Everything That Was On Taco Bell's Opening Day 1962 Menu

Taco Bell has been a staple of American fast food since it first opened its doors in the 60's. The California-based restaurant was started by Glen Bell, who was inspired by the Mitla Cafe to create his own version of a crunchy taco in 1951. It took a while for this idea to come to full fruition, and Taco Bell ended up being his third attempt at creating a successful taco restaurant chain. The first two attempts included the precursor stores Bell's Drive-In and Taco Tia, two restaurants he founded in the San Bernardino area. Finally, Downey, California became the home of Taco Bell's first location in 1962.

Two years later, the fist franchisee, a retired L.A. policeman named Kermit Becky opened the second Taco Bell in Torrance, California. By 1967, Taco Bell had 100 locations. When it went public just three years later, there were already a total of 325 restaurants! Today, Taco Bell boasts 8,097 locations in the United States alone, some of which are pretty unique, and some even sport avant-garde aesthetics.

Taco Bell's menu has changed many times over the years, giving fans even more to love about the restaurant. 2004 was a seminal year for Taco Bell, as it introduced the Mountain Dew Baja Blast, changing the soda game forever. When Taco Bell first arrived though, the menu was just five items long. For just 19 cents each, Taco Bell's original menu offered frijoles, tostados, chili burgers, burritos, and tacos.

A simple, yet vital part of a traditional Mexican meal are the beans. Whether they're whole or mashed and refried, beans are a delicious staple of Latin cuisine. Taco Bell had to open with some beans on the menu, so the option for frijoles, Spanish for beans, was offered. The name probably made the side seem much more exotic and alluring than it may have seemed if it had been called plain old beans.

The dish wasn't just plain beans though, it came as a small cup of saucy beans with shredded cheese on top. Looking at the few photos that exist of the original frijoles menu item, they seem very similar to Wendy's cup of chili that's available today, suggesting that pinto beans were used rather than black beans. That's a big serving for just 19 cents! Today, there are two types of beans that can be ordered: black beans and pintos with cheese', the latter of which is likely very close to the original menu item that helped draw people into the fast-food restaurant.

Having created his own version of a crunchy taco, it makes sense that Glen Bell would want to take advantage of another Mexican recipe that relies on a fried tortilla. The first Taco Bell offered 'tostados', a version of the traditional tostada dish. The name was eventually changed to the traditional dish name, tostadas, as the dish returned in many forms over the years.

A spicy tostada was available from 2014 until 2020, when it was discontinued, while the ultra-popular Big Cheez-It Tostada was only available for a limited time. Taco Bell fans have loudly voiced their demand for a permanent menu option for the tostada, but their cries have gone unanswered. For now, all fans can hope for is a re-release of the dish through either a retro menu or special promotion.

The popularity of the dish was strong enough to bring it back once already, through the Decades menu of 2024. This also provided tons of insight as to what exactly was offered at that first Taco Bell location. The original tostado supposedly had a crispy corn tostada shell, layered with savory refried beans, tangy red sauce, crispy lettuce and shredded cheese, which is a fairly standard recipe for this classic meal.

Burgers? In my Taco Bell? It's more likely than you think, especially if you're thinking about the original Taco Bell menu. Yes, the first Taco Bell menu betrayed its own name by offering chili burgers, something much more recognizable to the average American at the time. This decision actually made a lot of sense, and probably helped prevent the restaurant from feeling too foreign or unusual for contemporary tastes. Things have changed since then, but Taco Bell has been credited with introducing Americans to tacos in the past.

Of course, the burger wasn't like anything a person could find at McDonald's. Taco Bell's chili burger was built using a patty made of taco meat, rather than standard ground hamburger. It was topped with taco cheese, as one might expect, and came with a spicy 'famous sauce.' 

