PART I

Item 1.  Business

Del Taco Restaurant Properties III, (the Partnership) is a publicly-held limited Partnership organized under the California Uniform Limited Partnership Act. The Partnership’s General Partner is Del Taco, Inc., a California corporation (Del Taco or the General Partner). The Partnership sold 48,000 units totaling $12 million through an offering of limited partnership units from February 1986 through June 1987. The term of the partnership agreement is until December 31, 2025 unless terminated earlier by means provided in the partnership agreement.

The business of the Partnership is ownership and leasing of restaurants in California to Del Taco. The Partnership acquired land and constructed ten Mexican-American restaurants for long-term lease to Del Taco. Each property is leased for 35 years on a triple net basis. Rent is equal to twelve percent of gross sales of the restaurants. The restaurant originally built in Twentynine Palms was sold in November 1997 and net proceeds from the sale were distributed to the partners. As of December 31, 2003, the Partnership had a total of nine properties leased to Del Taco.

The Partnership has no full time employees. The Partnership agreement assigns full authority for general management and supervision of the business affairs of the Partnership to the General Partner. The General Partner has a one percent interest in the profits or losses and distributions of the Partnership. Limited partners have no right to participate in the management or conduct of the Partnership’s business affairs.

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Item 2. Properties

The Partnership acquired ten properties with proceeds obtained from the sale of limited partnership units:

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Item 2.  Properties - (Continued)

(1)		Commencement of operation is the first date Del Taco, as lessee, operated the facility on the site as a Del Taco restaurant.
(2)		In November 1997, the Twentynine Palms property was sold yielding net proceeds to the Partnership of $278,612.
(3)		The restaurant was subleased to a franchisee of Del Taco and the restaurant operated as a Del Taco restaurant. On December 29, 1999 the franchise agreement for this restaurant expired. Del Taco began operation of this restaurant as a company-managed facility on December 29, 1999.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

The Partnership is not a party to any material pending legal proceedings.

Item 4. Submissions of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

None.

PART II

Item 5.  Market for the Partnership’s Common Equity and Related Security Holder Matters

The Partnership sold 48,000 ($12,000,000) limited partnership units during the public offering period ended June 1, 1987 and currently has 1,330 limited partners of record. There is no public market for the trading of the units. Distributions made by the Partnership to the limited partners during the past three fiscal years are described in Note 8 to the Notes to the Financial Statements contained under Item 8.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The selected financial data presented as of and for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000 and 1999, has been derived from the audited financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes and Item 7.

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Item 6.   Selected Financial Data - (Continued)

Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources, and off balance sheet arrangements and contractual obligations contained within this report on Form 10-K is more clearly understood when read in conjunction with the notes to the financial statements. The notes to the financial statements elaborate on certain terms that are used throughout this discussion and provide information about the Partnership and the basis of presentation used in this report on Form 10-K.

The nine restaurants leased to Del Taco make up all of the income producing assets of the Partnership. Therefore, the business of the Partnership is entirely dependent on the success of the Del Taco trade name restaurants that lease the properties. The success of the restaurants is dependent on a large variety of factors, including, but not limited to, consumer demand and preference for fast food, in general, and for Mexican-American food in particular.

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Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (Continued)

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Partnership offered limited partnership units for sale between February 1986 and June 1987. 14.7% of the $12 million raised through sale of limited partnership units was used to pay commissions to brokers and to reimburse the General Partner for offering costs incurred. Approximately $9.5 million of the remaining funds were used to acquire sites and build ten restaurants. In February of 1992, approximately $281,000 raised during the offering but not required to acquire sites and build restaurants were distributed to the limited partners. During 1997, one restaurant was sold.

As described in note 6 to the Notes to the Financial Statements contained under Item 8, the Partnership has a death and disability redemption fund totaling $90,585 at December 31, 2003. Investors should contact the General Partner with all questions regarding the eligibility of a limited partner or the estate of a deceased limited partner to participate in the redemption fund. A limited partner has the right, under certain circumstances involving such limited partner’s death or disability, to tender to the Partnership for redemption all of the units owned of record by such limited partner. The redemption price will be equal to the partners’ capital account balance as of the redemption date. The death and disability fund was established in 1987. The fund was limited to two percent of the gross proceeds from sale of the limited partnership units. Requests for redemption made after the funds in the death and disability fund are depleted will not be accepted.

