If you are as passionate as I am about food, then one question I'm sure you've asked is this: Which 99 cent menu item is the best at taco bell?
This may not seem as simple as it might at first. We have all the standbys of course. The timeless soft taco, the slightly less timeless, and often more stale, hard shell, the bean burrito and its cousin, the five-layer, not to mention the tasty caramel apple empanada. In addition, however, we have two new items to compete for our attention: the Beefy Crunch and the brand new Beefy Melt Burrito. These new offerings tread ground that the archetypal classics do not, combining a host of new flavors sufficient to make the taco bell connoisseur reconsider their ordering habits. In this humble columnist's opinion, the issue is not deciding between an old or new 99 cent item, but which of the new burritos to choose. The flavor and innovation latent in these two new burritos is simply too good to pass up.
We must carefully weigh the strengths and weaknesses of these two new burritos. First we should examine the similarities: both are competing to take the spot that the Cheesy Double Beef once occupied, before it was elevated to the 1.50 menu, and subsequently forgotten about. Therefore, both burritos are heavily influenced by their predecessor. The central flavor profile of each is made up of rice, a healthy dose of beef, and cheese. New to each is the addition of sour cream, a nod to the immensely popular Gordita Supremes and the Five and Seven layer burritos. At only 99 cents, these are the cheapest menu items to contain this coveted ingredient, allowing the everyman to enjoy what was formally only reserved for the taco bell elite. But with so many similarities, what is the real difference between the Beefy Melt and the Beefy Crunch Burrito?
The real difference lies in one crucial detail, the addition of Flamin' Hot Fritos to the Beefy Crunch. This essentially creates a dichotomy: The Beefy Melt Burrito is a calculated nod to what made taco bell great, and the Beefy Crunch is a bold step into the future.The Beefy Melt has all the things that we want from taco bell, but it goes no further than adding an already familiar ingredient, sour cream, to what is essentially a less beefy and more cheesy Cheesy Double Beef. The Beefy Crunch is the next evolutionary step after the polarizing Double Decker Taco, adding a previously unknown flavor profile to the crunchy/soft medley of earlier menu offerings. Not only that, but the Beefy Crunch is the cheapest available item to deliver the crunchy/soft combination, easily outdoing similar options.
Which one to choose? Well it depends on what you go to taco bell for. If you love all the classic elements of taco bell, then the Beefy Melt is the best bet. Not only is it the cheapest way to get all the classic taco bell ingredients, it also in a much better blend than other similar tacos and burritos. The extra heat applied to melt the cheese goes a great way to combine and mix the disparate ingredients, something that occasionally happens with the classic 99 cent items.
If you want to try something new and exciting, then the Beefy Crunch is your new best friend. I was amazed how the simple addition of Fritos could do to transform a burrito. This time the combination of crunchy and soft textures leaves nothing to be desired. The Fritos are carefully sequestered away from any potential contaminants by the extra folds of the burrito shell, keeping them crunchy and fresh. The flamin' hot flavor also does a great deal to enhance the overall flavor complexity, and adds a unique mouthfeel to this burrito.
In this authors humble opinion, I feel that the Beefy Crunch outdoes the Beefy Melt, but this may only be due to personal preference. I have always been one to dabble in the more daring and experimental fare from Taco Bell, so it comes as no surprise that I prefer it. To those reading at home, please take part in my blog's poll to voice your opinion on this matter, or feel free to comment on this post. Until next time.
Stay hungry and discerning my friends,
-The Taco Bell Gourmet.
