19644 Vanowen, just east of Winnetka, Woodland Hills 818/345-3376
3714 W. Verdugo, @ Hollywood Way, Burbank 818/842-2516
Founded in 1969 in the unlikely spot of Victorville, CA ("If you lived halfway to Vegas in the middle of NOWHERE with car dealerships and warehouse stores, you'd be home now" -- the joke is, half of L.A. is now commuting to this former nowhere), this place has spread out over Southern CA like flared jeans. I first heard of them when they took over the Naugles on Vanowen (we loved Naugles -- it was a "family" establishment of big burritos, even breakfast ones when no one had any, and pink lemonade. The best part: The receipt said "Dick Naugle says, 'Eat Out More Often'"-- the Live Long and Prosper of the Bean business). I go there a LOT. And people say you can't eat healthy at fast food places. As Federally-indicted informercial king Tom Vu says, "Don't Listen to Thaaaam!".
Del Taco uses lardless beans (yay!) and fresh stuff. For the prices (I mean, 39 cents for a taco -- come ON!) it's great. If you are watching your hips and you'd rather not watch them grow, order the chicken burrito WITHOUT the secret sauce (I'll reveal the secret -- it's MAYO -- RUN FOR THE HILLS!), order the Works burriito, my little veggies, without sour cream, and avoid the dreaded Red Sauce and opt to put on your own (unless you like your food drowning in it). They make a nice quesadilla, but avoid the Macho Burrito, which weighs over a pound and will leave more than that stuck to you. They even have french fries -- and they're really too good. You can stuff yourself solid on the way to the Burbank Airport for about $5.00 if you really go nuts. My food comes to $3.24 with a drink -- I get a Works Burrito ($1.29) or a Red Burrito (.99)(no red sauce, no sour cream), and a side of beans and cheese (high protein..at .75).
In order to keep food prices low, Del Taco has joined the Fast Food Trend of having 39 cent tacos but 95 cent drinks. If you want to save more money still, drink water for free. High school kiddies flood the place at school lunch break, and it can get crowded but generally remains do-able. If you get a lucky day, the speakers with foul music will be fuzzy or altogether broken. I don't know if the Vanowen one is still eat in -- the Burbank one is, with an all night drive through, or drive thru if you prefer.