The Partnership’s only source of cash flow is rental income from the properties from the triple net leases. Such operating income has historically been and is expected to continue to be sufficient to fund the Partnership’s operating expenses. Net cash provided by operating activities in excess of the Partnership’s ongoing needs is distributed to the partners.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements and Contractual Obligations

None.

Results of Operations

The Partnership owns nine properties that are under long-term lease to Del Taco for restaurant operations.

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Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (Continued)

Results of Operations — Continued

The following table sets forth rental revenues earned by restaurant for the year:

The Partnership receives rental revenues equal to 12 percent of gross sales from the restaurants. The Partnership earned rental revenues of $963,185 during the year ended December 31, 2003, which represents an increase of $82,206 from 2002. The increase in rental revenues was caused by an increase in sales at the restaurants under lease.

The Partnership earned rental revenues of $880,979 during the year ended December 31, 2002, which represents an increase of $58,418 from 2001. The increase in rental revenues was caused by an increase in sales at the restaurants under lease.

The following table breaks down general and administrative expenses by type of expense:

Percentage of Total General & Administrative Expense

General and administrative costs increased by $14,738 from 2002 to 2003. The increase was caused primarily by increased costs for income tax preparation, annual audit fees, accounting services and printing and mailing costs, as well as additional incremental costs incurred to change auditors and maintain regulatory compliance standards required of public registrants.

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Item 7.   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (Continued)

Results of Operations — Continued

General and administrative costs increased by $2,280 from 2001 to 2002. The increase was caused primarily by increased costs for income tax preparation, annual audit fees and costs associated with leasing software.

Net income increased by $66,207 from 2002 to 2003 due to the increase in revenues of $82,206 offset by the $14,738 increase in general and administrative expenses and the decrease in other income of $1,261. Depreciation expense was the same in both 2003 and 2002.

Net income increased by $50,418 from 2001 to 2002 due to the increase in revenues of $58,418 offset by the $2,280 increase in general and administrative expenses and the decrease in other income of $5,720.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2002, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Interpretation No. 45, “Guarantor’s Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others” (“Interpretation 45”), an interpretation of FASB Statements No. 5, 57 and 107 and rescission of FASB Interpretation No. 34. Interpretation 45 elaborates on the disclosures to be made by a guarantor in its interim and annual financial statements about its obligations under certain guarantees that it has issued. It also clarifies that a guarantor is required to recognize, at the inception of a guarantee, a liability for the fair value of the obligation undertaken in issuing the guarantee. Interpretation 45’s initial recognition and initial measurement provisions are effective on a prospective basis to guarantees issued or modified after December 31, 2002. The disclosure requirements are effective for financial statements of interim or annual periods ending after December 15, 2002. The Company adopted the disclosure requirements of Interpretation 45 effective December 31, 2002 and has not entered into any guarantees since December 31, 2002.

In January 2003, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 46, “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities” (“Interpretation 46”), an interpretation of Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) No. 51. Interpretation 46, as amended, addresses consolidation by business enterprises of variable interest entities. Interpretation 46, as amended, applies immediately to variable interest entities created after January 31, 2003, and to variable interest entities in which an enterprise obtains an interest after that date. It applies in the first year or interim period beginning after December 15, 2003, to variable interest entities in which an enterprise holds a variable interest that it acquired before February 1, 2003. In December 2003, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 46R which modified certain provisions of Interpretation 46. Interpretation No. 46R also modified the effective date of Interpretation 46. Companies must apply Interpretation No. 46R by the end of the first reporting period after December 15, 2003. The Company believes it has no variable interest entities to which Interpretation 46 nor Interpretation No. 46R would apply.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, as well as disclosures included elsewhere in this report on Form 10-K are based upon the Partnership’s financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. The Partnership believes the critical accounting policies that most impact the financial statements are described below. A summary of the significant accounting policies of the Partnership can be found in Note 1 to the Financial Statements which is included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

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Item 7.   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (Continued)

Property and Equipment: Property and equipment is stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives which are 20 years for land improvements, 35 years for buildings and improvements, and 10 years for machinery and equipment.