Based on the images available, the chili burger may have also come with lettuce and tomato between the two simple buns. Eventually the chili burger was renamed the Bell burger, and finally it was replaced by the Bell Beefer, which was available through the mid-90's and briefly in 2012. As usual, some Taco Bell fans have demanded the return of one or both of these menu items, but there hasn't been any indication from Taco Bell that it will be re-releasing the menu item any time soon.

Once Taco Bell had all of the ingredients for tacos, it only made sense that it would also offer the handheld food's sibling: the burrito. Following the lead of sit-down Mexican restaurants, the original Taco Bell menu included two options for its burritos. Patrons could have them served with red or green sauce, much like today's recognizable enchiladas rojas or chile verde-based dishes. The first burrito may not have been Taco Bell's best though, as the photos make it seem more like a wrap than anything. Regardless, it seems to have included meat, cheese, and a tortilla. It may have also included lettuce and tomato.

Taco Bell's current burrito offering is its second-most popular menu item, so clearly opening with burritos available was a smart move. Naturally, there are more burrito options than ever at Taco Bell, with the category having its own page on the company's website. Chicken, beef, and even vegetarian options are now available, with plenty of sauces to choose from, and it's all thanks to the success of those first red and green burritos being part of Taco Bell's very first lineup.

The absolute most important menu item that was available on day one at Taco Bell has to be its namesake taco. Tacos, Taco Bell's number one seller, were hugely popular even on the first day, thanks to their unique form. The founder of Taco Bell had been inspired by other restaurants to come up with his own version of a hard-shell taco, and this became the first taco that Taco Bell served. Just as today, the taco came with meat, cheese, and a crunchy, fried tortilla shell. There really wasn't anything special about the taco by today's standards, but it was a new dish for millions of Americans, and Taco Bell was able to capture the attention of foodies across southern California. 

Now, Taco Bell fans can help themselves to a whopping 18 varieties of tacos, with more on the way. Taco Bell announced at its Live Mas Event 2025 that it plans on releasing at least 13 new items, including a brisket taco and a taco that uses fried cheese instead of a tortilla for stability. Despite its humble beginnings, it's clear that Taco Bell will continue to innovate the taco to bring its fans new delights for a long time to come.

The delicious Mexican-inspired food may have been the main attraction when Taco Bell first opened its doors in 1962, but what did people drink with their food? Obviously, Baja Blast hadn't been discovered yet, which is a scary thought for any true Taco Bell fanatic. Given that Taco Bell just celebrated its 20th 'Bajaversary' in 2024 however, it would still be a few decades before the perfect pairing would be found.

No, instead the first Taco Bell menu had just a few soft drinks on the menu. As odd as it may sound now, the restaurant also served hot coffee, likely the reason it continues to serve hot and iced coffee today. The original Taco Bell menu offered foodies Royal Crown soda (a type of cola), orange soda, root beer, and coffee. While the options are limited, they pair very well with tacos. Just as with wine, pairing drinks that have a high citric acid content and a crisp flavor. That pretty well describes both orange soda and cola!

Even though this menu lives far in the past, part of it may be available again soon. Taco Bell already released a special, limited-time "Decades" menu back in 2024, which was well-received by critics. The nostalgic menu didn't just include items from the original menu, but brought back fan favorites from every decade that Taco Bell has celebrated, such as the Meximelt and the Gordita Supreme.

This throw-back has since ended, but the Taco Bell Live Mas Event 2025 has breathed new life into the idea. On March 4, 2025, Taco Bell announced another round of the Decades menu, this time with dishes from the early 2000s and 2010s, including the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos and Double Decker Taco. Tragically, there was no word on bringing back Gidget, the brief but beloved Chihuahuan mascot from the 90's. 

There was also no word on when exactly this menu might make its come-back, but based on the timing of the announcement and 2024's Decades menu timing, it seems likely that Fall 2025 will see old favorites return to Taco Bell. Regardless, it's clear that Taco Bell is going to continue to delight its fans with innovative takes on Mexican-inspired dishes.