Address: 5200 CA-1, Pacifica, CA 94044
Taco Bell on the Beach
In Pacifica, California, directly off of the Pacific Coast Highway, is what many consider to be the most beautiful Taco Bell in the world. For anyone heading towards San Francisco or passing through this area, it is worth a stop. The Taco Bell fronts Pacifica State Beach and has an open air patio deck that offers stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. The building itself is super catchy and tries to put off a cantina vibe.
The inside has a modern theme, with huge glass windows offering views of the beach and ocean. One of the huge glass windows even has a pretty glass fireplace under it. Big screen tv’s are almost always playing whatever games are on. Well, what if you aren’t really a fan of Taco Bell food? The answer is, don’t worry. Order yourself an alcoholic beverage off the Taco Bell menu and just sit back and relax. There are three beverages that are offered. The Cantina Margarita, Sangria, and the Mountain Dew Baja Breeze.
Although the inside is beautiful and you might not want to miss the game, don’t even think of not dining on the outdoor patio. The beach is so close that you could literally roll off the deck onto it. For the hungry beachgoers and surfers in a rush. No worries there either. This Taco bell has a takeout window right on the patio deck. The fact that this is a Taco Bell still baffles me, but regardless of what company was serving up food here, I would visit. The scenery is gorgeous and the cantina is just plain cool.
Visiting the Taco Bell Cantina in Pacifica
My wife and I along with our 2 month old daughter, began our almost 4 month road trip by heading up the west coast. On day 1 our goal would be to make it as far towards Redwoods National Park as possible. With a 2 month infant now on board, we weren’t sure how well this would go. Fortunately, it went rather smoothly. Seven hours into our trip we were nearing San Francisco. It was getting later in the evening and my wife kept mentioning how hungry she was and that we needed to start figuring out where to sleep.
I thought to myself that this would be the perfect time to surprise her by taking her to Taco Bell. I acted as though I was searching for a place to eat and then told her we would just stop at Taco Bell. Who surprises someone by taking them to Taco Bell, you may ask. Well, when your wife is a vegetarian and Taco Bell is one of the only fast food places she will eat at, and the Taco Bell sits right on the beach, then that would be me. How surprised could someone really be when you arrive at a Taco Bell though, right? Well, my wife laughed and comedically asked, what is this? I could tell she was impressed though.
It gets pretty windy here, so we tucked our little baby into her carrier on her mom’s chest and headed for the patio. I preferred to stay inside and watch the game but the views and atmosphere from the patio deck were just too amazing to pass up.
I teased my wife by telling her how romantic it was that I surprised her by bringing her to her favorite restaurant. Overall, I was so glad we stopped and despite not being planned, it was just kind of meant to be. We ended up staying about ten minutes down the road before excitedly making our way to the Redwoods the next morning.
