Taco Bell's Fast Food Origin Story | Lost LA | PBS SoCal

An unassuming Mexican restaurant in San Bernardino, Mitla Café, planted the seeds for two tortilla-based empires: Taco Bell and Del Taco. In this clip, Lost LA host Nathan Masters joins Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano for tacos at this lesser-known landmark of fast food history in California's Inland Empire, an area where Mexicans were once segregated from whites.
Arellano explains how Taco Bell founder Glen Bell learned to make hard shell tacos and subsequently launched two other chain restaurant franchises, Del Taco and Der Wienerschnitzel.
Watch the full episode "Fast Food and Car Culture" on KZbin • Video .
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#LostLA #history #fastfood #tacobell #tacos #mexicanfood #foodie #route66

[@BendiFaguette]

I’ve been reading Gustavo’s writing for twenty years now. He’s without a doubt one of my favorite writers. 👏👏👏

[@gerardoarellano6789]

He my cousin

[@BROWNBRONCO1]

His lectures are fast paced. Come to Anaheim and see more about him and his roots. I went to Jerez Zacatecas twice to see the town he wrote about.

[@thugnasty1984]

San bernardino is a dump.

[@videolover1489]

@@thugnasty1984 why dump because minorities live their ?

[@VillanuevaMedia]

He's a real nice guy. My professor brought him in has a guest speaker back when I was in college.

[@JohnDoe-xm9ql]

We need more of this.. Great segment on beautiful historic goodness. 🌮 🌯 🌮 🌯

[@michaelflores4927]

As a child, Every Sunday after church my family would come here and eat…I never knew its importance…I mean I’ve know it was well known but not to this extent…I felt real proud watching this…growing up in Colton, this was always so close…I live in Hollywood now and rarely visit, but seeing the video of the restaurant’s exterior and interior…brought tears to my eyes because I remember SO MANY times helping my Great Grandmother Esther down 6th street, eagerly waiting for Huevos Rancheros or bowl of menudo!… All my family taking a huge table and having the time of their lives while eating such good food…THANK YOU FOR THIS! brought me straight back to my childhood…

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Tampa Bay Toilet Break

[@5710fpilot]

This was a incredible video, and awesome story! Thank you for sharing! Get out there, no time like the present!❤

[@williamlloyd3769]

Taco Bell is barely Mexican food.

[@Trickyricky293]

Grew up in San Bernardino and have eaten at Mitla’s many times. Good food and family atmosphere.

[@Becauseimme]

San Bernardino invented Fast Food, its a truly magical place, even though it’s in disrepair, if you look hard you can see why it was, and still should be the hub of food innovation.

[@boodge.]

SB definitely did not invent fast food. White Castle started in 1916 and Kewpee started in 1918. And SB is such a magical place, Rodney King got shot there.

[@GoldenMean743]

@@JRcalifornia Is there a specific number of minutes from order to belly to count a restaurant as "fast"? Almost every historian calls White Castle the birth of fast food. McDonald's made fast food global, but it wasn't the first.

[@sonicjet7759]

Taco Bell and McDonalds got their start in San Bernardino, California. Because of the American Southwest desert mountain food culture.

[@oladeebiazazi4538]

@@sonicjet7759Really that’s interesting, do you mind explaining more about that?

[@SilenceSeven]

@@boodge. His beating was shot in Lake View Terrace, "Rodney King’s ‘accidental drowning’ involved drugs" in Rialto...

[@keeblerkb7745]

Yo I live right down the street from Mitla's all my life. I'm 37 & I did not know of this til now . Mind blowing. I'm going tomorrow to try the tacos . I been hooked on the wet burritos & breakfast a must try if you stop by .

[@MsTimelady71]

I read his book. Fascinating stories. Now everyone wants authentic Mexican street fare.

