Since the debut, I've been begging J to go out for a breakfast Taste Test date. And for a week straight, he grimaced and whined and put me off. But this morning, I won the battle! I guess since we had miserable chores planned - taking an old mattress to the dump, painting and other spring cleaning - he thought that he could start his day out with an equally miserable meal that might make him so ill he could get out of chores.
Boy, was he wrong!
Because we're hella classy, we took the Bell breakfast experience up a notch by going through the drive thru and eating in the Lowe's parking lot.
I hope to try the menu in its entirety (minus the breakfast burrito, J makes the best, why bother?) but we chose to try three stand-out items to start with. Jordan ordered a sausage AM Crunchwrap combo which included two Cinnabon delights, and I ordered a sausage waffle taco.
The crunchwrap - available in bacon, sausage or steak - was the most visually appealing dish and was the best simulation of a tasty daytime menu item. It's filled with scrambled eggs, a sausage patty, hashbrowns, cheese and what J called "a zesty sauce." The traditional crunchwrap is a riff on a deconstructed double taco with hard corn tortillas and taco fillings wrapped in a flour tortilla and grilled. This a.m. version gives a great crunch with a hashbrown "filet" that is only further complimented by the crispness of the grilled flour tortilla. And it's a substantial amount of protein all slammed into one package - a good sized meal that would keep you full. The flavor is great and it's very easy to eat without a mess; for on-the-go breakfast eaters this will give biscuits a run for their money.
In addition to being hilarious-looking, the waffle taco - available in bacon or sausage, was pretty good too.
Only a few weeks ago, we had wistfully talked about how when we were kids sometimes we'd get to go to McDonalds for pancake platters in the big styrofoam clamshells. We realized that since they got rid of the local PlayPlace and we started driving, going out to eat pancakes fell to the wayside. But this could be a good solution. The waffle itself already has a maple flavor that adds a beautifully matched sweetness to the eggs, sausage and cheese. Sausage and sweet things are made for each other. The sage notes in the sausage patty pair beautifully with sweet points - which is why Southerners love grape jelly on sausage biscuits. I elevated the dramatic dash-side presentation by pouring on a small drizzle of syrup (included) and it was great. Syrup does complicate the simultaneous driving and eating experience, but with a steady hand this is doable, unlike pancakes. However, this dish isn't nearly as substantial as the crunchwrap and probably wouldn't be filling without a side.
And speaking of "sides," the Cinnabon delights are mindblowing. Our combo came with two of the warm, sweet puffs; but you can order a dozen on their own - and next time, I will. The premise is a cinnamon roll-flavored beignet, rolled in cinnamon sugar and filled with Cinnabon's cream cheese icing. Wow. They're served warm, so the icing is gooey and thick, the dough is fluffy and the delicious sugar gets everywhere. I'm a churro nut (and Taco Bell makes the best commercial franchise churro) so these are a perfect way for me to get my churro on before noon. I would order the dozen-in-a-cup anytime (do they do that?!).
Overall, we were both pleasantly surprised - J especially. He even said that despite his skepticism he was very pleased with all of the food. I made sure to take my heartburn medicine and had emergency Tagamet close at hand but my fears were pointless. I enjoyed the flavor of my meal and appreciated the good value. There are only so many ways to eat a biscuit sandwich, so I was pleased with the whimsy and uniqueness of the Taco Bell menu!
For the price and convenience, I would recommend anyone give the new menu a go!
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