend invite……
They called it a Bell Burger in Michigan the Bell Beefer was Taco Plaza…But I am with you on bringing it back..I started a fan page on facebook
I have been asking people about the “Taco Bell burger” for years. I was a kid when my mom used to get them for me. OH my God. I was stsrting to think I was crazy because no one remembers them but me.