If you have been on the Internet in the past few days (and given our tech-dependent culture, you probably have), you've likely heard about the new fancy-schmancy, as-of-yet-unopened Taco Bell location planned for Wicker Park in Chicago that is currently in the process of trying to get a liquor license. Exciting, no? But if you've taken to Google wondering, "When can I get alcohol at Taco Bell?", we have some bad news for you: Sadly, we don't know... yet, that is.
There has been no official announcement made as of yet as to when the Wicker Park Taco Bell location will be open for business; neither do we know when we'll find out whether it was successfully able to procure a liquor license. As such, there's no word as to how long it will be before you can booze it up at the fast food chain. But, when it does open, and if it's approved for booze-tastic times, you can expect it to be one of the hottest Taco Bells around. It won't be a second U.S. Taco Co. — sort of an upscale Taco Bell, of which there is currently only one (in California) — but it will feature a unique urban design. And hey, there's also this: The second the opening date of the Wicker Park location is announced, you can rely on us to give you all of the boozy details.
In the meantime, there are a few other fast food places around that do serve alcohol. If you're wanting to hit up one of these joints as you wait for the Wicker Park Taco Bell opening, here's a list of fast food restaurants that are currently serving liquor.
1. Sonic
Sonic's Homestead, Florida location, close to Miami, has been serving beer and wine since 2011. They decided to experiment with this venture in order to drive evening traffic, according to Sonic's Senior Vice President Drew Ritger: “We want to increase evening traffic and take advantage of the evening weather in Florida,” Ritger said on the chain's website. “People in Florida have so many months to be outside. It’s part of the lifestyle.” Sonic isn't planning to bring this feature nationwide though, so you'll head to Florida in order to get your Sonic booze fix.
2. Chipotle
Chipotle sells bottled beer and Patron-based margaritas, but surprisingly, their alcoholic beverages only account for two percent of their sales. The problem? Workers aren't trained to sell or serve booze and because they aren't tipped like bartenders, have no incentive to sell it.
3. White Castle
If you're in Indiana and a White Castle fan, you're in luck! One Indiana location offers a selection of wine to go with your burgers and fries. This combination sounds like could either end beautifully or in disaster.
4. Shake Shack
The New York-based Shake Shack chain restaurants offer the largest selection of booze of any fast food chain by far: They serve craft beers, wine, prosecco, rose, and its own wine blend.
5. Baja Fresh
Baja fresh sells booze in its NYC Time Square location — and the chain is so excited about it that they even boast a happy hour: Between 3 and 8 PM, beer, wine, and mragaritas are all only $3 a pop. If you're in the city and want a cheap evening pre-gaming spot, make sure to check out Baja Fresh's booze selection.
6. Sbarro
Select retail locations of Sbarro sell beer and wine to its customers, but beware the price tag. The Madison Square Garden location in New York sells bottles of Budweiser and Heineken for over $5 each, and a bottle of wine is a whopping $24.
Images: Instagram; Sonic, White Castle/Instagram; Getty Images (5)
