GrubGrade

Once upon a time, I scoffed at the idea of going for a burrito bowl over a burrito. These days, it’s not unusual for me to go without the tortilla and it’s not so bad.  I can’t really say that less carbs, calories and fat is my main reason either.  I always seem to order a side of chips and end up using them as my utensils.  I’m a big fan of Chipotle because they have very good guacamole.  California Tortilla on the other hand has very bad guacamole.  At Chipotle, my move is to scoop some guac and let it act as the spackle  for the burrito bowl dig.  At Cali Tortilla I just go guac-less and the experience is still pretty solid.  My bowl of choice at California Tortilla is the Low Fat Caribbean Bowl and guacamole isn’t needed because the mango sauce is on the main stage.

With “Low Fat” in the name, some might consider it not very tasty right off the bat.  Just because there is no cheese or sour cream doesn’t mean it’s not a tasty choice.  The Low Fat Caribbean Bowl consists of grilled marinated chicken breast, Mexican rice, black beans, low fat Caribbean mango sauce, fresh salsa and romaine. All the ingredients are generously portioned and always fresh in my experience. (more…)

If you gaze upon the Taco Bell menu board, you will come across a ton of choices but none more simple than the Cheese Roll-Up.  This seems like an item for those either short on cash or looking for something without meat.  If you’ve got less than a buck, this 79¢ item will do the trick.  For someone like me, the Cheese Roll-Up is merely an add-on to a meal.

The Cheese Roll-Up isn't important enough to get it's own packaging label so they used a Grilled Stuft Burrito wrapper.

Taco Bell describes the Cheese Roll-Up like this:

A warm, soft flour tortilla rolled up with a blend of three real cheeses and melted to perfection.

Since Taco Bell has a Why Pay More? value menu with over 10 items for 99¢ or less, it’s a no-brainer that this basic snack makes an appearance.  I can see the Cheese Roll-Up being a hit with little kids, but for a grown kid like myself, it’s not so bad either. (more…)

When I think of tacos, I think of your basic taco.   A hard/soft tortilla shell, with beef or chicken, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream.  Perhaps, I’m not thinking outside the box enough.  As you know, Taco Bell thinks outside of the bun when it comes to tacos.  They are always expanding their menu with new items that appeal to different taste buds.  One item that is a good example, which you can find on their Why Pay More Menu for 79¢, is the Crispy Potato Soft Taco.

I love Taco Bell’s Why Pay More menu and have become a big fan of the 89¢ Chicken Burrito-Fresco style.  For that price, I can get two and have lunch for $1.78, and still be fairly calorie/fat conscious.  I don’t mind trying new things so I decided that along with my normal chicken burritos, I would give the meatless Crispy Potato Soft Taco a try.

Taco Bell describes the Crispy Potato Soft Taco as:

A soft flour tortilla filled with crispy potato bites, Pepper Jack sauce, crisp, shredded lettuce, and real cheddar cheese.

That’s basically it.  Nothing really special with this taco, except for the fact that it could appeal to the vegetarian out there.  The potatoes are mildly seasoned and slightly crispy.  The shredded iceberg lettuce and cheddar cheese is typical of what you’d find on most Taco Bell menu items.  The flavor standout comes from the subtle bite of the Pepper Jack sauce that Taco Bell is currently using on the new Black Jack Taco. The ingredients on this taco (at least on this occasion) are very uneven as you can see from the last picture in this review.  The potatoes are taking over half of this taco and the lettuce and cheese are taking over the other half.    It would be a better product if the ingredients were equal throughout.  This wouldn’t be much of an issue if it was strictly position of the ingredients but I would’ve like to see more of some and less of some others.  I can’t help but take bite after bite and think something is missing. As I previously mentioned, this is a good item for the non-meat eaters out there but for the rest of us, it leaves you yearning for some protein.

