Taco Bell’s Cheesy Street Chalupas Are Getting Mixed Reviews. Here’s Why

Last week, Taco Bell introduced the new Cheesy Street Chalupas to its menu in the hopes of drumming up more business. However, customers aren’t flocking to purchase the new item, despite a promising premise and an unprecedented marketing campaign. Here’s what we know about the mixed reviews of this new fast-food product.

Taco Bell’s Cheesy Street Chalupas: A Promising Start

Luis Restrepo, Taco Bell’s vice president of product innovation, released a statement about the Cheesy Street Chalupa when it was released on July 18.

“The Chalupa has taken many delicious forms over the years, but with the Cheesy Street Chalupas, we set out to create a new flavor-rich way for fans to enjoy the beloved menu item,” he said. “The fresh onions and cilantro atop layers of cheese and premium proteins seasoned to perfection adds a different flavor profile and is our playful nod to the street taco that we all know and love.”

He continued: “When it comes to supporting the communities that inspire our food innovation, we’re just getting started. The 46 street-legal food cart donation is the first of a long-term commitment we have to these entrepreneurs; more to come in the years ahead.”

Taco Bell’s Cheesy Street Chalupas pay respect to Hispanic and Latino street food traditions with a distinctive twist on the recipes, drawing inspiration from this culture. It’s a clear synthesis motivated by Taco Bell’s culinary heritage as well as the original cultural blending of traditional street taco ingredients.

The Cheesy Street Chalupas are served with marinated beef or slow-roasted chicken, fresh onions, cilantro, and a drizzle of Jalapeño Ranch sauce.

The street-sized, cheese-stuffed chalupa shells in this new menu item are an evolution of Taco Bell’s Quesalupa shell, which debuted in 2016. The Quesalupa blends the components of quesadillas and chalupas. Taco Bell’s original Chalupa recipe made its debut in 1999, almost 30 years ago.

Mixed Reviews

Taco Bell has finally unveiled a much-awaited new take on one of its most iconic tacos, months after first hinting at its launch. However, opinions are starting to come in, and patrons are divided on whether the new offering is excellent or a major letdown.

Before announcing intentions in February 2024 to officially launch the Cheesy Street Chalupas, Taco Bell first tested the product in a few chosen outlets in the fall of 2023. Unfortunately, despite Taco Bell’s best efforts, the Cheesy Street Chalupas are getting mixed reviews from customers now that they’re available nationwide.

Last week, a customer posted a picture of Cheesy Street Chalupas on Reddit, which showed hardly any filling at all — just some onions and a few tiny chicken bits. The consumer wrote, “Extremely disappointed,” as the photo’s caption.

Others have expressed dissatisfaction about the redesigned Chalupas’ “bland” appearance and incorrect filling-to-flatbread ratio. “The Cheesy Street Chalupas are way too bready. Honestly the overall flavor just isn’t that spectacular,” a Redditor bemoaned.

However, the product also appears to be receiving very positive ratings from other patrons. In a different Reddit post, a fan proclaimed them the “best thing I’ve had at Taco Bell.”

“Right?! We got them the other day and were blown away at how good they are…Hands down best new thing at [Taco Bell] since they brought back the Mexican Pizza!” wrote another fan in a comment.

Other comments on the post pointed out that the quality seems to vary based on location, with one person saying they are “very inconsistent” after trying them from four different locations.

To determine whether the new choice is a good addition to the Taco Bell menu, curious customers may need to test it for themselves in light of the conflicting evaluations and execution inconsistencies. The Cheesy Street Chalupas are being offered by the chain in pairs for a suggested price of $5.49 for a limited time.