"taco bell" news and stories

Taco Bell is really not letting this whole beef lawsuit controversy go.

Here is the rough sequence of events: Taco Bell was sued for allegedly not using real beef, and Taco Bell fired back claiming that the charges were bogus. It launched an aggressive campaign to de-bunk the claims. The suit was dropped. Taco Bell demanded an apology.

Now, as it awaits said apology, Taco Bell thinks it deserves even more, and is considering countersuing, reports FoxNews.com. Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed tells Fox News that the company started of the year very strong but the consequences of the beef lawsuit resulted in a slower quarter, and that Taco Bell is suffering from the bad publicity.

We get what they're trying to do here, but frankly, it feels a little like beating a dead horse at this point. How about making tastier tacos instead?

Though plenty of college kids have probably had this exact idea late at night (worth noting is the 2009 launch of a new Doritos flavor, Late Night Tacos At Midnight), the Dorito taco shell is one step closer to becoming a reality. Taco Bell is testing Doritos Locos Tacos, in which the ingredients are similar as Taco Bell's other offerings, but the outside is, well, a lot more orange. There has been a Facebook campaign (aptly titled "Taco Shells Made From Doritos Movement") for quite some time but according to the page, they were not informed that the product is now actually in development. It is unclear if or when this product will be nationally available, but if you're in the Toledo, Ohio area, you may just be in luck, as it's one of the test markets for the bright orange nacho cheese shells.

If you can't make it to Toledo, live vicariously through the below video, in which the gentleman below samples this cheesy taco shell and remarks, "It is everything I expected and more."

A gun-toting outlaw sends patrons at a local watering hole diving for cover...over the price of a Beefy Crunch Burrito?

Yeah, it sounds like a latter-day spoof on an old spaghetti western, but the joke was no doubt lost on the employees and customers at a local Taco Bell in San Antonio on Sunday as they watched a man take an assault rifle and handgun out of his car in the parking lot and head toward them.

His biff? He'd just gone through the drive-thru and been informed that the price of the Beefy Crunch Burrito had gone up from 99 cents to $1.49.

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.

A few weeks ago, the nation found out about a California class-action lawsuit against Taco Bell, in which it was alleged that the Mexican-inspired fast food empire was serving a "meat mixture" containing less than 35 percent meat. In response, Taco Bell fought back with a very public statement (and full-page ads). Additionally, they rolled out the Quad Steak Burrito (and Quad Steak Quesadilla) to showcase the fact that they do, in fact, serve real USDA Select beef. Here's how they rate:

The Claims: The Quad Steak Burrito is a burrito with four times the amount of steak pieces than the Steak Burrito Supreme, all wrapped in a flour tortilla filled with seasoned rice, "fire-roasted" salsa, reduced-fat sour cream and cheddar cheese. Its quesadilla counterpart has the same ingredients -- with four times the amount of beef than a Steak Quesadilla -- although it's flatter and not as filling as the burrito. (Both contain 610-660 calories, according to a menu poster.)