This isn’t a bad item if you are looking for something different and cheap.  This isn’t a very filling taco and with mainly carbs, it won’t stick with you for long.  The 79¢ Crispy Potato Soft Taco contains 260 cal/13 g of fat/6g of protein as compared the the 89¢ Chicken Burrito Fresco-Style which carries 340 cal/10 g of fat/14 g of protein.  This makes me think I’d rather pay the extra 10¢ and get the Chicken Burrito -Fresco-Style and know that I am getting an item that will satisfy my appetite a lot better.  For the vegetarians, give the Crispy Potato Soft Taco a shot but for the rest of us, leave it as a little side item or just pass altogether.

(Check out our review of the Bacon Cheesy Potato Burrito)

• Pros:  Only 79¢.  Pepper Jack sauce gives it decent flavor.  Item for vegetarians.
• Cons:  Put together uneven.  Not very satisfying/filling.  A little high in fat/carbs.

Taste: 5.00/10

Value: 8.50/10

Grubbing on the Go: 6.50/10

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GrubGrade: 5.50/10 (Mediocre)

(Overall GrubGrade is not an average)

Price: $0.79

TacoBell.com

Nutrition Info – Crispy Potato Soft Taco

Calories – 260

Fat – 13g

Saturated Fat – 3g

Cholesterol- 10g

Sodium – 690mg

Carbohydrates – 31g

Dietary Fiber – 3g

Sugars – 2g

Proteins – 6g

It’s very easy to point at Taco Bell and call their new items very uninspired.  You’ve got to give them credit though, at least they continuously market reasonably priced and reasonably tasty offerings.  There’s really only so much you can do with Mexican fast food.  You’ve got a ton of ingredients and coming up with something new just requires plucking a little of this and a little of that and coming up with a new name.  This time around, Taco Bell has a new-look taco called the Black Jack Taco, and it’s hard to pass up at only 89¢.

Taco Bell describes the Black Jack Taco like this:

A crunchy black taco shell filled with seasoned beef,  zesty pepper jack sauce, shredded lettuce and a blend of three cheeses – cheddar, pepper jack and mozzarella.

Maybe it’s a Halloween thing, I’m not sure, but a black hard shell taco for the month of October seems like a pretty cool idea.   Like the red Volcano Taco shell, the Black Jack’s black shell doesn’t taste any different from what you’re used to. You’re still getting the typical toasty crunch from your standard hard shell taco.  Putting aside just the look of the thing, the main concern for all the grubbers out there is, “How does it taste?”  Well, you’ve got seasoned ground beef and a mix of shredded cheeses and cheese sauce.  Crunchy, cheesy and beefy are three words that can describe the Black Jack. The inclusion of Pepper Jack cheeses into the Black Jack is a nice change of pace.  It’s milder than the cheesy Lava Sauce found in the Volcano Menu items but still has a hint of heat that won’t overwhelm the cheese taste.  Considering that a regular hard shell taco is on the Why Pay More? value menu at Taco Bell for only 89 cents, my question is Why Not Go For the Black Jack? You’re not getting more beef but the cheese blends are a nice bonus.  Taco Bell could’ve easily just come out with this taco with the typical yellow shell and had a different name for it.  The pepper jack and mozzarella cheeses are the only real taste changes.

In closing, it’s a no brainer to give the Black Jack a taste.  It’s promo priced at only 89 cents right now so why wouldn’t you? I applaud Taco Bell for it’s cheap options all the time and grabbing three items and spending under $3.00 is really the way to go.  It’s a cool, new look with a decent taste that won’t hurt your wallet.  Try it.  Available until December 27th.

• Pros: Cheap.  Zesty cheese blend. Cool look.
• Cons: Black shell is just for looks.  Not filling and 17 grams of fat.

Taste:  7.25/10

Value:  9.50/10

Grubbing on the Go:  6.00/10

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GrubGrade:  7.25/10  (Decent)

(Overall GrubGrade is not an average)

Price: $0.89

TacoBell.com

Nutrition Info – Black Jack Taco

Calories – 210

Fat – 17 grams

Saturated Fat – 4.5 grams

Carbs – 6 grams

Cholesterol – 35 milligrams

Sodium – 430 milligrams

Sugars – 1 gram

Dietary Fiber – 2 grams

Protein – 8 grams

A little break from heat of the Summer and the heat of the Volcano Menu from Taco Bell.  Let’s cool down and tackle a new menu item from the fast food Mexican chain.  You might need it after conquering the Volcano Nachos.  The price of this latest creation was too good to pass up.  Introducing the 89¢ Chicken Ranch Gordita from Taco Bell.

