We at Spoon University, despite being college students (and usually broke), value top-notch and gourmet delicacies when it comes to food. That’s why obviously after checking out Thrillist’s raving reviews of Taco Bell’s new Quesarito, we figured we had to try it for ourselves. After all, you can’t get more gourmet than fast food Mexican.
Photo by Eunice Choi
Upon arrival at a local Taco Bell, I was in awe of stunning Quesarito posters before I even touched the door handle. The menu reserved an entire section dedicated to the Quesarito, listing the three available options of steak, shredded chicken or beef. I ordered the steak and was pleasantly surprised that the Quesarito didn’t pop out from the kitchen in a matter of seconds. If anything, I ended up waiting perhaps four to five minutes for it. I took it as a hopeful testament to Taco Bell’s commitment to quality.
Now, the Quesarito itself, which was wrapped in shiny foil and looked like a freshly swaddled, regular burrito: it was good as good low-grade Mexican food gets.
Photo by Eunice Choi
The Quesarito has two layers of tortillas, and between the two tortillas is the melted cheese. That’s the “quesadilla” part. Get it? Wrapped up inside is the “burrito” part. Simple, novel and ingenious (who can say no to all that cheesy goodness?). The burrito includes the choice of meat, rice, sour cream and chipotle sauce.
Honestly, my first bite into the Quesarito was disappointing in the sense that my expectations were destroyed. I was waiting for food-porn-worthy stringy cheese, even ready to take a selfie to immortalize the experience, but it didn’t happen. Only momentarily feeling betrayal equal to Tyrion Lannister’s rage after Shae testified against him—SCREW YOU, SHAE—I recovered.
Photo by Eunice Choi
The most redeeming quality of the Quesarito is that it was totally mess-free, thanks to the double layer of tortillas. Any college student, whether in the car or racing to lecture, can eat a Quesarito with reckless abandon. The layers also kept the Quesarito’s insides hot for a good ten minutes. Plus, the cheese didn’t overwhelm the rest of the flavors; if anything, there was a good balance between the layered cheese and the burrito. The sauces helped infuse a mild spiciness and strong flavor throughout the entire burrito, and the steak proved to be quite tender.
All in all, the Quesarito is edible at the very least, but a good fast food option at the very most. Avoid if you’re lactose intolerant, but indulge if your body craves something fast, greasy and unfailingly delicious. The steak option is a great hearty choice, but the chicken or beef sound equally tasty. On a relative fast food scale of 1 to In-N-Out’s Double Double, the Quesarito scores a comfortable 7 in terms of taste. You go, Taco Bell.