If you enjoy making a run for the border to satisfy your hunger, then you need to know about the Taco Bell secret menu. As a true Taco Bell fan, you’ve diligently worked your way through the listed menu items but now you want to try something new. Fear not! There are some classified off-menu items that you must try.
In this article, I’ll guide you through the Taco Bell secret menu by giving you all the information you need to know about each of these delectable dishes. They may not be authentically Mexican, but they’re genuinely good.
What Is a Secret Menu? Why Are There Secret Menus?
A secret menu refers to the items that aren’t listed on the menu. You can only order these items if you’re in the know. Reading articles like this helps.
I can’t definitively say why fast food restaurants have secret menu items. In some cases, I believe they want to appease loyal patrons who love discontinued items.
Also, perhaps secret menu items are “unlisted” because these establishments don’t want their menus to become too large as they inevitably introduce new items to get more customers.
Finally, the existence of a secret menu makes those who know about it feel special and want to take advantage of it. It’s like being part of a high cholesterol secret society.
Taco Bell Secret Menu Items
Here are all the things you can get at Taco Bell that aren’t on the menu. For each item, I’ll give you the cost (if available), a description of the item, a rating (0-5 tacos), and a brief Should You Order It?.
If a Taco Bell employee isn’t familiar with the item by its secret menu name, you can order it by using my descriptions. I divided the list by former menu items, additions to existing items, and sauces.
Former Taco Bell Menu Items
These secret menu items were once a part of the regular Taco Bell menu.
Enchirito
Cost: $1.99
Rating: 4.5 Tacos
What Is It?
The Enchirito is a tortilla filled with beef, beans, and diced onions. On top, it’s smothered with red sauce and melted cheese.
Should You Order It?
Admittedly, the Enchirito is one of my favorite items on Taco Bell’s secret menu. I was saddened when it was taken off the menu, before I realized that I could still indulge in one of my childhood favorites. The melted cheese and red sauce add some serious flavor. The crunch from the onions provides some texture, and the beef and beans make the Enchirito hearty and full of protein.
Recently, Taco Bell started offering smothered burritos on its menu. The smothered burritos are like the Enchirito, but they’re packed with more ingredients.
Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Cost: $2.49
Score: 4 Tacos
What Is It?
A hard taco with beef, cheese sauce, lettuce and shredded cheese placed in a Gordita shell. Additionally, there’s melted cheese between the Gordita shell and the hard taco shell.
Should You Order It?
At some locations, the Cheesy Gordita Crunch is a regular menu item, and at others, it’s only on the secret menu. What’s not to like here? You get cheese, meat, and crunch. This item is best for those who really like cheese since it has shredded cheese, melted cheese, and cheese sauce.
Cheesarito
Cost: Varies by location
Score: 4 Tacos
What Is It?
Melted cheese, scallions, and Taco Bell red sauce wrapped up in a flour tortilla.
Should You Order It?
Basically, the Cheesarito is a cheese quesadilla burrito. It makes a great snack, and it’s a good item for vegetarians. It’s simple and tasty, kinda like the Taco Bell version of a grilled cheese sandwich.
Chili Cheese Burrito
Cost: $1.69
Score: 4.5 Tacos
What Is It?
A bean burrito with chili and cheese.
Should You Order It?
If you’re a fan of chili, I highly recommend the Chili Cheese Burrito. The chili is mild, but if you like yours spicy, you can add some Fire sauce to the Chili Cheese Burrito. Additionally, you can add chili and cheese to any burrito on the Taco Bell menu to enhance its flavor.
Secret Additions to Existing Taco Bell Entrees
These menu items were never on the menu; they’re created by altering current Taco Bell menu items.
The Superman
Cost: Varies by location
Score: 3.5 Tacos
What Is It?
A Cheesy Double Beef Burrito with extra potatoes, sour cream, guacamole, and crispy tortilla strips.
Should You Order It?