Described by Taco Bell as:

A warm, pillowy flatbread filled with Flame-Grilled Chicken, creamy Ranch sauce and crisp lettuce.

First thing’s first…a gordita has never been 89¢ and that’s one of the major selling points that Taco Bell is going with here. (more…)

The long awaited addition to the Volcano Menu has reached the States nationwide.  I recall making my bold predictions at the Taco Bell Test Kitchen back in May, that the next item to bring the heat would be the Volcano Crunchwrap.  The Taco Bell folks were tight-lipped and as it turns out, I was dead wrong.  My second guess was the Volcano Nachos and it turns out I should’ve never trusted my instinct.  So here we are in the middle of the Summer heat and Taco Bell raises the temps even higher with the fiery New! Volcano Nachos.

As I mentioned in my Food News post, Taco Bell entices us with that great promo picture and this description:

Crunchy, freshly prepared tortilla chips covered with hearty beans, seasoned ground beef, warm nacho cheese, red tortilla strips, our new cheesy, molten hot lava sauce, jalapenos and topped off with reduced-fat sour cream

(more…)

I’ll admit going into the latest creation from Taco Bell with a bit of skepticism.  The Bacon Cheesy Potato Burrito just by name alone didn’t really seem all that appetizing.  I haven’t been a fan of the beef and bacon combination on Taco Bell items in the past so I was pretty hesitant at first.  All hesitation went away after reading good things about it through reviews (WIBIA loved it) and from hearing some positive word of mouth. All the fans of this burrito just made me really eager to see what all the fuss was about.

I guess my opinion going into it may have been a little tainted because of the positive word of mouth.  I really went into the purchase with high expectations. (more…)

“Ahhh…we meet again”

Ironic, I thought, as I looked down at the words on the packet of “Fire Sauce” I was in the process of dumping on the Grilled Chicken Soft Taco I had just purchased for $0.89 at Taco Bell.  A member of the company’s “Why Pay More Value Menu,” the Grilled Chicken Taco is not only the company’s latest innovation in cheap fast food, but it served as the driving force behind my first actual eating experience at Taco Bell.  Yes, as in like ever. Hence the irony of the Border Sauce comment.

My first trip to Taco Bell. Wow I feel like a man taking this picture...

Never a huge fan of Mexican food to begin with, I was skeptical about this taco, but decided to give it a try based on both its relative cheapness and apparent health benefits.  After having tried it however I have to say that for a first-time experience at a completely unfamiliar fast food restaurant, the Grilled Chicken Soft Taco sure made a believer out of me.  While I opted out of the cheese and decided to go “Fresco Style,” I found the taco to have just the right balance of spice in the chicken seasoning and sweetness in the salsa to compliment the warm tortilla.  I thought the chicken – while a little sparse compared to the tortilla – had a good seasoned flavor that pushed it past the realm of just “cooked chicken meat,” while the salsa tasted almost unbelievably fresh for having come from a fast food restaurant.  I actually would suggest going “Fresco” (aka fresh for yous gringos out there) on this one, as I think the cool undertones of the cilantro really balance out the chicken (especially if you load up on fire sauce) and help to make this a very flavorful menu choice.  The crazy thing is that I usually hate cilantro, but I actually found myself liking it in this salsa application.

Notice how the chicken is "clumped" in the front of the Taco. That's poor distribution right there folks.

My taco wasn’t packed to the gills like the one the guys from Would I Buy it Again? sampled (read their awesome review right hyah) but I mean for a mere $0.89 I was not expecting it to be.  That (and the fact that at under 200 calories each these things aren’t terribly filling) led me to purchase four of these, which still came out to be cheaper (and healthier) than any grilled chicken product I could get at a McDonalds or a Burger King.  While my usual travels don’t often take me in the direction of a Taco Bell restaurant; the quality, price, and nutritional benefits of the Grilled Chicken Soft Taco just may be enough incentive for me to make some “special” excursions to the Mexican fast food chain in the near future.

