Famous Death Row Last Meals
PHOTOS: 7 Foods You'll Be Eating In The Future
Photo: Erik R. Trinidad
As the "Fish Fridays" of Lent continue, the folks at Taco Bell want remind all the observant omnivores out there that fish isn't the only game in town -- shrimp is fair game, too. And as we all know from "Forrest Gump," shrimp can be prepared in many ways -- you can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, or sauté it. Taco Bell has jumped on the proverbial shrimp boat, and now offers the Pacific Shrimp Taco and Burrito. Here's how they rate:
The Claims: Both the Pacific Shrimp Taco and Pacific Shrimp Burrito are made with soft flour tortillas, and start with "six succulent shrimp, marinated in spices, crisp shredded lettuce, creamy avocado ranch, [and] fiesta salsa." The tortilla of the burrito is larger, allowing for two additional ingredients: a shredded three-cheese blend and crispy red tortilla strips.
The Price: $3.29 for the taco (170 calories); $4.29 for the burrito (460 calories). (Prices may vary at participating locations.)
See the verdict after the jump.
The Verdict: B+. Taco Bell started the year off with a rough start with that whole class-action-suit-mystery-meat ordeal, but there's no mistaking shrimp for shrimp -- even if there are only six of them per taco or burrito. However, six shrimp is sufficient because all the other ingredients come together to make each of these offerings a light and surprisingly tasty fast-food delicacy -- tasty enough that I didn't feel it necessary to add any hot sauces like I normally do with most other items at Taco Bell. There is a nice melody of textures and flavors in the taco; the shrimp is firm, the tortilla is soft and chewy (although you could also opt to order it with a hard shell), and the creamy avocado ranch flavor plays well with the hint of smokiness in the shrimp's marinade. Granted, these flavors are probably engineered, and the lettuce could be crisper, but fast food is what it is. The diced tomatoes, onions and cilantro in the salsa are definitely a nice touch of "freshness," and complement the rest of the taco's ingredients.
If you have the means and/or appetite, upgrade to the burrito though, the added ingredients actually add to the Pacific Shrimp eating experience. The blend of shredded cheese gives a little more salty and umani taste (as well as calories) than you get from the taco, plus the red tortilla chips add some crunchy texture and a little added bite. (Perhaps that's because they suspiciously look suspiciously like they might just be chopped red Flamin' Hot Fritos used in the Beefy Crunch Burrito). Whether or not that's the case, these offerings are both a decent lighter -- yet filling -- offering from outside the bun.
- Read about the Taco Bell beef lawsuit at Daily Finance.
Hungry for news about fast food, slow food, food politics, food personalities, and food controversies? Then sign up for our weekly newsletter. Plus, be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
Fast Food Reviews
Arby's Angus Three Cheese & Bacon Sandwich
Grade B
Our tester said: Arby's is no stranger to roast beef sandwiches, so rather than introduce something completely new, they've decided to improve upon something they're already known for. The beef is sliced and piled into a decent portion that delivers a good texture per bite, without being too sloppy. The bacon is decent; chewy with a slight crispness that goes well with the soft Italian roll.
Domino's Chicken Wings
Grade: D
Our tester said: The revamped Chicken Wings are definitely not worth getting (at least the ones I got fresh at one particular New York City location), unless you really want to serve wings at a pizza party and don't feel like going to a separate place for them. They are small, subpar and not meaty at all.
Domino's Boneless Chicken
Grade: C
Our tester said: The new Boneless Chicken comes in nuggets similar to those at Wendy's -- only smaller -- and they are decent, with soft white breast meat lightly breaded in a coating of breadcrumbs, a few herbs, salt and pepper.
Wendy's Asiago Ranch Chicken Club
Grade: A
Our tester said: While these three sandwiches are merely enhancements of existing sandwiches, the new combination of toppings makes all the difference. At its core, the chicken breast fillets are as good as Wendy's gets; the Homestyle variety is breaded and seasoned like a KFC fillet, the breaded Spicy one packs decent heat for a national fast-food chain, and the Grilled version is lighter in taste and texture. All three are tender, plump and juicy. And, typical of Wendy's chicken sandwiches, the fresh tomatoes and lettuce take the edge off of the chicken's saltiness, while the soft bun complements them all.
Taco Bell's Quad Steak Burrito and Quesadilla
Grade: C+
Our tester said: This "new" burrito and quesadilla may pack more meat, but it is not inventive on any other front. It is what it is, and "what it is" is an obvious attempt at damage control, a food item to remind the public that you can get actual beef chunks -- and plenty of them -- at Taco Bell. Sure, the Quad Steak items are filling and have that familiar fast-food Mexican-inspired taste you expect from Taco Bell, with a spiciness you can control via your preference of thier Mild, Hot, or Fire Sauce. To be fair, the abundance of steak pieces does alter the texture of the burrito, with more beef per bite during your eating experience, rather than the mouthfuls of mostly rice you get with the regular steak burrito. But apart from that, this "new" burrito is nothing new at all. Taco Bell may claim to "think outside the bun," but they didn't think much further than that in this one.
