Does Del Taco take EBT? You may be surprised to learn that there are 103 Del Taco location that can process SNAP EBT (food stamps) payments!
Don’t rush out the door just yet. Before you go grab your tacos, it’s important to make sure you understand how this works. Not every EBT user can purchase Del Taco meals with their EBT cards. This program is limited to certain users who shop at the few locations that can process those payments. Don’t worry; we’ll explain all the ins and outs of this program in this post.
Does Del Taco take EBT?
Del Taco takes EBT at 103 restaurants, most of which are located in Arizona and California. Each unique address has to go through a detailed application and approval process to ensure that they will uphold all the program rules. It’s important to make sure that you go to one of the specific locations listed in our document below.
If you don’t have a Del Taco that takes EBT in your area yet, don’t despair. There are several states that are working on developing and implementing their own restaurant program. We will update this post as the program expands.
In the meantime, there are a few other taco fast food restaurants that accept EBT, including Taco Bell.
What can you buy with EBT at Del Taco?
Obviously, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are intended to purchase food. You can only buy food items with this program, even at restaurants. That means you can’t buy any merchandise or non-food items.
However, since Del Taco is a restaurant, most (if not all) of what they sell should be EBT-eligible as long as you are at a participating location. For example, you should be able to buy:
- Breakfast
- Tamales
- Crispy Chicken
- Tacos
- Tortas
- Burritos
- Quesadillas
- Nachos
- Burgers
- Fries
- Fiesta Packs
- Salad
- Desserts
- Shakes
- Fries
- Drinks
- and more!
Before you place your order, though, remember that this program doesn’t give you any extra EBT benefits. You’ll need to budget carefully to make sure that you can get enough food for the month. Using the Del Taco app or printed coupons can help you stretch your benefits farther.
Who can buy Del Taco with EBT?
Not everyone can buy food at Del Taco with EBT. That’s because this unique program is exclusively for those who can’t safely prepare their own meals at home. Del Taco only accepts EBT from people who meet all the requirements of the Restaurant Meals Program.
In order to be eligible, ALL of the following three statements must be true for your case:
- You must live in a state with a Restaurant Meals Program.
- You must be unable to cook your own meals at home because you are elderly, homeless or disabled.
- You must purchase food from approved, participating locations.
Luckily, you should be automatically enrolled in this special program if you are eligible. That means you could use your EBT card at restaurants today! The caseworker just needs to check a certain box when setting up your account. As long as they did that, you’re good to go.
Which Del Taco locations take EBT?
As we’ve said, not all Del Taco locations can take SNAP benefits because it requires each individual franchise or restaurant owner to apply and go through the approval process. Before you order your tacos, make sure you’re visiting an approved location.
I’ve read through every list of restaurants published by every county that participates in this program. I gathered all the Del Taco locations for you and organized them in a handy, alphabetized list. The document below should make it easy for you to find a Del Taco that takes EBT near you.
Why doesn’t every Del Taco take EBT?
Del Taco fans always wonder why it isn’t just a universal rule that all locations can process EBT payments. Unfortunately, this benefit is limited to just 103 of Del Taco’s 596 locations in the United States. That’s about 17% of all their restaurants. So, why don’t more of them take EBT?
There are many reasons. Obviously, many of those locations are not eligible because they are located in states that haven’t authorized the RMP yet. However, some Del Taco locations in eligible states haven’t applied yet just because there’s so much work involved in getting that approval processed.
How do I pay with EBT at Del Taco?
Once you know you’re eligible and you know which location will accept your benefits, the rest is easy. Just go to the restaurant, place your order and swipe your EBT card like normal. It’s exactly like paying at a grocery store or convenience store. Just swipe the card, enter your PIN and you’re good to go.
Of course, the card needs to be physically swiped at the restaurant. You can pay in-store or through the drive-thru, but you won’t be able to order Del Taco for delivery on any apps or anything. You have to be physically present to pay with EBT.
The Bottom Line
Certain EBT cardholders can purchase meals at Del Taco, as long as they are eligible for the Restaurant Meals Program and purchase meals from a participating restaurant. You can find a full list of locations that accept EBT in this post.
Nicole Thelin
Nicole is the founder and lead researcher of Low Income Relief. After a personal experience with poverty and homelessness following her husband's sudden medical discharge from the U.S. Army, Nicole discovered the life-changing impact of community resources. This experience ignited her passion for empowering others to navigate similar crises. Nicole launched her writing career at age 16, working for various newspapers and publications. Her commitment to in-depth research and accessible content has been recognized by Google for Publishers and other industry leaders. For over 20 years, she has applied her investigative skills to uncover the most helpful, up-to-date information on benefits programs and community resources, ensuring Low Income Relief maintains the most extensive resource databases available.