The menu will feature burritos and bowls for less than $5 each, a price point that undercuts Chipotle's by a good dollar or more. The menu was developed in partnership with celebrity chef Lorena Garcia (think America's Next Great Restaurant which, coincidentally, also starred Chipotle founder Steve Ells).
Eight new ingredients look to add new flavors to the Taco Bell menu and include whole black beans, citrus and herb marinated chicken, guacamole, fire-roasted corn salsa, romaine lettuce, pico de gallo, creamy cilantro dressing, and cilantro rice. Basically, it adds some new flavors beyond the standard Taco Bell flavors you're familiar with, which could make for interesting combinations in the future.
The items on the menu are the following:
Cantina Bowls (the 8 new ingredients in a bowl):
- Chicken ($4.79, 560 calories, 22g total fat. 26g protein)
- Veggie ($4.79, 540 calories, 21g total fat, 14g protein)
- Steak ($4.99, 550 calories, 23g total fat, 22g protein)
Cantina Burrito (the 8 new ingredients wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla):
- Chicken ($4.79, 760 calories, 27g total fat, 32g protein)
- Veggie ($4.79, 740 calories, 26g total fat, 20g protein)
- Steak ($4.99, 750 calories, 28g total fat, 28g protein)
Sides for $1.49 each:
- Chips and pico de gallo or fire-roasted corn salsa
- Chips and guacamole
- Black beans and cilantro rice
To help promote the Cantina Bell menu, if you order a Cantina Bowl or Burrito and don't like it, Taco Bell will replace it.
They put out a list of the ingredients for new, uh ingredients. I've posted it below:
"Black Beans: We use black beans, not refried, and add a Latin Spice Blend of onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, with other ingredients
Cilantro Rice: Rice cooked in a cilantro seasoning that features onion, garlic, cilantro and parsley
Citrus and Herb Marinated Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breast marinade that features garlic, onion, lemon, cilantro and tomatillo
New Guacamole: Lorena-inspired guacamole made with Hass avocados, and blended with tomato, jalapeno, onion, cilantro and lemon juice and other ingredients
Fire-Roasted Corn Salsa: Super Sweet yellow corn and fresh red and green bell peppers, fire roasted, with our Latin Spice Blend
Creamy Cilantro Dressing: Our Lorena-inspired Creamy Cilantro dressing features cilantro blended with oil, lemon juice, vinegar and garlic, and other ingredients
Pico de Gallo: Diced tomatoes and onions blended with fresh chopped cilantro and a tangy dressing made with lemon juice and vinegar"
Enough with the cilantro already. I won't try any of these because of that disgusting herb. Might as well pour Dial soap all over it.
ReplyDeleteOh cilantro, how I loathe thee. I was excited when I first heard about this since I have a Taco Bell quite nearby (9 miles, which in rural terms is practically nothing), but not now that I see cilantro is in almost every new item.
ReplyDeleteIf you're really itching to try, but hate the cilantro, I would just ask them to replace the cilantro rice with their regular seasoned rice and get it sans the dressing.
ReplyDeleteYeah and if worst comes to worst, I'll just have to stick to their normal menu. Which, now I that I think about it, I haven't tried many items from. I just usually order the soft taco or chicken quesadilla. We finally got a Chipotle (around 20 miles away, not bad) so I'll be able to get a taste of who they're competing with.
ReplyDeleteWhat's being discontinued? Please tell me it's not the Cheesy Gordita Crunch!
ReplyDeleteI was looking forward to trying it until cilantro .... yuck.
ReplyDelete