The 5 Most Popular Foods at Taco Bell Make a Lot of Sense
After unleashing the much-hyped Quesalupa, stupidly huge new Crunchwraps, and even Crispy Lava Chicken Chips, it's clear Taco Bell's insane stunt food lab was on a roll in 2016. But despite how cheesy, saucy, or ridiculously beefy the limited-time creations were, none managed to make Taco Bell's ranking of its most popular menu items from last year.
Believe it or not, the chain's classic hardshell Crunchy Taco was the No. 1 most popular menu item last year, beating out other longtime favorites like the Crunchwrap, Gordita Supreme, and Nachos Supreme. In fact, all five of the top menu items are basic Taco Bell staples rather than bigger signature creations and stunt foods. The ranking was first reported by Brand Eating, and a Taco Bell spokesperson confirmed the list when reached via email on Thursday.
Here's the full top five:
5. Nachos
4. Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco
3. Bean Burrito
2. Soft Taco
1. Crunchy Taco
Notice the pattern here? All five of the most popular menu items cost well under $2 each with the single exception of the Soft Taco, which'll set you back $2.49 if you order it with grilled steak. This isn't exactly surprising, considering you can buy three Bean Burritos for less than what you'd pay for, say, a Smothered Burrito ($4.19). No wonder the chain just introduced new $1 Double Stacked Tacos.
Taco Bell didn't release any specific numbers but said the ranking is based solely on sales. But, hey, it's probably safe to say that when people buy more expensive menu items like Crunchwraps, they're also ordering multiple cheap tacos, too. At least, that's the smart thing to do.
Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email, and get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.