McDonald's Angus Chipotle BBQ Bacon & Cheese Burger and Snack Wrap
Grade: C+
Our tester said: This "new" version of the Angus Third Pounder is really nothing new at all -- and it boasts the highest calorie count of any burger on the menu (at the time of writing). Sure, it will satisfy your hunger, and the beef is tasty, but the sauce flavor is lacking. My gripe with this sandwich is that when trying to analyze its flavor, I was searching for the chipotle taste in the BBQ sauce, but couldn't find the deep, smoky spiciness that chipotle peppers are known for. In fact, when I sampled the sauce by itself, it was rather familiar: It tasted exactly like the brown barbecue sauce served with Chicken McNuggets, and more recently, in the McRib sandwich.
Burger King's Jalapeno & Cheese Stuffed Steakhouse Burger
Grade: B-
Our tester said: For a fast-food chain known for the "heat" to come from flame-broilers, not spices, this new burger actually packs a lot of kick and is quite spicy -- when you find it, that is. The distribution of the jalapeño bits in the patty isn't always even and there is no "bite" in every bite. The saltiness of the cheese takes down the heat a tad, just as the lettuce and tomato attempt to offset the mild spiciness of the poblano cream sauce (which only has a hint of spice above what seems to be plain mayonnaise).
Chick-fil-A's Spicy Chicken Biscuit
Grade: B+
Our tester said: While we expected this breakfast biscuit to be on the way-too-buttery side, we were surprised it wasn't too salty or greasy. The biscuit is soft and firm yet moist enough that it doesn't crumble when being handled. By itself, the biscuit has the right amount of salt, and is actually a bit sweet, with the flavor of sweet cornmeal, as in a good piece of cornbread or the batter around a corn dog. The spicy chicken filet packs a bite, more than expected, with a satisfying aftertaste of pepper – and if it's not hot enough for your morning palate, you could always add a packet of Texas Pete's Hot Sauce. The chicken's spiciness is offset by the sweetness of the biscuit, giving it a nice overall balance. It's the perfect part of Chick-fil-A's complete breakfast, which also includes tater tots, plus orange juice or coffee.
Starbucks Veggie, Egg, & Monterey Jack Sandwich
Grade: B-
Our tester said: Although the sandwich was fresh, and the bread was a better quality than the Dunkin' Wake-Up Wraps' tortillas (which were kind of hard), our panelists thought there was just too much bread, not nearly enough vegetables (we only had two or three peppers buried in each sandwich's egg), and it was bland. "More salt," begged one panelist. "More flavor!" When it came to the cheese, though, the Monterey Jack of Starbucks had an edge over Dunkin's low-cal cheese, which, said one panelist, "tasted like fake cheese food." Starbucks, add more vegetables and amp up the spice, please.
Dunkin' Donuts Wake-Up Wraps
Grade: B+
Our tester said: Everyone on the panel agreed this wrap (which isn't really a wrap at all) had the kick you want in a breakfast sandwich. It was more highly spiced than the Starbucks Veggie ABS, and the sausage had good flavor. The tortilla, though, could use a remake. It tasted just a touch stale. Dunkin', we'll come back for the spice, and the low-cal ease, but freshen up the tortillas, please.
PHOTOS: This Is The Best Response To Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries We've Seen Yet
Live from Microsoft's New Generation Xbox event!
Who Won 'DWTS'?
Xbox Reveal liveblog on Joystiq
Dozens Killed in Oklahoma Tornado; Death Toll to Rise
PHOTOS: Tornado Aftermath Leaves Trail Of Destruction
Justin Bieber Booed, Gets Standing Ovation at Billboard Music Awards
2013 Billboard Music Awards Best and Worst Dressed
Rescuers Continue Search For Tornado Survivors
Watch: Kansas Meteorologist Seeks Shelter From Tornado
Xbox One architecture panel liveblog!
Wolf Blitzer's Embarrassing Moment With Tornado Survivor
Selena Gomez Leaving Justin Bieber's House: Booty Call Rumors Swirl
Two Pilots Fired After Brazilian Pop Star Takes Captain's Seat Mid-Flight
Demi Looks FANTASTIC In A Bikini
The World's Most Powerful Women
Grossed Out Student Finds "Worm" In His McMuffin
PHOTOS: Christie Brinkley Gets Back Into A Swimsuit At 59 Years Old
15 Incredible Cat Photobombs
CBS Reporter's Grave Allegations
WATCH: Mom's Emotional Reunion With Son After Tornado
Tornadoes Strike Oklahoma
Singer Sues McDonald's, Claims Chicken Sandwich Incident Ruined Her Voice
JODI ARIAS WANTS LIFE
PHOTOS: Tornado Devastates Moore, Oklahoma
Mila Kunis And Ashton Kutcher Put Their Romance On Display
Oklahoma Senators Face Difficult Options On Disaster Relief
WATCH: Tornado Victim Finds Dog During CBS Interview
Justin Bieber BOOED While Accepting Award
OUCH: Singer Jumps, Lands On Fan's Neck
PORK BELLY: OJ Can't Get Enough Beans
3-18-2011 @9:01PM Palmer said... It seems like a few places are suddenly doing shrimp based food items. First it was Del Taco with their shrimp taco and burrito, then it was panda express and now it's Taco Bell with their own taco and burrito. What gives!