• Pros:  Incredibly good value.  Chicken has solid “fajita” like flavor and spice, along with a subtle southwestern sweetness.  Salsa tasted fresh, with a cool cilantro flavor really balancing the spice from the meat and the “Fire Sauce” packets I dumped on the taco.  Probably the healthiest and cheapest grilled chicken item that you can find at any fast food restaurant.
• Cons:  A little skimpy in terms of meat, but for $0.89 that’s to be expected.  Salsa and meat could have been more evenly distributed throughout taco, as the salsa seemed to overwhelm the back portions of my tacos while the meat dominated the front portions.

But who am I kidding? I loved this thing, especially the salsa. And usually I can't stand cilantro!

Taste: 8.00/10

Value: 9.50/10

Grubbing on the Go: 9.00/10

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GrubGrade: 9.00/10 (Exceptional)

(Overall GrubGrade is not an average)

Price: $0.89

TacoBell.com

Nutrition Facts – Grilled Chicken Soft Taco (with cheese)

Calories: 200

Total Fat: 8 grams

Saturated Fat: 5 grams

Carbs: 19 grams

Cholesterol: 35mg

Sodium: 650mg

Fiber: 1g

Sugars: 1g

Protein: 12g

Note: Nutritional information not available for “Fresco Style”

I grabbed the New! Volcano Box from Taco Bell today.  Clocking in at $6.99, bring your appetite or bring a friend to help finish it.  The Volcano Box features the return of the Volcano Taco and the mainstream introduction of the Volcano Double Beef Burrito.  Also included in the Volcano Box is a Crunchy Beef Taco, Cinnamon Twists and a Large Drink.

Volcano Taco – Your typical Crunchy Beef Taco fired up with a red taco shell and Lava Sauce.  Seasoned ground beef, grated cheese, lettuce and Lava Sauce nestled in the red shell   The red hard taco shell is just for the aesthetics of making it more Volcano-esque as it’s not flavored any different from what I can tell.  Just your typical taco shell with an intimidating new look.  The Lava Sauce is pretty hot for my feeble palette.  It’s a nice spicy, cheesy beef taco that on first bite you’re just hit with flavor and within a couple of seconds, the spicy sauce really kicks in.  It would be cool (and entirely possible) to get a Volcano Taco with some sour cream added to cool things down.  I found it strange that the only taste difference between this and the regular 89¢ Crunchy Beef Taco is the Volcano Sauce and it’s $1.29 for the Volcano Taco alone.  I guess red shells are more expensive.  I’ll deduct some points for the extra cost.  All in all though, I could handle the heat and maybe the next time I’ll ask if I can have it topped with a cooling agent…a nice helping of sour cream.  GrubGrade:  7.25/10  (Decent)

Volcano Taco - $1.29

Volcano Double Beef Burrito - The new kid on the Volcano block really stood out as the hero of the Volcano Box.  This Volcano Double Beef Burrito was pretty solid.  Here’s an attempt to sound like a Taco Bell ad…it’s “Cheesy, Beefy, Saucy, Ricey, Spicy and Pricey”.  How’s that?  The Volcano Burrito is similar to the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito. It contains seasoned rice, beef, Lava Sauce, Red Strips, Sour Cream, and Cheddar Cheese.  I found that $3.19 for the burrito alone was a little steep considering the Why Pay More! Value Menu has a burrito of similar weight and stature (Cheesy Double Beef Burrito) for 89 or 99¢.  The spicy new Lava Sauce is a bit more subtle in the Volcano Double Beef Burrito because there are a lot more ingredients helping to put out the fire.  This was a pretty filling burrito and I’m glad there was tasty rice included.  It would’ve been cool to have this burrito in a red soft tortilla but still nice addition to the Volcano Menu.  GrubGrade:  8.25/10  (Very Good)