[@dedguru]

I remember our first Taco Bell was originally”Taco Kid”. It was in the 60s. Lorain, Ohio

[@luigivincenz3843]

Glen Bell: "I'll have 10 tacos por pabor.." Mitla Cafe: "Knock it off senor. We know you just reverse engineer our tacos. We'll just teach you how.." Glen Bell: "Oh gracias senor. If you didnt help me, I would do the same to the McDonald's brothers down the road'

[@wolfyyj.3721]

Exactly he was gone colonize that taco before he got invited in

[@jefflebowski918]

Glen Bell was a decorated Marine who fought in WWII, started a taco stand in a small town, franchised the business, sold to PepsiCo and became wealthy. A great American story.

[@CornyBum]

That sounds like a pretty moronic interpretation of intent, considering the video makes it clear early on that Glen Bell had no goal of competing with an already established and growing burger joint.

[@kombijr]

@@jefflebowski918 yup, the type of American to steal.

[@majcrash]

This guy isn't the only one who has told the story of Mitla and Taco Bell, but I do appreciate the addition of how San Bernardino played a critical role in the civil rights movement. Unfortunately, Taco Bell is completely inedible these days, but we are lucky to still have Mitla Cafe. Enjoy!

[@PiggyFuktoy]

Those tacos from Mitla are exactly like the ones my mother made

[@ericliveson]

i really loved this video, this guy has great energy! would love to see more of him in these videos

[@nickfromm5315]

Can we AI Huell Howser back into narration/hosting? I miss Huell.... bring back Huell!!!

[@thewurm9177]

Huell passed away 11 years ago

[@thewurm9177]

...ah, didn't see "AI." Loved Huell too

[@nickfromm5315]

Gustavo is great, love him. But Huell is nostalgic for me... @@thewurm9177

[@speedracerjeff]

Huell Howser was part of my childhood. I basically know what i know about California history because of that man lol. He is most definitely missed. Gone too young.

[@TomSmith-ls5rn]

Huell was wonderful. Always enjoyed his show.

[@roelcantu4035]

What a nice story , love the blending of cultures and fast food, Mexican, American, TexMex, Comfort Food , Mmmm 😋🤪, Thank You so much for this video 🌮🍔

[@memoryroom6388]

I remember eating Taco Bell in the mid 70s through mid 80s as a kid. It was so great. Thin tortillas for the bean and cheese, olives on the enchirito, the bellbeefer.. I found out years later in those days they made the tortillas there everyday, as well as the refried beans. And the volcano fire and those pastel bakelite plastic seats and trays.

[@jimrebr]

I grew up in San Bernardino, I loved Taco Tia, Del Taco is still great when I visit there. Taco Bell was great for fast food once upon a time, but it’s just terrible now. I loved Der Wienersnitchel. I’ve never eaten at an In and Out, it didn’t exist when I was a child. I am glad to have grown up in an integrated Elementary school, Junior high and HS, I left there long long ago.

[@CornyBum]

YA GOTTA EAT AT IN-N-OUT BEFORE YOU DIE!

[@RamsLakersDodgers]

Stop it!!!Taco Bell is still good.God people need to stop already with the “Everything was better when I was a kid” crap🤦🏽It’s really irritating.

[@CornyBum]

@@RamsLakersDodgers The Internet was better when I was a kid, don't you miss listening to your 56K modem connect and waiting for the AOL "Welcome!" and "You got mail!"? 😢

[@BobKnight-mm2ze]

Nice to see Fred Armisen branching out from comedy and writing books.

[@sonnycusa]

I thought the same thing when I first saw Gustavo LOL...

[@astropioneer3296]

Bah-dump-bump -- Pshhh!

[@erniearambula3525]

What a great story I'm Hispanic live in Alhambra but thisweekend I'm taking a drive to MITLA Cafe for hard shell tacos.

[@PropunKla]

The asada tacos are better than the OG hard shell ones.

[@seananderson5450]

It’s worth the drive!

[@dricedlk]

George's in Huntington Beach has great hard shell tacos.

[@pigjubby1]

Bring me back a few. I'll pick them up at Der Wienerschnizel on Valley

[@socaljarhead7670]

I’m from Southern California do Mexican chow has always been around. When I was in the service in MOS school, in the middle of Missouri, on the weekends I would pay $20 round trip in a taxi to buy a bean and cheese burrito and a soft taco from Taco Bell because that’s all there was that was even remotely Mexican.

