I Tried Just About Everything On The Taco Bell Menu—Here Are The Best Items (2024)

I’ve always been a massive Taco Bell stan. From the moment I could drive, it was my go-to fast-food spot. The menu items were always good (especially for my adolescent palate), and the prices were always low (especially for my adolescent wallet).

I spent the last few weeks completing a task my high school self would be proud of: trying almost everything on the Taco Bell menu. With the help of a company credit card and a few friends—while this was right up my 22-year-old brother’s alley, my boyfriend tapped out after sampling eight menu items in one sitting—I ate almost 50 Taco Bello menu items.

Before we get into it, here are a few things that didn’t make the list.

Crunchwraps: I tried both the beef and black bean versions and always found they were too bread-y.

Most of the burritos: There was no variety of texture and the bites got boring quickly.

Soft taco: Again, the texture was too one-note.

And here are a few items I didn't manage to try: the veggie power menu bowl (I tried the version with chicken and wasn't blown away) and the black beans (I figured trying the black beans with rice covered that). I also didn't dive into the breakfast menu and stayed away from the sauces. Although I could probably drink them straight from the package, I wanted each food item to stand on its own.

My esophagus and GI tract may never be the same, but in the name of true journalism, here’s what I loved from Taco Bell

To taste this taco is to love it. To me, it's the epitome of Taco Bell—take something classic like a beef taco and add something crazy like a shell made out of Doritos. It shouldn't work, but it does. It's delicious, and you won't want to stop eating it.

I could write a dissertation on how good the toasted cheddar chalupa is. I'm almost shocked that it came from Taco Bell. Shreds of cheddar cheese are heated to a crisp and add so much flavor and extra texture to their regular chalupa, which can be soggy.

If one Taco Bell item could be equated to a hug, this would be it. Let's break it down: The potato pieces are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, the chipotle sauce adds the perfect kick, and the warm flour tortilla is the perfect vessel to bring it to your mouth.

My go-to order in high school was a $5 Crave Box, and I loved to end that feast with a bag of cinnamon twists. They have a great crunch and not-too-sweet flavor. Before you know it, you'll be dumping the sugar dusting at the bottom of the bag into your mouth.

I couldn't not include this iconic Taco Bell beverage. Does it taste lethal? Kinda. Do you still want to go back for more? Always. There's something about the ultra carbonated, bright green drink that is so much better than regular Mountain Dew. Plus, in between bites of seasoned ground beef and spicy sauces, this cools like palate like nothing else.

Ah, the elusive Mexican pizza. Somehow I managed to get my hands on one (after five tries), and it's everything I wish the Crunchwrap Supreme was. It's got a crunch from the taco shells, the iconic seasoned beef with cheese, beans, and tomatoes, and that Mexican pizza sauce. Sure, it's a little messy, but no ones goes to Taco Bell for its ease of eating.

Go ahead and call this one basic, but it's a Taco Bell classic. I ate the whole thing in no more than three bites. They were three very glorious bites.

Some people think the quesarito is too mushy. I agree, it is mushy, but when you are ordering a quesadilla as your wrap for a burrito, you should expect that. It's one of those genius creations that could really only come from Taco Bell. I prefer the black bean version over the beef.

Taco Bell can do no wrong when it comes to melting an egregious amount of cheese in a tortilla filled with chicken and spicy sauce. It's also probably the most portable menu item on this list.

I love these for the same reason I love the potato taco—the potato, of course. In this dish, the spiced potatoes get to shine a little more. Smothered in cheese and sour cream, it's a dream.

I understand why these come in either a pack of two or 12. They are addictive, so either you limit yourself to two or totally indulge on a full dozen. The slightly crispy outside is coated in cinnamon sugar, while the inside is sweet icing.

Ordering a Chalupa to-go can be risky. A mere 10 minutes can be the difference between a crunchy shell or a soggy one. But when the beef hasn't sogged up the shell, that extra bubbly texture has such a great crunch and holds all the toppings in place so well.

Here's another menu item where timing matters. The inner crunchy taco shell could get soft from the melted cheese hugged by the thick flour shell. But when you get it fresh, it has a nice texture with soft and crunchy, an Insta-worthy cheese pull, and little spice.

The toasted tortilla, the melty cheese, and the grilled and juicy chicken make this a very simple, yet very delicious quesadilla.