Feel free to order this meal if you have a super appetite. If you’re prone to digestive issues, The Superman may be your kryptonite. Even if you can’t tackle this behemoth burrito, there’s a lot to like in this monstrosity. The tortilla strips add some nice crunch, and I love me some T Bell sour cream. Personally, the Taco Bell potatoes are a little too gummy for my liking, but The Superman offers multiple layers of flavor, and you’ll feel pretty cool ordering The Superman.
The Hulk
Cost: Varies by location
Score: 3.5 Tacos
What Is It?
A bean and cheese burrito with guacamole
Should You Order It?
The Hulk is a relatively basic treat on Taco Bell’s secret menu. If you like all the ingredients separately, you’ll enjoy them together. I think some crunch is missing in the form of tortilla chips or a hard taco shell, but The Hulk satisfies my taste buds. Also, keep in mind that you can add guacamole to any burrito.
All you have to do to make a Hulk is top some guacamole on this delicacy:
The Incredible Hulk
Cost: $1.89
Score: 3.5 Tacos
What Is it?
A Beefy Five-Layer Burrito with guacamole instead of nacho cheese. Also, there’s no additional tortilla shell nor sour cream. Typically, it’s made FRESCO style, which means the creams and cheeses are replaced with pico de gallo.
Should You Order It?
The Incredible Hulk is a much healthier Beefy Five-Layer Burrito. However, if you’re looking for healthy, you’re better off sticking to one of the other FRESCO menu items. In terms of taste, this is a good choice if you prefer guacamole to the other Taco Bell condiments. In an Incredible Hulk, you still get beef, beans, and shredded cheese.
This is what the Beefy Five-Layer Burrito looks like before the alterations for the Incredible Hulk:
Double Grilled Quesadilla
Cost: The same price as a quesadilla
Score: 4 Tacos
What Is It?
A quesadilla grilled twice as long for extra crunch
Should You Order It?
You can turn any quesadilla into a double grilled quesadilla on Taco Bell’s secret menu. I like my quesadillas crispy, so I appreciate that Taco Bell has the double grilled option, even if it’s not advertised.
Here’s a T Bell quesadilla without the extra grilling:
Waffle Taco
Cost: $0.99
Score: 3.5 Tacos
What Is It?
A sausage patty and scrambled eggs wrapped up in a taco-shaped waffle.
Should You Order It?
From my research, the Waffle Taco is only available at various Southern California locations. However, it doesn’t hurt to ask, especially since Taco Bell recently started serving breakfast. You may be able to get the Waffle Taco during breakfast hours. It’s hard to mess up breakfast foods, and the Waffle Taco offers a compact combo of sweet and savory.
Secret Sauces
As mentioned above, you can add guacamole or chili to any menu item. Additionally, you can add these two special Taco Bell sauces:
Lava Sauce
Cost: FREE at most locations
Score: 5 Tacos
What Is It?
Lava sauce is a spicy nacho cheese sauce. It has a pinkish hue.
Should You Order It?
Lava sauce was the key ingredient on the Volcano Taco and Volcano Burrito, both of which are no longer on the menu. As a lover of the Volcano Taco, I was devastated to see it go, but now I can just order a taco with lava sauce. Happy days are here again.
Verde Sauce
Cost: FREE at most locations
Score: 3.5 Tacos
What Is It?
It’s a spicy green sauce.
Should You Order It?
The Verde sauce isn’t available at all locations, but if a store has it, you can add it to any Taco Bell delicacy to make your own secret menu items. If you want to add a little kick and some non-lettuce green to your burrito, get it with some Verde sauce.
Watch People Eat Taco Bell Secret Menu Items
If you’re still on the fence about Taco Bell’s secret menu, you can watch some intrepid souls sample the items.
Check out this video to see some folks from BuzzFeed offer their opinions on The Superman, the Enchirito, and other secret menu items.
And here you can watch a “YouTube celebrity” use sassy language and be sassy as he tries the Taco Bell secret menu. Viewer discretion is advised: