"Doughlympics: Chipotle v. Del Taco v. Taco Bell with Courtney Davis" is Episode 65 of Doughboys, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Doughlympics: Chipotle v. Del Taco v. Taco Bell with Courtney Davis" was released on August 11, 2016.
Synopsis[]
Writer/director Courtney Davis (Jimmy Kimmel Live, Funny or Die) joins the ‘boys for a defense of Tex-Mex cuisine and to help judge the three biggest Mexican chains in America, as the 2016 Doughlympic Susser Games continue. Friend of the podcast Evan Susser makes the crew endure a frozen food challenge.
Nick's intro[]
Norman, Carlos, and Smith
It's one of the most iconic photographs in all of sports: John Carlos and Tommy Smith, two African-American sprinters standing atop the three-tiered Olympic podium wearing gold and bronze medals, gloved fists raised in black-power salutes.
The third figure in the photograph? A white Australian named Peter Norman, the silver medalist who helped plan the act of defiance and wore a pro-civil rights badge during the anthem. All three athletes were swiftly and severely punished for their silent political protest, yet their legacies proved more enduring than the medals it cost them. The setting: Mexico City, 1968.
And today, in 2016, amidst another time of racial strife, the Olympic Games again take place in Latin America while the ugliest U.S. Presidential election of our lifetimes is waged over Hispanic immigration. Yet in the intervening decades took place the rapid ascent of Mexican-American cuisine and today the list of the top-100 chain restaurants in the U.S. includes an array of Mexican options.
Today, we weigh the three biggest: Chipotle Mexican Grill, founded in 1993, the pseudo-upscale joint that melds freshness and affordability; Del Taco, founded as Casa Del Taco in 1964, beloved west of the Rocky Mountains; and Taco Bell, founded by Glen Bell in 1946, 1/3 of Yum! Brands and the biggest Mexican-food chain in the world.
This week on Doughboys: week 2 of the 2016 Doughlympic Susser Games: Mexican Food Division.
Doughlympics Rules[]
For each category, The Doughboys attempt to get as close to the same order as possible from each place.
Susser times the discussions, and each item is then rated on a scale of 0.0 - 6.0.
They also give each chain a national anthem:
| chain | national anthem |
|---|---|
| Taco Bell |
|
| Chipotle | Fiona Apple "Pure Imagination" |
| Del Taco | Lana Del Rey "Video Games" |
Hard Shell Taco Event 🌮[]
First up was the Hard Shell Taco Event, for which The Doughboys ordered Chipotle's Crispy Corn Tortilla Taco (Barbacoa), the Crunchy Del Taco, and Taco Bell's Crunchy Taco.
| 🌮 Hard Shell Taco scoring | Chipotle | Del Taco | Taco Bell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | 0.0 | 6.0 | 5.12 |
| Mike Mitchell | 0.99 | 4.7 | 6.0 |
| Courtney Davis | 3.17 | 4.89 | 5.2 |
| Bronze 🥉 | Silver 🥈 | Gold 🥇 |
Soft Shell Taco Event 🥙[]
For the Soft Shell Taco Event, The Doughboys have Chipotle's Soft Flour Tortilla Taco, the Soft Del Taco, and Taco Bell's Soft Taco.
| 🥙 Soft Shell Taco scoring | Chipotle | Del Taco | Taco Bell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | 3.01 | 5.0 | 5.36 |
| Mike Mitchell | 4.81101 | 5.0 | 5.44 |
| Courtney Davis | 3.62 | 4.18 | 5.0 |
| Bronze 🥉 | Silver 🥈 | Gold 🥇 |
Burrito Event 🌯[]
For the Burrito Event, The Doughboys tried basic chicken burritos from each chain: Chipotle's Chicken Burrito (rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, mild salsa), Del Taco's Classic Grilled Chicken Burrito, and Taco Bell's Chicken Burrito.
| 🌯 Burrito scoring | Chipotle | Del Taco | Taco Bell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | 5.61 | 3.89 | 3.4 |
| Mike Mitchell | 5.12 | 4.945 | 4.696 |
| Courtney Davis | 4.8 | 3.3 | 3.8 |
| Gold 🥇 | Silver 🥈 | Bronze 🥉 |
Nachos Event 🧀[]
Lastly, the Nachos Event, which featured Chipotle's Nachos, Del Taco's Macho Nachos, and Taco Bell's Nachos BellGrande.
Apparently Chipotle forgot to put chips in their nachos, or it was just a very few, or Courtney ate them all (depending on who told the story).
| Nachos scoring | Chipotle | Del Taco | Taco Bell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | 2.1 | 4.97 | 3.6 |
| Mike Mitchell | 2.04 | 4.59 | 4.75 |
| Courtney Davis | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.0 |
| Bronze 🥉 | Gold 🥇 | Silver 🥈 |
Somehow, Susser and Yusong added wrong and declared Del Taco the bronze winner here. The numbers do not back this up, and Nick and Mitch and Courtney immediately realized this was wrong. Still, in order to change this result, Courtney bumped her Del Taco score up from 2.46 to 3.8... which not only corrected the Bronze result to Chipotle, but changed the Gold winner to Del Taco.
Doughlympics Mexican Division Medal Results 🏅[]
Courtney Davis' Doughlympics Medal Stand
| event | Chipotle | Del Taco | Taco Bell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard Shell Tacos | Bronze 🥉 | Silver 🥈 | Gold 🥇 |
| Soft Shell Tacos | Bronze 🥉 | Silver 🥈 | Gold 🥇 |
| Chicken Burrito | Gold 🥇 | Silver 🥈 | Bronze 🥉 |
| Nachos | Bronze 🥉 | Gold 🥇 | Silver 🥈 |
| Overall | Bronze 🥉 | Silver 🥈 | Gold 🥇 |
The Frozen Face/Off[]
In this side event, The Doughboys have some frozen microwaveable treats, all chain-restaurant branded.
They rate them on a scale of 0-5 onion rings.
| guest / host | Auntie Anne's Pretzel Dogs | TGI Friday's Buffalo Style Boneless Chicken Bites | CPK Crispy Flatbread (Margherita Recipe) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | 2 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Mike Mitchell | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Courtney Davis | 3 | 0 | 0.5 |
| Gold 🥇 | Bronze 🥉 | Silver 🥈 |
Roast Spoonman[]
Paul Bunyan
| “ | Recently-divorced Paul Bunyan | ” |
–Matt Helseth | ||
Quotes[]
| “ | We're kind of like the original Suicide Squad. | ” |
–Mike Mitchell | ||
| “ | I'm surprised you wouldn't just enjoy a bowl of cheese. | ” |
–Courtney Davis re: Mitch not enjoying queso | ||
| “ | We're clearly jumping the shark right now. This is a very clear marker where the podcast starts its inevitable decline. | ” |
–Nick Wiger | ||
| “ | Nick: Frozen Face/Off is when Elsa and Anna from the Frozen franchise have to change faces. Mitch: And then what? |
” |
–Nick bailed on this bit pretty quick | ||
| “ | Jesus Christ, that was a shit show. | ” |
–Nick Wiger ending the episode | ||
#hashtags[]
- #FlavorCountry vs. #ChipsPlainAndTall
The Feedbag[]
| “ | I have an important question for the Spoonman, concerning his affinity for Diet Coke. Like you, I'm a portly fellow, always planning a new scheme for a healthier lifestyle, but rarely (and comically) see any result. Throughout all of this, I keep Diet Coke as my go-to beverage to avoid additional calories. Over this time, I've had several people claim Diet Coke somehow causes more weight gain than regular soda; whether it be a secret agenda to keep us fat and thirsty for more; or Diet Coke is simply Coca-Cola Classic with a different label. Have you ever heard warnings like this? Can Mr. WIger use his ever-growing wisdom on food to blow the top off of what may prove to be the biggest conspiracy of our time? |
” |
–Matthew | ||
Restaurants[]
| official visits | location | notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chipotle | Burbank, CA | Nick, Mitch, and Courtney all ordered from this location on Riverside Dr. |
| restaurants referenced | locations | notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tacodeli | Austin, TX | Courtney's shirt and she says they're the best tacos |
| Taco Cabana | Texas | a Texas chain Courtney talks about |
| Torchy's Tacos | Austin, TX | Mitch went there and liked it |
| Chronic Tacos | ||
| Pink Taco |
Plugs and Drops and Stuff[]
| reference | notes |
|---|---|
| Jimmy Kimmel Live (tv) | Courtney's plugs |
| 2Pac "Hit 'Em Up" | In Mitch's first drop (by Alex Ricliffs) |
| South Park (tv) / unsure the music | in Mitch's second drop (by Alex Ricliffs) |
| Bell Biv Davoe "Poison" | Taco Bell's national anthem (via Nick) |
| Anita Ward "Ring My Bell" | Taco Bell's national anthem (via Courtney) |
| Belle & Sebastian "The Party Line" | Taco Bell's national anthem (via Nick) |
| Fiona Apple "Pure Imagination" | Chipotle's national anthem |
| Lana Del Rey "Video Games" | Del Taco's national anthem |
Related Episodes[]
| Chipotle episodes | Del Taco episodes |
|---|---|
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Photos[]
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