The Partnership accounts for property and equipment in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. (SFAS) 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long Lived Assets.” SFAS 144 requires that long-lived assets be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. In evaluating long-lived assets held for use, an impairment loss is recognized if the sum of the expected future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) is less than the carrying value of the asset. Once a determination has been made that an impairment loss should be recognized for long-lived assets, various assumptions and estimates are used to determine fair value including, among others, estimated costs of construction and development, recent sales of comparable properties and the opinions of fair value prepared by independent real estate appraisers. Long-lived assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell.

Item 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

None.

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Item 8.   Financial Statements

PART I.  INFORMATION

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(KPMG LETTERHEAD)

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT

To the Partners of
Del Taco Restaurant Properties III:

We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Del Taco Restaurant Properties III (a California Limited Partnership) as of December 31, 2003, and the related statements of income, partners’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended. In connection with our audit of the financial statements, we have also audited the 2003 information in the accompanying financial statement schedule. These financial statements and financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Partnership’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the financial statements and financial statement schedule based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the 2003 financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Del Taco Restaurant Properties III as of December 31, 2003 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, the 2003 information in the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein.

Orange County, California
February 13, 2004

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

To the Partners of
Del Taco Restaurant Properties III:

In our opinion, the accompanying balance sheet and the related statements of income, partners’ equity, and cash flows present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Del Taco Restaurant Properties III (A California Limited Partnership) at December 31, 2002, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management; our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit of these statements in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, which require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. The financial statements of Del Taco Restaurant Properties III for the year ended December 31, 2001 were audited by other independent accountants who have ceased operations. Those independent accountants expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements in their report dated February 15, 2002.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Orange County, California
January 22, 2003

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

The following report is a copy of a report previously issued by Arthur Andersen LLP and has not been reissued by Arthur Andersen LLP.

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

To the Partners of
Del Taco Restaurant Properties, III:

We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Del Taco Restaurant Properties III (a California Limited Partnership) as of December 31, 2001 and 2000, and the related statements of income, partners’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2001. These financial statements and the schedule referred to below are the responsibility of the Partnership’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and schedule based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Del Taco Restaurant Properties III as of December 31, 2001 and 2000, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2001 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

Our audits were made for the purpose of forming an opinion on the basic financial statements taken as a whole. The Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation Schedule III is presented for purposes of complying with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and is not part of the basic financial statements. This schedule has been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in our audits of the basic financial statements and, in our opinion, fairly states in all material respects the financial data required to be set forth therein in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole.

Orange County, California
February 15, 2002

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DEL TACO RESTAURANT PROPERTIES III
BALANCE SHEETS

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

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DEL TACO RESTAURANT PROPERTIES III
STATEMENTS OF INCOME

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

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DEL TACO RESTAURANT PROPERTIES III
STATEMENTS OF PARTNERS’ EQUITY
Years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

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DEL TACO RESTAURANT PROPERTIES III
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

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DEL TACO RESTAURANT PROPERTIES III
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2003 and 2002

NOTE 1 — ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The Partnership: Del Taco Restaurant Properties III, a California limited partnership, (the Partnership) was formed on December 19, 1985, for the purpose of acquiring real property in California for construction of ten Mexican-American restaurants to be leased under long-term agreements to Del Taco, Inc. (General Partner or Del Taco) for operation under the Del Taco trade name. As of July 5, 1990, all ten restaurants had commenced operation on acquired properties. In November 1997, the Twentynine Palms property was sold yielding net proceeds of $278,612. As of December 31, 2003, Del Taco Restaurant Properties III had nine properties in operation.

Basis of Accounting: The Partnership utilizes the accrual method of accounting for transactions relating to the business of the Partnership. Distributions are made to the general and limited partners in accordance with the provisions of the partnership agreement (see Note 2).

Property and Equipment: Property and equipment is stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives which are 20 years for land improvements, 35 years for buildings and improvements, and 10 years for machinery and equipment.