[@Batlord_Carcas]

Another place that introduced California residents, particularly in the central region of California, was Sals in Selma, CA. Sal Salazar created authentic Mexican food in Selma, CA and from there his descendants started a chain called Bobby Salazars, and in the meantime many people also were introduced to Mexican food by the food trucks as well, and then other people discovered the chains of taco bell. It was very enlightening to see that the original appropriation of the food was via a chain creator that was in San Bernardino next to Mitla Cafe!

[@djm5k]

I was supposed to work at one of the original Taco Bells in Los Angeles in the early 1970’s, but some big incident happened the day I was supposed to start work, so I was sent home and the job never materialized. I believe before being called Taco Bell, the chain was called Taco Tia or something along those lines. I still go to Taco Bell once in awhile, as the one I go to was renovated about four years ago. However, today, it is way overpriced, and the quality just isn’t there anymore. Also, when I go, I order and eat inside. The drive-thru takes priority so I end up waiting to order for a long time, and many of the employees have attitudes.

[@leolopez5435]

All very true, all stores no different sadly

[@CornyBum]

Yep, check out the photo at 0:56 for the "Taco Tia" sign at the top.

[@mfburns7909]

I'm so glad he brought up the McDonald's brothers

[@1badjesus401]

thank you for this👍🏻

[@richieriiich]

Will definitely look out for this book

[@Cooscoop]

Its so awesome to see how passionate that guy is aboit tacos. I feel the same way

[@michaelmoore9221]

This is the first time I heard of authentic hard shell tacos 😂

[@pharoah1200]

That's the only way that my family made them in the 1960's. They didn't sell hard--shelled tortillas I in stores back then.

[@soupnfresh]

If you ate tostadas you better believe Mexicans were making hard shell tacos. It's a given.

[@michaelmoore9221]

@@soupnfresh tostadas are tostadas and tacos are tacos. A little bit different don’t you think?

[@pharoah1200]

@metasocialmedia Nothing's a given. Either you did or you didn't.

[@pharoah1200]

@@michaelmoore9221 Most definitely two different things.

[@keithaguirre4927]

very cool never knew this history thank you

[@Rick_King]

I understand about driving for good tacos. I live about thirty miles from Sonora, Mexico, and I'll drive down and cross the border, just to get the awesome tacos! I love Taco Bell and Del Taco, but neither one can compare with authentic tacos from across the border.

[@BostonBoss]

The video. It needs more

[@-oiiio-3993]

Did not know this. If I find myself going through Berdoo, I'll have to try this place.

[@fred5149]

Nice history into the hardshell taco .. i love La Raza

[@seantaylor2046]

Magnificent!

[@themadfabber]

i still go to taco tia...one of the originals in redlands. anybody remember pup and taco? want a great grinder? go to D'elias grinder in riverside.. what about Miguels? and Miguels Jr? i grew up next to the OG Miguels in corona. cheese crisps and chili rellanos.

[@michelerocks167]

Such an enjoyable story. How did San Bernardino get a bad reputation or why is it in such disrepair now?

[@MediCali951]

Because it got a lot darker over there

[@vaultsoferowid]

The same reason as all the other once great cities....drugs and crime.

[@luigivincenz3843]

SB in those 1950's pictures looks BETTER than 2024 San bernardino. It's who you voted for..

[@Av-vd3wk]

Because it’s dumpy and basically in the desert. 🏜️

[@alvaroalegria6511]

It was actually due to the closing of the base and Santa fe. Back when the base was fully operational and Santa fe was there San Bernardino was thriving. There was a lot of work so the city had revenue coming in. Once the base closed and Santa Fe left it went down hill. Lots of people moved to find work elsewhere. After that they went bankrupt and never recovered. I grew up there right around the corner from Mitas Cafe and Amapola. It is a legendary restaurant but, the food is mediocre. I always thought Amapolas was better. Most patrons from what I remember cause it's been a while are from out of town. Most of us from the neighborhood would go to amapolas.

[@opmmhs]

Mitla cafe so good !!! I don’t knw why they don’t have more of these . But glad I live in the ie and able to stop by and have some

[@johnhammond9962]

And just like that, American toilets started flushing 5..10...15 times.