Volcano Double Beef Burrito - $3.19

Crunchy Beef Taco - A bit of a break from the heat of the Volcano items.  Your typical, classic beef, hard corn taco shell.  Seasoned beef, grated cheddar cheese and lettuce.  Nothing crazy, just simple, tasty and cheap food you can eat by the bagful.  At 89¢, it’s a no brainer and a perfect compliment to any Taco Bell order.  I’ll go ahead and give it some extra bonus points for being only 89¢.  GrubGrade:  7.75/10  (Good)

Crunchy Beef Taco - 89cents

Cinnamon Twists – Crispy, puffed corn twists, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.  This was the first time that I’ve had these and I found them to be bigger than I expected.  Very light and crispy.  Cinnamon and sugary sweetness.  Nothing exceptional but an average sweet treat for only 79¢.  I really just wish that Taco Bell would bring back the Choco Taco.  GrubGrade:  6.25/10  (Average)

Cinnamon Twists - 79cents

Mountain Dew Baja Blast – An exclusive Taco Bell Mountain Dew flavor, the Baja Blast is marketed as a tropical lime-flavored Dew drink made specially to go with Taco Bell food.  Mixing in tropical lime and pineapple flavors, this blue Baja Blast was introduced in 2004.  I still prefer Mountain Dew Code Red.  The Baja Blast is kinda odd tasting.  Not a huge fan but I could see it growing on me if I were to be a repeat drinker.  GulpGrade:  5.75/10  (Mediocre)

Large Mountain Dew Baja Blast - $1.89

So for your $6.99, you get a big box of quick-serve Mexican grub that is certain to fill you up.  A good way to sample some new offerings at Taco Bell.  The New! Volcano Menu currently has just the Volcano Taco and the Volcano Double Beef Burrito.  You can make pretty much anything “Volcano” by adding the Lava Sauce.  Down the road I see an expansion to the Volcano Menu that I’m hoping will implement a few innovations other than the Lava Sauce alone.  It would be cool to get some red soft shell tacos or burritos.  Only time will tell.  The bottom line is that the Volcano Menu brings the heat and it is sure to satisfy Taco Bell fans out there.  The Volcano Double Beef Burrito is a nice addition and I’m looking forward to what’s to come.

Nutrition Info for the Volcano Menu items:

The Volcano Double Beef Burrito has 800 calories, 42 grams of fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 2010 mg sodium, 81 grams of carbs, 8 grams of dietary fiber, 6 grams of sugar and 24 grams of protein.

The Volcano Taco has 240 calories, 17 grams of fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 470 mg sodium, 14 grams of carbs, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 1 gram of sugar and 8 grams of protein.

I’ll have to begin this review by telling you I really didn’t have high expectations for Taco Bell’s latest creation going into it.  Not that I didn’t think it wouldn’t be good, it’s just that the idea of a taco salad didn’t really jump out at me like maybe a crazy, new taco would.  I am extremely glad I gave it a shot because Taco Bell’s New! Fully Loaded Taco Salads really impressed me.

Top: Fully Loaded Taco Salads before the addition of dressing/tortilla strips. Bottom: Dress it up!

As is standard with most new Taco Bell creations, the Fully Loaded Taco Salads gives you the option of chicken or steak.  Each salad comes in a crispy tortilla shell that I found to be quite tasty as I left virtually no evidence when I was done.  The shell/bowl isn’t as hard as a tortilla chip as it breaks off pretty easily yet still supports the salad if you were to lift it up out of it’s packaging.  I found myself breaking off pieces of the shell and scooping up the salad as if I were eating nachos.

Chicken Ranch Fully Loaded Taco Salad

The chicken version is called the Chicken Ranch Fully Loaded Taco Salad and includes grilled chicken, lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream and loaded with chunky beans, cheese and seasoned rice.  A packet of a zesty ranch dressing and a small cup of red tortilla strips are also included if you’d like to top your salad with some extra flavor.  The grilled chicken is nothing new to what you’re used to at Taco Bell.  Nice, meaty chunks of marinated chicken that go great with the ranch dressing. It’s tough to go wrong with a chicken/ranch dressing combination.  This one was a no-brainer.  Such a tasty combo of ingredients that start getting the wheels in motion in my head of Chicken Ranch Tacos and Chicken Ranch Burritos…Come to think of it, these Fully Loaded Taco Salads are packed with such tasty ingredients, they would go great in any form of fast food mexican menu items.

