I heard the “Bell” ringing loud and clear during lunchtime yesterday. And, yes, the “border” was a calling.

If you’ve ever been in LA or The Bay Area, then you know that if you’ve got a hankerin’ for a taco, you don’t need to go to Taco Bell.

There are plenty of much more authentic choices than the MacDonald’s of Mexican food.

If price is an issue, hunt down a burrito truck or two and you’ll grab 3 tacos for $3. Slammin’ deal.

I’m no fan of this place, but for given the task of reviewing their new “cantina” style taocs…well…anything for work, right?

Having to not pay for the food and getting paid to do it? That’s an assignment I want everyday.

I ordered up the “cantina” combo for around $5 bucks (or grab a single cantinaco for around $2). Three tacos of my choice of steak, chicken or carnitas (pork for the un-taco-ized) and a drink.

Not a bad price and it rivals the bargain at my local burrito truck.

Tacos are built with two corn tortillas, meat, onions and cilantro along with the somewhat obligatory lime. The style is totally taqueria, with al-dente white corn tortillas.

It looks like a taqueria creation. Taste? Not so much.

Each taco is rolled in a piece of foil with a lime tucked in between the foil and taco. What you get is a warm lime mash and not the cool lime sprtiz you’re looking for. Tortilla is nicely done and having just the corn tortilla is a nice change of pace (and flavor) over the flour tortillas that are all over the menu.

Outside of that? Yikes. You’re better off hunting for the truck or sticking to your regular order. The carnitas is a nice touch and pulls away from the Taco Bell menu of beef or chicken.

Unfortunately, Taco Bell’s attempt at the freshly built taco from a cantina just can’t pull of the taste.

It’s weird. The textures are there, but the flavor is all Taco Bell. Strangely enough, it’s salty and bland at the same time. Sounds weird, but true. The meats come off bland and have the Taco Bell-ness to it, while the onion-cilantro combo comes off salty and mushy. Sorry, but there should be some more texture there than “mush”.

Given the densely populated taco options in California, I’d have to say pass. Go find a taco truck or a real cantina. You’ll be better off at the truck and you can grab a cervesa at the cantina.

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