Taco Bell Testing New Meat Alternative Menu Item

Taco Bell is once again courting its vegetarian consumers with more meatless options. The fast-food chain is currently testing a meatless alternative ahead of the Beyond Meat trial, and it is currently only available at one Taco Bell location in Tustin, California. The Cravetarian Taco is a vegetarian alternative to the fan-favorite Crunchy Taco Supreme and instead of the classic beef has a filling made of chickpeas and peas alongside the usual our cream, cheese, shredded lettuce, and tomatoes inside of the crunchy shell. Taco Bell has plans to test it through April 29.

With the news that Taco Bell would be offering a “meat alternative,” people on Twitter all rushed to make the same variation of a joke. “‘Taco Bell to test its own alternative meat product’ – a headline that both alludes to the future as well as the past and present simultaneously,” quipped one Twitter user.

“Are we just pretending that Taco Bell hasn’t always consisted of ‘meat alternative?’” joked another. “Taco Bell is testing a new meatless alternative, opposed to the alternative meat they’ve been using for decades,” tweeted another.

The fast-food chain has been dealing with a drop in sales due to the ongoing pandemic, especially with the late-night munchies as people are staying home. Still, MSNBC reports that their parent company Yum Brands is bouncing back. The Cravetarian Taco is obviously an attempt to court an expanding market, especially when partnered with the upcoming Beyond Meat trial items.

This news of a meat alternative option comes on the heels of Taco Bell bringing back its Fiesta Potatoes after fan outcry. “The return of our beloved potatoes is just the first step in showing our fans the strong continued commitment to vegetarian we are making this year,” Liz Matthews, Taco Bell’s Global Chief Food Innovation Officer, said in the announcement. “We have long been a leader in the vegetarian space, but this year, we have more meatless options in store that vegetarians, veggie-curious, and even meat-eaters will love.”