10 Frequent Customer Complaints About Taco Bell

Chances are, if you're reading this, you enjoy the odd trip to Taco Bell. In fact, according to YouGov, the Tex-Mex chain is only disliked by 13% of Americans. So yeah, the odds are pretty high that you're a fan. But just because you enjoy something, it doesn't mean you can't criticize it. Case in point: this list.

We scoured through social media platforms, primarily Reddit, to figure out the most frequent customer complaints about Taco Bell. And, reader, there were a heck of a lot. Fans do not hold back when it comes to holding this fast food giant to account, and we get it — nobody likes to spend their precious dollars on a subpar burrito or overpriced nuggets.

If you love Taco Bell but feel it has room to improve, you might have found your people. But just a warning, some of these complaints are more, ahem, stomach-churning than others.

It probably won't surprise anyone to learn that one of the top complaints about Taco Bell is that it is simply too expensive. Across the fast food industry, menu prices are surging. In fact, Taco Bell was just one of nine on our list of fast food chains that budget-conscious customers are avoiding in 2026. Other offenders included Dairy Queen, Raising Cane's, and McDonald's.

But, according to some, when it comes to costly fast food options, Taco Bell is one of the worst. "Why is Taco Bell so expensive compared to other fast food restaurants?" asked one Redditor in r/tacobell, before explaining that their order of large nacho fries, two quesadillas, and a burrito with a drink had come to nearly $40. While some users blamed the original poster for ordering expensive items, another agreed: "I realize fast food in general isn't cheap anymore, but Taco Bell takes the cake."

And they're far from alone in thinking that Taco Bell's prices are out of control compared to other chains. "Taco Bell is somehow more expensive than Chipotle now," said another Redditor in a post with 2,700 upvotes. In a reply with nearly 1,000 upvotes, one user chimed in: "Taco Bell has had the worst price creep of any fast food brand in the last 10 years."

According to some customers, not only are prices rising at Taco Bell, but the portions are getting smaller, too. If that's true, it might be a case of shrinkflation, which is basically a tactic to get consumers to pay more while receiving less. McDonald's has also been accused of shrinkflation on multiple occasions, and fans also suspect In-N-Out of the same strategy.

"Can anyone tell me if this is normal now?" asked one Redditor in r/tacobell. "I just paid almost [$7] for a half burrito, a steak grilled cheese burrito, and [it's] smaller than my hand." Other customers have accused Taco Bell of reducing the size of its drinks and Freezes, while others have wondered whether the tortillas for the quesadillas have also secretly shrunk.

For others, it's not the size of Taco Bell's menu items, but the filling. "Back in the '90s, I could eat two Taco Bell tacos for lunch and be happy," said one Redditor in r/shrinkflation. "Now, they're basically shell and a smear of taco-like filling."

Taco Bell has a pretty good reputation for experimenting with meatless options. In 2022, for example, it partnered with plant-based brand Beyond Meat to trial the Beyond Carne Asada Steak in select locations. In 2023, it even tested a Vegan Crunchwrap and added Vegan Nacho Sauce to the menu. But none of these options have lasted. Plant-based customers can still choose Crunchwraps with beans or veggie burritos, but for many customers, it's just not the same.

"I do love Taco Bell and all the substitutions but the only thing missing is that texture benefit," explained one Redditor in r/tacobell. "Beyond Meat in the Crunchwrap sliders, Soyfritas in a hard shell taco — [there are] so many possibilities." For others, the biggest issue is having to pay extra to add more plant-based ingredients. "More veggie options would be lovely," said another user in r/tacobell. "And not having to pay [$.90] to add onions."

We get it. When one of our writers recently thought about the changes they would like Taco Bell to make, they also expressed a wish for more plant-based choices. Drawing on their years of experience as a vegan, they praised the chain's beans but expressed frustration with the limited variety of meat-free options compared to those available to meat-eaters.

When you're hangry, slow service can be pretty frustrating. But unfortunately, customers say this is a recurring problem at Taco Bell. "Anyone else have to abandon your order because Taco Bell is too slow and your lunch break is only 30 minutes?" asked one Redditor in a post with nearly 200 upvotes in r/tacobell.

Many say that the drive-thru is particularly bad for delays, and it's much quicker to simply go into the restaurant if you're in a rush. "Don't ever get into a Taco Bell [drive-thru] if you have somewhere to be," warned another Reddit user. However, this isn't everyone's experience, and others say that they have also experienced delays at the counter.

The speed of service seems to depend entirely on the store, and some say their local restaurants are pretty quick, but in general, people say to avoid getting your Crunchwrap fix if you're in a rush. "[Taco Bell] is never fast," reads one Reddit post. "I never had a fast experience with this chain."

If service is slow in the store and at the drive-thru, you might be tempted to try and speed things up by ordering ahead on the app. We hate to break it to you, but many customers say this isn't a straightforward experience either.

