Irene Jiang / Business Insider
We tried Burger King's new Crispy Taco, and it didn't come close to Taco Bell's hardshell classic.
- We tried Burger King's new Crispy Taco, which costs $1 and is made with deep-fried tortillas, ground beef, shredded cheese, and lettuce.
- We compared it with Taco Bell's Crunchy Taco, which costs $1.49 in Manhattan and is made with hard corn tortillas filled with ground beef, lettuce, and shredded cheese.
- Taco Bell's Crunchy Taco was clearly the superior American-style hardshell fast-food taco. Not only was it much bigger, it had visible beef and more balanced and satisfying flavors overall.
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If you want a real Mexican taco, you don't go to Taco Bell.
But if you want a reliably tasty American-style hardshell fast-food taco, you go to Taco Bell.
So when we heard that Burger King was bringing back its tacos, we naturally wondered how they compare to Taco Bell's tacos. At $1, Burger King's Crispy Tacos have the potential to pose a threat to Taco Bell's Crunchy Tacos, which are $1.49 at our Manhattan location.
In a press release, Burger King said, "The Crispy Taco features a crispy, crunchy tortilla filled with seasoned beef, shredded cheddar cheese and crisp lettuce, all topped with just the right amount of our savory taco sauce."
This sounded a lot like the Taco Bell Crunchy Taco, which is described on the unofficial Taco Bell fan Wiki as "a crispy corn tortilla shell stuffed with ground beef, lettuce, and shredded cheese." (The official description is a lot longer and much less straightforward.)
But Taco Bell's Crunchy Taco came first. So what's Burger King up to?
We went to both Taco Bell and Burger King to eat their tacos. Here's how they compare:
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