Anyone wanting to grab a Mexican bite to eat at Taco Bell in the coming days will have to set off in good time. Although the restaurant is half-empty on this particular Thursday, new arrivals are being guided back out through the front door to join a line that stretches to the corner of the building. If you are placing a big order, you can expect to wait a while, so it may pay to place each person's order separately - even though you are no doubt keen to pay for your date.

Does Taco Bell have something that other fast-food restaurants in the city center are lacking? Romy Smits, student Applied Physics, thinks it does. “I think this is much less of an 'all you can eat cheaply' place than McDonald’s.” Master-student Automotive Technology Jos de Haan agrees, “It feels more premium.” Lucero Avila Ruiz, also Applied Physics, too thinks he will come back: “I usually go to the KFC once in a while, but I think next time I'll come here. I really like the way the food is served here; I want to take home the little food baskets.”

While he finds the food tasty, Tristan Stevens, first-year Electrical Engineering, has another reason why he may not come back. “The quantity is quite important to me. For fast food it was really good, but the serving wasn't all that big. I had a burrito, but the tacos really did look a bit on the small side. If I was hungry, I'd be more inclined to go to the ‘Mac’. I think they use a lot of fresh ingredients here though, and that does make the food taste really good.” Another big difference with familiar fast-food restaurants is that here you can order beer. Both a regular beer and a Mexican beer, which the students find they also like.

All in all our tasters gave Taco Bell a big thumbs up and think it is certainly worth a visit. You might want to wait a couple of weeks, however, until the first waves of crowds have died down. And another tip, don't hold back because of the spiciness. Our tasters heartily agreed that it was all very easy to eat. After tasting other dishes, they realized they had been inclined to be cautious in their choices and had opted for milder foods than was necessary.