Boozy Tips For Living Más At Taco Bell Cantina

Taco Bell-loving Angelenos have reason to celebrate, as the first Taco Bell Cantina location in downtown Los Angeles opened on July 25th, 2024. This is the third Cantina location in Southern California; the others are found in Hollywood and Newport Beach. As Taco Bell Cantina is getting rave reviews, it's exciting that city dwellers can now pair their Cheesy Gordita Crunch with a frosty draft beer in the heart of LA.

Yes, beer. What sets the Cantina concept apart from a standard Taco Bell is that you can order alcoholic beverages during your visit. Taco Bell Cantina employs the efficient, hands-free Bottoms Up Draft Beer Systems to dispense brews, ensuring that you'll get served a draft beer as quickly as you get served a Chalupa. Check out your local Cantina for its selection of brews. For example, the downtown LA location offers Coors Light and Modelo Especial on tap.

If you're more into cocktails, Taco Bell Cantina has you covered. A scan of the newest Cantina location's menu offers a frozen margarita, piña colada, berry frosé — and most ingeniously, the option to spike a frozen Mountain Dew Baja Blast (Or, to use official Taco Bell parlance, make your Baja Blast Freeze "Twisted"). Tequila, vodka, and rum are all available, making it possible to sample many different booze and Baja Blast combos to find your favorite.

Let's review the Taco Bell Cantina menu and draft boozy dream teams for classic, new, and Cantina-exclusive food orders.

If you're a beer drinker, pair a Cantina brew with a ground beef Crunchwrap Supreme at Taco Bell Cantina. The Crunchwrap Supreme's flavor profile isn't too far off from a standard hamburger — and who doesn't love a cold one with a burger fresh off the grill? Check out your local Cantina's beer selection for your favorite pairing.

If you prefer wine, pair it with the brand-new Cantina Chicken Soft Taco. Taco Bell's Cantina Chicken Menu debuted in March 2024 at all Taco Bells nationwide, despite bearing the Cantina name. The Cantina Chicken Soft Taco showcases Taco Bell's new slow-roasted chicken and comes with the premium Avocado Verde Salsa packet. Wine will go well with the roast chicken flavor of this taco, preferably white or light. Choose from the available white wines or go for the fruity sangria if you prefer reds.

For a Cantina-exclusive combo, pair a Mountain Dew Baja Blast Freeze, twisted with tequila, with Cheesy Bacon Jalapeño Dippers. There are three Shareables items unique to Taco Bell Cantina: the Mini Quesadilla, Chicken Tenders, and Cheesy Bacon Jalapeño Dippers. Go for a bold tequila drink to pair with those smoky, spicy Dippers. While a Cantina Margarita is a straightforward choice, the Mountain Dew Baja Blast Twisted Freeze can also match the spicy food/tequila pair with a wave of cool refreshment.

Should all this talk of quickly poured beers and spiked frozen concoctions make it sound like Taco Bell Cantina is the fast food equivalent of Mardi Gras, know that the staff will make sure you drink responsibly. Alcohol served at Cantinas must be consumed on the premises. Age restrictions still apply, meaning no patrons under 21 will be served alcohol. Cantina liquor bottles are equipped with regulators to make sure everyone gets the same modest shot of booze. And the Cantina will only serve one Twisted Baja Blast Freeze, or any alcoholic selection, per person at a time. This likely prevents too many couples at the Cantina's Las Vegas location from trying to embark on a spontaneous Taco Bell wedding that they could soon regret.

And one bonus pro tip: The bottoms of Cantina beer cups get sealed with a magnet, which is easily detachable from the cup and taken home as a pocket-sized souvenir of your Cantina visit. Just make sure not to remove the magnetic disc until you've emptied your cup to prevent ending up with a lapful of beer!