The Partnership accounts for property and equipment in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. (SFAS) 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long Lived Assets.” SFAS 144 requires that long-lived assets be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. In evaluating long-lived assets held for use, an impairment loss is recognized if the sum of the expected future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) is less than the carrying value of the asset. Once a determination has been made that an impairment loss should be recognized for long-lived assets, various assumptions and estimates are used to determine fair value including, among others, estimated costs of construction and development, recent sales of comparable properties and the opinions of fair value prepared by independent real estate appraisers. Long-lived assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements: In November 2002, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Interpretation No. 45, “Guarantor’s Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others” (“Interpretation 45”), an interpretation of FASB Statements No. 5, 57 and 107 and rescission of FASB Interpretation No. 34. Interpretation 45 elaborates on the disclosures to be made by a guarantor in its interim and annual financial statements about its obligations under certain guarantees that it has issued. It also clarifies that a guarantor is required to recognize, at the inception of a guarantee, a liability for the fair value of the obligation undertaken in issuing the guarantee. Interpretation 45’s initial recognition and initial measurement provisions are effective on a prospective basis to guarantees issued or modified after December 31, 2002. The disclosure requirements are effective for financial statements of interim or annual periods ending after December 15, 2002. The Company adopted the disclosure requirements of Interpretation 45 effective December 31, 2002 and has not entered into any guarantees since December 31, 2002.

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DEL TACO RESTAURANT PROPERTIES III
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — CONTINUED
December 31, 2003 and 2002

NOTE 1 — ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – Continued

Recent Accounting Pronouncements – Continued: In January 2003, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 46, “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities” (“Interpretation 46”), an interpretation of Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) No. 51. Interpretation 46, as amended, addresses consolidation by business enterprises of variable interest entities. Interpretation 46, as amended, applies immediately to variable interest entities created after January 31, 2003, and to variable interest entities in which an enterprise obtains an interest after that date. It applies in the first year or interim period beginning after December 15, 2003, to variable interest entities in which an enterprise holds a variable interest that it acquired before February 1, 2003. In December 2003, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 46R which modified certain provisions of Interpretation 46. Interpretation No. 46R also modified the effective date of Interpretation 46. Companies must apply Interpretation No. 46R by the end of the first reporting period after December 15, 2003. The Company believes it has no variable interest entities to which Interpretation 46 nor Interpretation No. 46R would apply.

Income Taxes: No provision has been made for federal or state income taxes on partnership net income, since the Partnership is not subject to income tax. Partnership income is includable in the taxable income of the individual partners as required under applicable income tax laws. Certain items, primarily related to depreciation methods, are accounted for differently for income tax reporting purposes (see Note 7).

Net Income Per Limited Partnership Unit: The net income per limited partnership unit was calculated based upon 47,301 weighted average units outstanding in 2003, and 47,331 weighted average units outstanding in 2002 and 2001.

Use of Estimates: The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition: Revenue is recognized based on 12 percent of gross sales of the restaurants which is recorded at the point of sale.

Concentration of Risk: The nine restaurants leased to Del Taco make up almost all of the income producing assets of the Partnership and contributed all of the Partnership’s rental revenues for the three years ended December 31, 2003. Therefore, the business of the Partnership is almost entirely dependent on the success of the Del Taco trade name restaurants that lease the properties.

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DEL TACO RESTAURANT PROPERTIES III
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — CONTINUED
December 31, 2003 and 2002

NOTE 2 — PARTNERS’ EQUITY

Pursuant to the partnership agreement, annual partnership net income or loss is allocated one percent to the General Partner and 99 percent to the limited partners. Partnership gains from any sale or refinancing are to be allocated one percent to the General Partner and 99 percent to the limited partners until allocated gains and profits equal losses, distributions and syndication costs, and until each class of limited partners receive their priority return (10 percent) as defined in the partnership agreement. Additional gains are to be allocated 15 percent to the General Partner and 85 percent to the limited partners.

NOTE 3 — OBLIGATION TO GENERAL PARTNER

Under terms of the partnership agreement, the General Partner is entitled to receive a fee in an amount equal to five percent of aggregate capital contributions. The fee shall be for services rendere