- Taco Bell is releasing a Toasted Cheddar Chalupa on September 12.
- This new item is part of a larger menu revamp that will phase out nine menu items and reorganize the menu’s overall structure.
- We tried the new Toasted Cheddar Chalupa, and we were impressed by how satisfying and filling it was.
- We were less impressed by how queasy it made us feel afterward, but we could forgive it on a late-night drunk food run.
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Taco Bell’s menu is undergoing a transformation.
To the disappointment of fans, Taco Bell announced on Friday that it would be removing nine items from its menu, including the Double Decker Taco, Chips & Salsa, and Cool Ranch and Fiery Doritos Locos Tacos on September 12.
This mass eviction of popular items comes with a revamp of Taco Bell’s menu that includes the addition of the Toasted Cheddar Chalupa, which is basically a chalupa supreme with a shell that’s smothered in shredded cheddar and deep-fried. The Toasted Cheddar Chalupa will be available starting September 12, when Taco Bell’s new menu goes into effect.
Read more: I compared Burger King’s new $1 taco against Taco Bell – and it was not a close contest
Naturally, Business Insider jumped at the chance try the new Toasted Cheddar Chalupa.
Like the beacons of Gondor, the Toasted Cheddar Chalupas called forces from wide and far to the office kitchen.
Our eager hands pulled back the silver wrapping paper to reveal colorful toppings gently cupped by parabolas of toasted gold.
The chalupas had lost some of their heat and likely some of their crunch during transportation. However, they were still pleasantly warm.
Inside the deep-fried shells were the classic Chalupa Supreme fillings: ground beef, sour cream, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, and diced tomatoes. There's also a chicken option.
Each of us grabbed our preferred sauces and slathered them onto our chalupas.
The shell was crispy, fluffy, and savory, with a mild cheese flavor which went well with the classic Tex-Mex fillings.
A few of us found ourselves wishing that the cheese in the shell was even cheesier. It was more like a strong supporting character than a breakout star.
However, we all agreed that the Toasted Cheddar Chalupa was very, very eatable. It was surprisingly filling and substantive, and we loved the shell's texture.
Some of us even went back for seconds...
And this was before 11 am.
However, some of us didn't make it through the second one before we started to feel a bit queasy. Still, we all agreed on one thing: the Toasted Cheddar Chalupa would have been a revelation for our college selves, especially after a long night of reveling.
The new Chalupa is a worthy addition to the Taco Bell menu, revamped or not.
Taco Bell provided Toasted Cheddar Chalupas for the purposes of review ahead of the item's official launch.