Taco Bell just dropped five items from its Cavings Value Menu, leaving some fans devastated. The fast food chain said that its newly-overhauled value menu will focus on “more satiating, meal-sized items,” according to a report by Business Insider. For commenters online, this means the loss of a reliable snack.
Taco Bell’s Cravings Value Menu is made up of items under $3, but the restaurant wants to give customers the best bang for their buck at that price. Earlier this month, the company announced that five items are leaving the value menu while six new items will be added. Four items were erased permanently: the chipotle ranch grilled chicken burrito, the beefy melt burrito, the fiesta veggie burrito and the classic combo. The fifth item is the cinnamon twist, which is simply leaving the value menu for the “drinks and sweets” section instead. These changes went into effect on Jan. 11, so loyal Taco Bell customers have likely already noticed them by now.
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The new menu items are meant to provide more value at similar low prices. For example, one new menu item is the new cheesy double beef burrito – an upscaled take on the beefy melt burrito with more meat as well as rice, nacho cheese sauce, tortilla strips, reduced-fat sour cream and a three-cheese blend. Another is the double-stacked taco – an assortment of beef, lettuce, cheddar cheese and fiesta strips wrapped in two tortillas. Similar to Taco Bell’s cheesy gordita crunch, this item is a hard-shelled taco wrapped in a soft-shell taco with melted cheese in between.
The other new items include the stacker – a tortilla with beef, nacho cheese sauce and a three-cheese blend – the loaded beef nachos – a tray of chips topped with beef, beans, nacho cheese sauce, red sauce, reduced-fat sour cream and guacamole – and the chicken enchilada burrito – a burrito filled with grilled chicken, rice, red sauce, three-cheese blend and reduced fat sour cream. Finally, the last new item is the three-cheese chicken flatbread melt – a flatbread filled with grilled chicken, creamy chipotle sauce and a three-cheese blend.
Meanwhile, four items that Taco Bell describes as “classics” will stay on the value menu even if some of them aren’t as filling as their counterparts. That includes the familiar cheesy roll-up, the spicy potato soft taco, the cheesy bean and rice burrito and the cheesy fiesta potatoes.
Commenters were not altogether pleased with these changes, especially since the new menu items generally cost more than the ones they are replacing. One person on X wrote: “I think they should bring back the beefy melt burrito because the double beef is more expensive and it’s really not that much more beef.” However, these increases are actually meant to appeal to frugal customers as the fast food industry in general is seeing fewer visits from lower-income customers. Unlike other chains, this increase at least comes with some changes to the menu – and ostensibly more food.