Chipotle Steak Fully Loaded Taco Salad

The steak version is called the Chipotle Steak Fully Loaded Taco Salad and includes carne asada steak, lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream and loaded with chunky beans, cheese and seasoned rice.  A packet of creamy chipotle dressing is included with this salad and provides a little extra kick of heat.  Also, just like the chicken version, a small cup of red tortilla strips are included.  This was surprisingly my favorite of the two. I’m usually a bigger chicken fan than steak fan when it comes to Taco Bell’s menu items because I always seem to find the steak a bit too chewy.  I think it has to do with the size of the morsels of steak.  With the Chipotle Steak taco salad, the pieces of carne asada steak were cut very small.  It was more like little nuggets of steak rather than strips of steak. My jaw didn’t have to go through a workout chewing it.  I was very impressed and I just have to say, whatever they did to the steak…KEEP IT UP!  It was really a lot better than I expected.  The lettuce and diced tomato were fresh and not overwhelming.  Yeah it’s called a “salad” but I found that all the ingredients were distributed pretty evenly.  No overload of lettuce at all (but not quite like the commercial).  There’s nothing that really stands out as being “too much”. I might say the rice and beans were too little but I’m afraid the overall taste of the salad would change into something different if more was added.  Other than the steak, the only big difference in taste between this and the Chicken Ranch version is the sauce.  As I mentioned before, the creamy chipotle sauce provides a little extra smokey kick that really complimented the meal.  It’s pretty mild actually but very tasty.  The red tortilla strips have a hint of lime in them that provided another flavor to enjoy and a nice crunch. Very nice touch on the lime tortilla strips Taco Bell.

Cup of red tortilla strips. What a great touch. These crunchy red beauties have a hint of lime and are quite tasty.

I think the biggest challenge for Taco Bell was finding the right balance of ingredients because there is just a lot going on with these salads.  To their benefit though, a lot of good was going on.  My only major gripe would have to be the price seemed to be a little steep at $5.69.  Considering that Taco Bell has hands down the BEST value menu around, it was quite a change from what I’m used to. I don’t think the size of the meal and the price meshed well.  When I saw the price, I was expecting something slightly bigger.  Seeing as though I was so impressed with the meal after I was finished, I quickly forgot about what I paid and I would happily get one of these salads again.  With the new Volcano Menu coming out soon, the Fully Loaded Taco Salads might disappear for a while so do yourself a favor and get one of these fast.

• Pros- Impressive taste.  Nice, crispy shell bowl.  So many great ingredients, sauce packets and lime tortilla strips an awesome plus.  Very good chicken version but I loved the steak version.  Two choices.
• Cons- Size too small for price tag.  Yikes calories/fat!  Don’t let the commercial fool you, there is a decent amount of lettuce.

Taste:  9.25/10

Value:  5.00/10

Grubbing on the Go:  6.75/10

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GrubGrade:  8.75/10 Chicken Ranch (Very Good),  9.25/10 Chipotle Steak (Exceptional)

(Overall GrubGrade is not an average)

Price:  $5.69

TacoBell.com

Nutrition Facts – Chicken and Steak Fully Loaded Taco Salads

Chicken Ranch version
Calories – 960

Total Fat – 75 grams

Saturated Fat – 10 grams

Carbs – 78 grams

Cholesterol – 70 milligrams

Sodium – 1710 milligrams

Dietary Fiber – 8 grams

Sugars – 8 grams

Protein – 36 grams

Steak version
Calories – 950

Total – 59 grams

Saturated Fat – 11 grams

Carbs – 76 grams

Cholesterol – 65 milligrams

Sodium – 1760 milligrams

Dietary Fiber – 8 grams

Sugars – 9 grams

Protein – 29 grams