[@captain99p39]

Great Story!

[@yflores90]

Omg this is fascinating to me 😊

[@PerspectiveEngineer]

Great story ...

[@bottomofthemap696]

More than half the country has never heard of or seen a del Taco in their life

[@Jose_MC.]

Very interesting, and the way they look so different than what Taco Bell looks like now. If I remember correctly, this restaurant is also covered by, the show, todos los tacos(highly recommend it, you'll get to see tacos from anything in that show).

[@MikeFLHT]

Mitla! I've been going there for years. Always top-notch.

[@shouldihangmyself]

Very cool

[@94Toyota]

And across the street the best birrierria spot!

[@fvrrljr]

*my mother would make her hard shell tacos, i learned from her and made it as a first dish for my date with my gringuita* *gracias mama* *gonna have to take a drive to taste them at MITLA*

[@deathblade909]

I have been to mitlas and those tacos bang. Also first Mcdonald is up the street

[@aimee7150]

I want to try their tacos!

[@alftanner866]

7 layer burrito, volcano burrito, beef meximelts, cinna twists, & border ices

[@nickbedolla7115]

I was raised there in San Bernardino good good there it's must too stop by

[@user-wg1ep2rr6h]

He is speaking true facts👍

[@mborges2133]

Cool azz story!!!

[@thenext9537]

I went to an Og Taco Bell as a kid. I also remember when Taco Bell had the bellbeefer (taco meat on bun). Good times.

[@socaljarhead7670]

Bring back the Beefer and the Bellgrande!

[@thenext9537]

@@socaljarhead7670 Bellgrande, yea that was the other one!

[@brianjainese5290]

When i was a kid growing up in Venice ..my uncle's girlfriend, Gloria, would come around on weekends and make dozens of shredded beef crispy tacos from scratch. Guacamole in a mocajete. Iwas good for a dozen myself. Miss those days. Top shelf memories

[@user-wg1ep2rr6h]

Nothing more I love than a hard shell taco restaurant homemade it do not matter👍❤

[@blainemitchell]

Well now I have to go there.

[@Century938]

I used to love the taco supreme lite… about 30 years ago it was on their menu, probably wasn’t even healthy… but it was good imo

[@lilpoindexter]

Holy crap, i just went there on wednesday.

[@jamesleonard2870]

What about the fried tortilla wraped in a warm tortilla? It’s the bomb! I first had that at La Taqueria on Mission St in SF

[@speedracerjeff]

What about Naugles?

[@DjLou82]

and pup n taco

[@seananderson5450]

Taco Time😀

[@terencem8795]

Orange Julius too. But I definitely remember Naugles.

[@michaelarmenta8289]

There is a new Naugles in Artesia. I tried it out, not the same food as I remember. Kind of nasty actually.

[@markjolyn94]

Vrry cool

[@terencem8795]

TB was better in the 1970's.

[@RamsLakersDodgers]

Oh brother🙄

[@johnwhodat8135]

I remember when TB taco's were 25 cents.

[@-oiiio-3993]

I remember them at ten cents per, a bag of twelve for a dollar.

[@johnwhodat8135]

@@-oiiio-3993 ..25 cents were back in 1975 in new Orleans.

[@DistractedDaisy]

My mom used to make these for me. She was also an OG hole in the wall Mexican restaurant cook.

[@CesarClouds]

Interesting.

[@lesliegowens555]

Mitla Cafe is great food!

[@Marquis-Gibbs]

He is speaking true facts

[@_ac_7649]

what about Juan pollo?

[@tprince1086]

Great story. One correction: Seccombe is 2 syllables (se-kum).

[@kennethohmert3128]

School districts must have pickup on hard shell tacos from them, because they were served at our elementary school in that style, here in California.

[@al-kydah7421]

Oh wow

[@johnreyes1749]

Growing up in Santa Ana we had Pup n Taco which I felt was better than Taco Bell.

[@DavidHBurkart]

Inremember pup-n-taco. An amalgamatuon of TB & Der Weinerschnitzel

[@themoviedealers]

Taco Bell bought them out.

