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Testing Taco Bell’s new ‘79-89-99-cent’ value menu
May 15th, 2008, 3:15 am · 23 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
I entered Taco Bell’s test kitchen in Irvine this week on an empty stomach. I crossed my fingers, praying that I could taste the chain’s new value menu foods with a polite smile on my face.
You see. I have a secret: I don’t like Taco Bell food.
When it comes to cheap, fast Mexican food, I prefer Del Taco for my bean burritos and soft tacos. After all, Del Taco cooks every item to order. But my Taco Bell hosts gave me this shocking news: The nation’s largest Mexican fast-food chain actually makes its own beans, tortilla chips and pico de gallo salsas daily in each restaurant. Food is also cooked to order.
You’re kidding? But, I digress.
My mission on Wednesday was to taste the four new products Taco Bell created for its revamped value menu. The Why Pay More Value Menu (at, right) launches nationally today in 5,600 restaurants and replaces the 
Big Bell Value Menu.
During my visit, I met Taco Bell Chief Marketing Officer David Ovens. He told me the idea behind the new value menu is to appeal to consumers struggling to pay food, energy and gas bills. Thus, 10 items are offered at 79 cents, 89 cents or 99 cents. (Del Taco’s Macho Value menu, by the way, sells items for 59 cents, 89 cents and 99 cents.)
The Why Pay More Value Menu ad campaign kicks off Sunday with a commercial showing people preparing for a trip to Taco Bell by digging for pennies, dimes and quarters in couch crevices and car coin slots. (CLICK HERE to view new commercials.)
The message: it only takes a few coins to get a good meal.
“Spend less, get more,” said Ovens, at left, with the new Frutista Freeze
. (see more on this drink, below)
To beef up the current value menu, Taco Bell created four unique and “filling” products including the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito. (click photo, at right, to enlarge)
At 89 cents, this 8.1-ounce burrito was created to “compete with (value) burgers” being offered at rival chains, said Ovens. (No names were mentioned, but the chief competitor in this category is clearly McDonald’s, which has a $1 double cheeseburger.)
Ovens called the Double Beef the “hero” of the value menu. However, of the four food items I tasted on Wednesday, this one was my least favorite. It came stuffed with rice, which I don’t like in my burritos. Still, I can imagine hungry teen boys ordering a few.
Next up: The Triple Layer Nachos and a Melted Three-Cheese Roll-Up, both 79 cents. I really liked these items. The nachos are topped with red sauce, melted cheese (more like cheese sauce) and beans. (Later on, I compared the nachos to Del Taco’s 99-cent value menu nachos. (photo, left): Taco Bell’s crispy chips and cheese sauce tasted much better.
The roll-up was essentially a quesadilla folded like a mini-burrito. I liked it purely for the innovation. It was a convenient, portable twist on a classic Mexican dish.
Hands down, my fave food item was the 99-cent Big Taste Taco. It had seasoned beef, lettuce, red tortilla strips (nice touch), cheddar cheese and jalapeno sauce. I liked this one so much, I bought another one on my way home.
Now for the Frutista Freeze. I’m not a huge fruity beverage gal. But, these new drinks are a good first effort. Taco Bell has never sold a frozen beverage in its history, but consumer demand prompted the chain to put one on the menu. The chain’s food and beverage team researched several Santa Ana shops that serve liquados (fruit mixed with water or milk) before coming up with the Frutista. (click on the photo, right, to enlarge.)
The $1.89 drink comes in Strawberry and Mango flavors. Both are topped with strawberries. (thawed from frozen) The Mango was sweet and refreshing. As I sipped the the 250-calorie beverage, I found myself scooping out the sliced strawberries so I could nibble on them. They were super sweet. Speaking of which — Taco Bell is using natural sucrose (not high-fructose corn syrup) to sweeten these drinks.
Sample alert: Over the next two weeks, Taco Bell stores will give customers a free, 3-ounce sample of the Frutista Freeze. The offer won’t be advertised, but all you have to do is ask.
So, what’s next for Taco Bell? The company is keeping a lid on new products, but the marketing team gave me a few hints:
Look out for a new Frutista Freeze flavor coming soon: Triple Berries & Cream. The beverage blends vanilla and three different kinds of berries.
Also, Ovens let this slip when I asked him about the possibility of serving iced coffee: “It’s on test for the future.”
That’ s it. Go eat, and let me know what you think.
