Value menus are a saving grace when you want fast food without a hefty price tag, and along with much of the UK, I've long been a fan of McDonald's 99p Saver Menu. However, it's far from the only decent one out there.
American-style Mexican food chain Taco Bell, for example, also offers a Cravings Value Menu. Ranging from £1 to £2, the lower-priced line-up offers much of the menu from tacos to 'baby' burritos in smaller sizes, plus two dessert specials like churros.
Intrigued by the US imports' rival saver menu, I headed to Taco Bell to pick up all eight items and find out if any were worth their salt. And, somewhat surprisingly, almost all of them were.
Seasoned Fries with Nacho Cheese Sauce
Taco Bell’s Seasoned Fries and Nacho Cheese Sauce are two of its most popular signatures, so I was thrilled to see them listed on the Cravings Value Menu for £1. Back home, both the yellow pot of cheese and orange-red, spice mix-coated fries were slightly concerning vibrant shades.
The chips were medium thickness, very well coated with seasoning and had a fluffy inside that made the paprika, chilli powder and garlic notes pop. The creamy cheese was a perfect accompaniment. I normally need ketchup with chips but I didn’t miss it at all.
Price: £1
Rating: 5/5
You can get Seasoned Fries with Nacho Cheese Sauce in-store at Taco Bell or via Deliveroo
Nachos with Nacho Cheese Sauce
I had high hopes for the Nachos, which promised to be identical to the Seasoned Fries, such with tortilla chips subbed in. However, these ones missed the mark for me.
Though the packet was stuffed to the brim with crisps and definitely held more than, say, a 30g bag of Doritos, I felt like I wasn’t getting as good a deal as with the weightier chips. More importantly, though, the flat, dry crisps tasted bland in comparison to the fries, despite the application of the same spice mix.
Price: £1
Rating: 2/5
You can get Nachos with Nacho Cheese Sauce in-store at Taco Bell or via Deliveroo
Crispy Chicken Soft Taco
I’ve only had one soft shell taco from Taco Bell before and it disappointed me, so I went into this £2 menu item with definite reservations. My fears were initially confirmed as I unwrapped it to reveal what was definitely the saddest of all items in appearance.
Staring back at me was a pale, crumpled tortilla topped with a mound of lettuce and white sauce. There was no chicken in sight at first - but some gentle probing soon revealed a chunky golden fillet hiding beneath. Said chicken was roughly the size of a McDonald’s Chicken Select - if a little shorter and fatter - but with a delicate, crunchy buttermilk coating. The meat itself was tender and high-quality. I reluctantly decided I would order this again.
Price: £2
Rating: 4.5/5
You can get Crispy Chicken Soft Taco in-store at Taco Bell or via Deliveroo
Spicy Chicken Baby Burrito
Taco Bell has two ‘baby’ burritos on its value menu. Each is made with the size of tortilla you would normally expect of a burrito but seems to contain somewhere between one-third and one-half of the usual amount of fillings.
My first few bites gave the impression that there was a decent amount of seasoned chicken, however, later bites revealed this to be more true of the middle only. The chicken coverage tapered out towards the ends. Taste-wise, it was surprisingly zingy and fresh thanks to the Jalapeños, with a generous and evenly spread blanket of sour cream also balancing the spice nicely.
Price: £2
Rating: 4/5
You can get Spicy Chicken Baby Burrito in-store at Taco Bell or via Deliveroo
Beefy Nacho Baby Burrito
The Beefy Nacho Baby Burrito is the beefiest thing on Taco Bell’s Cravings Value Menu in more ways than one. Not only was it definitely chunkier in size than the Spicy Chicken flavour-way but its flavours packed more of a punch too.
Inside was a mix of gooey cheese sauce, minced beef and tortilla chips that was rich and indulgent. Though made with the same size tortilla as the Spicy Chicken, its amplified sauciness meant it felt packed with substance and flavour, even at the corners.
Price: £2
Rating: 5/5
You can get Beefy Nacho Baby Burrito in-store at Taco Bell or via Deliveroo
Cheesy Roll-up
The £1 Cheesy Roll-up is exactly what it sounds like: a plain tortilla that’s been filled with melted cheese and rolled up into a slim, cigar shape. Roughly half the size of the Baby Burritos with a pale, barely toasted countenance and a few strands of congealed cheese at its seams, it’s definitely one of the saddest looking menu items. And also one of the most delicious.
Cutting into it revealed a Fibonacci spiral of dough interspersed with cheese that was mostly pale yellow and translucent but with a few flecks of orange. The taste was a simple, effective combination of squishy dough and tangy cheese.
I was conscious while polishing it off in a few bites that I could definitely make this at home for much cheaper than £1 a piece - and that’s the only reason I’m not giving it full marks. When out and about and in need of a light snack, though, it’s a definite winner.
Price: £1
Rating: 4.5/5
You can get Cheesy Roll-up in-store at Taco Bell or via Deliveroo
Churros
Taco Bell’s £1 Churros had one of the strongest - and most delicious - smells of the lot, and it was the main driver for how fast I marched home. As I plucked one of the two creviced loops from the bag, the scent of sugar, oil and cinnamon briefly transported me to an imaginary fairground donut stand.
It wasn’t as hot or big as those donuts would have been but it was definitely as happiness-inducing, with a suitably crunchy, ridged exterior and oily (but not greasy) interior. Heaven.
Price: £1
Rating: 5/5
You can get Churros in-store at Taco Bell or via Deliveroo
Cinnamon Twists
My first thought upon lifting the packet of Cinnamon Twists out of the bag was that it was alarmingly light. Had I been short-changed on this item? I counted 12 in the packet and decided maybe not.
The worthiness of this item was further confirmed when I bit into the first twist and discovered it had exactly the same flavour as my beloved churros. The texture, meanwhile, was an unexpected combination of fluffy, airy and crunchy that landed somewhere between prawn crackers and pork scratchings. Slightly confusing but also highly moreish and tasty.
Price: £1
Rating: 4.5/5
You can get Cinnamon Twists in-store at Taco Bell or via Deliveroo
The verdict
Taco Bell's Cravings Value Menu is underrated and that is a hill I will die on. I can't believe I've slept on it for this long and I would urge you not to either. Almost all of the £1 and £2 items were worth it to me - except the Nachos - but particularly the Seasoned Fries with Nacho Cheese Sauce, Beefy Cheese Nacho Burrito and Churros.
I also loved the Cheesy Roll-up and would 100% get it as a snack when out and about and craving something simple and tasty, though I wouldn't say it's as worth it as the others. Bar the Beefy Nacho Cheese Burrito, most of the items aren't particularly filling on their own, so you'd want at least two, perhaps three, but there's enough range in this menu alone that you could build a meal for £3 or £4 and give your tastebuds a lot of variety and fun.
Is there a story you think we should be covering? If so, please email whatson@mylondon.news or at tilly.alexander@reachplc.com
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