[@michaelarmenta8289]

Yeah, we had a Pup n Taco in Carson, now it's a Taco Bell.

[@DavidHBurkart]

@@themoviedealers Yes they did. Its kind of like the Del Taco-Naugles buyout

[@Ted_James]

No hard shell tacos on menus anymore? Maybe not in LA, but in Texas, they're everywhere. Come to Austin and eat at Amaya's. They make their own tortillas and then fry them up into crispy taco shells and serve them with their own fresh salsa. Where do you get your information?

[@annasahlstrom6109]

I must go there.

[@erik_griswold]

Gustavo talking about In & Out??

[@ChrisW-17]

I absolutley love seeing the humble origins of these now-iconic chains. More stories like this please!

[@1469roach]

I fkn love taco bell!!! Ima go there this Saturday! Road trip!!! Only 1 hour away from Hawthorne CA

[@Beck-Stein]

Great story i never knew living in socal. Im watching this video having diarrhea from taco bell now.

[@BluesBoy-ij2rb]

I remember a drive thru chain called " JACK IN THE BOX " they had these greasy pressed tacos that were awful , but we ate them anyway along with the hamburgers and other items , usually coming home after drinking some where !!!!.....Erik😮

[@jcn1049]

“Tortilla empires” 😂wow

[@ryangrossklaus4838]

Hard shell tacos not found in a menu? They’re all over the Bay Area in taquerias or restaurants. SoCal too.

[@ogbrmusic]

IDK that it was Glenn Bell who first opened up Taco Tia I used to love Taco Tia! the Kia dealership stole their jingle back in the day "Tac-tac-taco tia!" "Ka-ka-ka-kia!"

[@sophia.lb95]

I'm confused how he says the recipe is from Jalisco but the name of the restaurant is Mitla which is a Zapotec culture archeological city in the state of Oaxaca

[@Mike-nf6nf]

Needs more chili cheese burritos.

[@MeMeDaVinci]

God, this making me Hungry!!!

[@joshuanewburger]

interesting.

[@125southernnh2]

I remember tacos being a rather new item back in 1970 Los Angeles.

[@REYKING-Muzic]

Im about to start a roadtrip to Mitla Cafe .... whos with me "!!! Now boarding from Denver Colorado to San Bernardino California "!!! Hmu lets do this !! Im down

[@everyonexist]

Mitla's & Gustavo

[@antomano5623]

I never knew that about taco bell, how it got its start.

[@erikherroz2638]

Jim boy tacos in norther calif😊

[@somebrains5431]

Who knew San Bernardino had global impact.

[@MsDisneylandlover]

I love more soft shell ❤

[@Krazee-EyezKilla]

What's your favorite item from Taco Bell?

[@JIMLAUTZ]

The original McDonalds was on "E" Street, not Mr. Vernon.

[@mistahtom]

Interesting history 1:13

[@Rezin_8]

2003 our window had 33 second drive thru at Taco Bell.... 21 years later I LAUGH SEEING 5 PEOPLE AT CHICK-FIL-A DOING MY POSITION 😅

[@michaeldesilvio221]

My mother used to make tacos with Parmesan cheese. Now I always sprinkle Parmesan on tacos.

[@pigjubby1]

My mom made hard tacos with ground beef and tiny diced up potatoes.

[@ghernandez2263]

That sounds disgusting no offense

[@Sergatx]

That’s probably because she couldn’t find cotija, or queso fresco. Parmesan was a last resort my mom used if she made fried tacos, only used in emergency lol.

[@Adrian-op5ni]

My mom did this for me too. So good.

[@andrewberrocal2281]

San Berndino is the cradle of fast food

[@vipergts109]

Great story, but I haven’t seen hard shell tacos in Jalisco, except rolled fried taquitos, maybe just a variation of that 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@IamMichelle88]

That's amazing , the history. To be told and shown , but civil human rights , even with the history of the United States. Are for all Americans. No matter who they are

[@sreyna3000]

My family was making and eating hard shell tacos forever …so I’m not sure what all this is all about ???😂