Ordering Tips To Take Advantage Of At KFC/Taco Bell Combination Restaurants

You've probably seen them before. Near strip malls, off the highway, maybe you even live next to one and are so used to seeing it you don't even consider it weird anymore. While these places would ordinarily be an incredibly mundane sight by themselves, to see them combined into one single unit just seems kind of jarring. We're talking about those combination fast-food restaurants, one of those places that has two restaurants in one building. It may be a combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in one area, a KFC and a Long John Silver's in another, and even an Arby's and a Burger King side-by-side. 

The reasons behind these odd combination restaurants are many, and each answer may hold weight. The eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters forum lists a number of different ideas. Some suggest that it could simply be because the parent companies of these restaurants want to save money, while others point out that standardization practices in fast food make such combos more sensible than they initially seem. Whatever the reason, these unusual restaurants have gained a minor spot in pop culture, with hip-hop group "Das Racist" creating a song that focuses solely on meeting up at the "combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell" (via Genius). 

Perhaps one good thing about these combination fast-food restaurants is that you could order items that you never could (or never thought) to order before.

Have you ever eaten Taco Bell before and thought, "You know, this Crunchwrap Supreme needs a bit of the Colonel's eleven herbs and spices?" Have you ever had some KFC and found yourself wondering, "Man, if this KFC had a bit of Southwestern flavor to it..." If you ever had such thoughts before, then visiting a combination KFC and Taco Bell may be good for you.

According to The Krazy Coupon Lady, should you find yourself at a place where chicken tenders are served alongside cups of Baja Blast, then you may be inclined to try a few "secret menu hacks." One such "hack," for example, is to order a packet of sour cream from Taco Bell (estimated to be around 70 cents) and then add the sour cream to any potato dish at KFC. For 85 cents, you could also order a side of shredded taco cheese and add that to whatever KFC entrée you choose, be it biscuits, tenders, drumsticks, or the famous bowl.

Another "hack" comes courtesy of Reddit, in which one brave user decided to see what a shredded chicken burrito would taste like if KFC coleslaw was added to it. The first bite was described as being "very confusing," but the user also noted that the meal got better at they kept eating.

What is it like to work at a combination fast-food restaurant? What is it like to look people in the eye and say, "I work at the combination KFC and Taco Bell?" It seems one Reddit user, an employee of such a location, decided to share their experiences working in its kitchens. Unsurprisingly, more than a few people were interested in the conversation.

On the question of the weirdest thing someone ever ordered, the employee replied, "Whenever people want sour cream added on to something that is grilled or steamed, before it is grilled or steamed." When asked if other employees made anything wild and elaborate, the employee responded with a somewhat disappointing reply. Although Reddit users may have had dreams of Taco Bell enchiritos with KFC chicken or KFC chicken sandwiches with Taco Bell nacho cheese, the reality wasn't quite so extravagant. 

The employee simply replied, "We mostly just take wedges and bites from KFC and put nacho cheese and sauce from Taco Bell on it." Yet when it came to the quality of the food, the employee gave a scathing review of it, calling both KFC and Taco Bell "processed and fake." "The beef and beans are watered down, as is the red sauce and pizza sauce," the employee stated. "Absolutely everything comes in a box, so it's all fake and processed."