PHOENIX — Taco Bell has expanded its vegetarian menu and made it more visible on its menu nationwide. We brought in four chefs, two who prefer to eat vegan and two who eat meat, from around the Valley to critique how the fast-food chain is doing on their vegetarian items.
Chef Elle Murtagh of The Coronado Phx, a restaurant, coffee shop and bar that serves vegetarian and vegan fare, and Chef Sasha Raj of 24 Carrots, a 100% vegan restaurant that focuses on seasonal, organic and artisanal ingredients, tried the food vegan-style.
Chef Paul Steele of Needle Rock Kitchen and Tap, which was voted 2019 Diners’ Choice for Best American Cuisine and Best Value in both the Phoenix and Scottsdale areas, and Chef Chris Smith of Merkin Vineyards Tasting Room & Osteria, a restaurant that serves wine and food that specializes in using local ingredients, tried the food vegetarian-style.
The chefs' tried a new item, the black bean quesarito, and two staple menu items, the spicy potato taco and the 7-layer burrito. For the vegan eaters, we took out any cheese or cheese sauce, sour cream or chipotle sauce that comes standard on the items.
First up...
The spicy potato taco. While this item isn't new and it may hold sentimental value to Chef Elle, all the chefs agreed that it was an underwhelming choice. Chef Paul said that the chipotle sauce that comes on the taco overwhelmed the potatoes and Chef Chris suggested they do more with it, like add pico de gallo. Chef Sasha said she'd like to see more potato come with it.
Second...
The black bean quesarito. This is a new item for Taco Bell and it got mixed reviews. Chefs Chris and Paul said they like the chipotle flavor of the sauce, but Chef Chris said that he would've liked it more if there had been a crunch to it. Chefs Elle and Sasha tried it without the chipotle sauce and felt like they were eating mostly flour tortilla.
Last...
The 7-layer burrito. For the vegan chefs, Sasha and Elle, it ended being more like a 5-layer burrito and felt like it needed two more layers, like onions and olives. Chef Paul described the burrito like eating a 7-layer dip and suggested that Taco Bell try to elevate it by using an elevated protein like black beans.
Overall...
All the chefs agreed that Taco Bell is a good choice from someone who eats vegetarian or vegan, and needs food that is fast and on the go. Chef Sasha said she appreciated that Taco Bell is making an effort, "showing other companies that having a dedicated vegan or vegetarian cuisine is worth investing into." Chef Elle gave Taco Bell an "A" for effort.