Reply
3-21-2011 @8:11PM Lassie said... Maybe because some of us are sick unto death of hamburg hamburg hamburg? (chicken) hamburg hamburg hamburg cheese cheese cheese (chicken) etc.
And Taco Bell had the exact same shrimp item a year ago. For a month. So now it's back, and I can tell you the burrito I had was EXCELLENT! And I don't care where the shrimp come from, it's not like Taco Bell, McDonald's, Burger King, (________fill in your own poison) has been selling health food all these years.
3-21-2011 @9:09PM tony said... LOOKS NASTY WITH THE GUAC
VOMIT 8+[
3-21-2011 @10:41PM unknown said... What gives is LENT was approaching. A whole lot of people (myself excluded) celebrate that by eating no meat beginning Ash Wed, and continuing every Friday until Easter.
Way to make a buck! =]
3-22-2011 @8:16AM maxiesmom067 said... A few years ago my veterinarian told me she saw boxes marked "BEEF-GRADE D BUT EDIBLE" at our local Taco Bell. She explained that's meat that's had abscesses, cancers and cysts cut out of it and is intended for production of pet food. They probably use the abandoned BP pumps to harvest their shrimp out of the gulf. I wouldn't eat at Taco Bell if it was FREE!
3-22-2011 @8:50AM cindycin99 said... That doesn't look too good or healthy. I prefer to eat at home. Http://www.suesueandsue.com is a weight loss blog by 3 friends named Sue. Honest and inspiring.
3-19-2011 @4:37AM Sayumi said... It looks really good on tv, but I'm just hoping it taste as good as it looks. (^ ^)
Reply
3-19-2011 @5:16AM What? said... Are you serious? How the he'll did you get this job? You just described a Taco Bell shrimp burrito as having "umani taste". It's spelled umami and you clearly have no clue what you're talking about.
Reply
3-19-2011 @10:41AM gobo said... Wow, that's a lot of anger over a typo.
3-19-2011 @5:54PM Bean Reel said... I was wondering about the sudden bounty of shrimp ----- are these Gulf shrimp from after the Gulf Oil Spill perhaps?
First it was Mystery Meat, now Mystery Shrimp. Where will it all end?
Reply
3-20-2011 @9:04AM NWSD said... Taco Bell shrimp. Really? Where do you think shrimp from Taco Bell comes from? Does anyone believe it actually comes from the fresh waters of the pacific? This is a complete joke to even review this. I can assure you, their shrimp is rated on the same level as garbage, just like their so called ground beef.
Reply
3-20-2011 @11:09AM gobo said... Er, where do you think it comes from? Tell us, please. Maybe I'm nuts, but it doesn't seem to make business sense for Taco Bell to intentionally poison their customers, so I'm guessing they're not serving "garbage".
3-20-2011 @8:45PM NWSD said... Well gobo, I think Taco Bell shrimp is probably the cheapest farmed raised shrimp you can possibly get. Most likely farmed raised overseas. Poison...really...I never said anything about poison, you need to read more thoroughly. I said garbage...since you didn't get it the first time I'll mention that I was being sarcastic. All you have to do is google 'taco bell ground beef ingredients' and you'll cringe, or at least you should.
3-21-2011 @2:36PM gobo said... A quick Google search will tell you that the shrimp they're using is, indeed, sourced from the Pacific coast. Whether it's farm-raised or wild-caught isn't mentioned, but I'd be shocked if it was wild shrimp, given the cost of wild vs. farmed.
It must be nice to say anything you want and then claim it was all sarcasm!
3-21-2011 @10:06PM NWSD said... Dude, chill. Stop taking things so seriously.
3-21-2011 @10:15PM gobo said... Nope. Doesn't work that way. Sorry dude. Take it elsewhere.
3-21-2011 @10:28PM NWSD said... So tell me, how does it work? What more to you have to add to this back and forth? Like I said, chill.
3-22-2011 @3:24PM poot said... Just so you have a clue next time, virtually all shrimp are farm raised. I doubt seriously that TB is using wild-caught shrimp in a $3 taco.
3-22-2011 @5:05PM NWSD said... Virtually all are farm raised? It appears you don't have a clue. I buy wild shrimp a lot, never have a problem finding it. Don't assume your experience speaks for the rest of the country. And by the way, I never suggested that taco bell would use wild...I suggested the opposite.
3-20-2011 @10:50AM Pamela Hayes said... I for one will not be eating SHRIMP from Taco Bell. Gives me the willies just thinking about it. But perhaps the intestinal distress would be a weight loss bonus....
Reply