In fact, some customers say the app frequently fails to show all available items, while others report that when they do manage to order food for delivery through the app, it doesn't actually arrive at their door. Many say that it is difficult to cancel orders via the app, while some claim they have also struggled to receive refunds made via mobile ordering.

For some, the app was just fine until Taco Bell decided to update it in 2026. Complaints included a difficult-to-use interface, slow speed, and the removal of useful buttons, like the "make it supreme" option. "Just in case Taco Bell actually looks at their subreddit, I want to do my part [and] say this app update is terrible," said one Redditor in a post with nearly 400 upvotes. Another added: "I didn't like the old one very much, but the new one is just as painful if not worse."

Picture this: It's the middle of a busy day, you've been looking forward to a rest and Taco Bell, only to find that your order is totally wrong. Infuriating, right? Unfortunately, according to customers, getting an incorrect order from Taco Bell is a common occurrence.

Some have reported getting entirely wrong menu items, while others say that employees fail to follow their requests to remove certain ingredients, like salad. "I always check my orders before leaving the parking lot because the wet paper known as TB lettuce has a habit of showing up from time to time," read one Reddit comment in r/tacobell with more than 80 upvotes.

Others have the opposite problem and report that Taco Bell employees often forget to add items rather than remove them. "Why can't they ever remember the SAUCE???" exclaimed one Redditor. "The last three times I've gotten it, they've forgotten THE ONE THING THAT MAKES THIS GODDAMN BURRITO SPECIAL." Yikes. You have been warned.

For some customers, it's not getting the wrong food that presents a problem at Taco Bell, but getting the right order with the wrong level of quality. Yep, some say that the quality of their favorite menu items has dropped significantly in recent years. "Taco Bell sucks now," reads one Reddit post with 260 upvotes. After raving about the range of the options in the 1990s, they added: "Like Gen Z has no idea how Amazing Taco Bell used to be. This company is a shadow of its former self."

According to some, the food quality started to noticeably change in the early 2010s, while others say the drop is more recent. "I remember the Quesarito being so much better before — a true staple and innovator of Taco Bell," said one Redditor after ordering the menu item for the first time in five years. "Now it's just a bland, under-filled burrito with no substance or care." Others say that Taco Bell still can deliver, but it's inconsistent. Basically, if you find a good location, stick with it or risk a disappointing lunch. "There are [five] Taco Bells in my city," explained one customer in r/tacobell. "The variance in product quality is striking."

Every now and again, Taco Bell adds nuggets to the menu. But while it might seem exciting to turn up at your local restaurant and find they've reappeared, many customers say they're often not worth your hard-earned cash.

Of course, the nuggets have their fans (and, again, quality can vary from location to location), but many critics say that they are usually tough, far too crunchy, overly salty, and dry. In fact, some employees have questioned why Taco Bell even sells nuggets. "Honestly as an employee I keep wondering why [they're] so popular and keep getting brought back," wrote one Redditor in a comment with more than 110 upvotes. 

If you're in the market for good fast food nuggets, our taste tester ranked several options in 2025 and declared Chick-fil-A as the winner. After evaluating each contender's flavor, texture, and overall quality, they concluded that Chick-fil-A deserved the top spot.

Don't fall in love; you'll only get your heart broken. Okay, maybe we're being cynical, but after reading through many complaints about Taco Bell fans who lost their favorite menu items, it's hard not to be.

We've already touched on the loss of some beloved plant-based options over the years, but the grief doesn't end there. Unfortunately, the chain isn't afraid of discontinuing fan-favorite menu items. Beloved menu items that fans are still mourning include the Baja Gordita, Mini Shredded Chicken Quesadilla Melts, and the Grilled Stuft Burrito. In fact, one Redditor said the latter was "by far the best item they've ever had" in a comment with more than 230 upvotes. 

Of course, not everyone agrees that certain discontinued menu items should be brought back. There are definitely some that certain customers don't miss at all, like the chain's attempt at waffle tacos and the overstuffed Double Chalupa.

If you love Taco Bell but find it doesn't often agree with your insides, it appears you're not alone. Many customers have complained that Taco Bell gives them stomach pain, and some say it leaves them suffering from diarrhea. "When I get diarrhea 30 minutes after eating Taco Bell, what's actually happening?" asked one Redditor in a post with more than 500 upvotes. "There's no way a Chalupa can shoot through your body that fast." Some customers have speculated whether it's all the fiber in the average Taco Bell menu item. They are, after all, often packed with beans, and if you're not used to eating a lot of fiber, having too many in one go might irritate your gut.

However, some employees have speculated that another reason for the sickness might be hygiene-related. In one post with nearly 240 upvotes, an employee wrote in r/tacobell: "In my state I witnessed multiple stores using the same pans and utensils all day (16+ hours), just pouring new food [into] the old pans." Other allegations included batch-frying ingredients and keeping them for days, thawing out bags of guacamole and serving them for weeks afterward, and serving reheated food.