McDonald’s freebie alert: Don’t forget McDonald’s is giving away Southern Style chicken sandwiches today, May 15. For more details, read my previous post.
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Thanks..jc…I fixed it.
[...] Testing Taco Bell’s new ‘79-89-99-cent’ value menu [...]
[...] Testing Taco Bell’s new ‘79-89-99-cent’ value menu [...]
Are telling me that you had all three new items at the restaurant, including the fruit drink, and still had the urge to buy an additional Big Taste Taco on your way home??? Whoa! You got some appetite!
Thanks for advertising the new eats at TB yesterday. I went and got the two double cheese burritos for dinner yesterday and they were hella good and cheap. TB those are winners for sure.
taco bell is for those too lazy to put some beans on the stove and warm a tortilla.
Nancy -
What makes this news?
Why your fascination with Fast Food?
There isn’t another major newspaper with such an obsession on the subject. How about a story about the REAL COST OF FAST FOOD.
Are the food companies paying you to advertise them? If so, please disclaim it.
Too bad there isn’t a Fairness Doctrine so that healthy food could get such press.
Fast Food Maven is my favorite blog.
I generally prefer Del Taco to Taco Bell, but I will have to check them out again
Very strange fascination indeed. The poor in this country have systematically become addicted to high fat, low nutrient food because real food has become so expensive and this crap is so cheap. The price paid due to obesity and diabetes is astronomical.
Oh goodness. “Real” food is actually a lot less expensive!
This blog is GREAT for those of us that rarely eat fast food. Otherwise we would know so much more of what is out there. The last time I had fast food was in May of 2007. I find some of these comments astonishing!
Oh, and its was a Carls Bacon Cheeseburger. The first hamburger that I had eaten in 16 years. Thanks
“Oh, and its was a Carls Bacon Cheeseburger. The first hamburger that I had eaten in 16 years. Thanks”
^^^what is it w/ ppl feeling the need to puff their chests out about what they feel is an accomplishment… who cares?? it’s analagous to the onion’s “man who doesn’t even own a TV telling everyone he knows”
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28694
If they are so cash strapped, why are they wasting money on junk food? It is just a cruel hoax.
Too starving to wait, or too poor to afford cooking facilities. But perfect for Taco Bell’s bottom line. Is there no shame?
Yo Quiero Instant Diarrhea!!!!!!! for only .79 cents
I really beg to differ that real food is less expensive than fast food. A family of four can eat for under $10 at Taco Bell, just try to cook a healthy meal at home for that price.
Feed a family under ten dollars is impossible?!? A 5 lb bag of rice (a dollar or two) and a whole chicken (under nine dollars). A can of beans and a pack of hotdogs (four dollars) add brown sugar ketchup and mayonase (a dollar if you steal the other stuff from mcdonalds). a box of pancake mix (three dollars assuming you have tap water an extra three dollars fora bottle of syrup that will last a moth if you got to eat pancakes a few days a week). A case of slim fast: four items that can feed a family of four for under ten dollars. Also a box of cereal and a gallon of milk (under ten dollars)
This is bull, I love taco bell becuase usually i get cheap food and we dont have del tacos in orlando. Anyhow it seems to they are marketing it as something cheap but i can remember not to long ago (couple months) getting a bean burrito at less than 80 cents. So unless that bean burrito is a half a pound they are just hitting us while we are down “with energy and gas bills and all”. Same thing goes for the tacos i know they were cheaper a couple months ago, this disappoints me greatly.
With oil prices now thru the roof americans cant afford to eat healty. I would just like to thank our great omighty ruler bush-itler for this
I’ll break it down even more (Tortilla, Beans, Red Sauce, Onion, Cheese)
i would like to test the 79 89 99 cent value menu
[...] Bell officials said the chain’s Why Pay More Value menu has helped boost sales in stores. However, QSR said the Mexican-inspired food chain is moving [...]
Taco Bell steals 89 cents from everyone who buys a 1/2 pound burrito at certain locations. I got the burrito one day and it had less meat on it than a regular taco. I decided to bring a camera and show the world one of my LAST trips to Taco Bell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF6Pjm3l96A
You may have to copy and paste it but this is the worst taco bell ever. Trash on the floor and no condiments. a man and a women employee were making out in the resturant. I tried to record the part where the manager rudely refused to accept my receipt but the camera .wasn’t on I guess. Enjoy your fast food but dont go by the advertising its bogus!
Click Here To See My YouTube Video At Taco Hell
I think there stuff is the best LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!!!!!11