I honestly couldn’t believe I was setting my alarm to wake up early on a Saturday to make it in time to get Taco Bell breakfast, but curiosity was getting the better of me and I had to give it a try. The atmosphere of the Mexican fast-food restaurant did not appear changed in any way due to the earlier time. There was the same eclectic mix of people that usually grace Taco Bell, and the restaurant was surprisingly busy. The only noticeable changes were sensory ones. New posters hung from the walls illustrating our choices and the strong smell of coffee brewing replaced the usual smell of the fryer.
As we ordered, the enthusiastic woman tapped her extra-long nails at the register, and when we finished, eagerly told us to have a ‘Taco-riffic’ day. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I became determined to make it so. My boyfriend had been anxiously anticipating the new menu and wanted to try everything he could. We ordered two A.M Crunchwraps, a Waffle Taco, an A.M. Grilled Taco and a breakfast burrito. I was able to convince him that the Cinnabon Delights were just a bad idea that early in the morning.
The A.M. Crunchwrap was probably my favorite of the bunch. The inclusion of so many breakfast ingredients (a hash brown, bacon, eggs, cheese and hot sauce all folded up in a tortilla) in one place was actually really good. I enjoyed it until later when I realized after some research that the Crunchwrap alone is 660 calories. I am not a fan of waffles or syrup (blasphemy, I’m aware), so I did not try the Waffle Taco (eggs, cheese and bacon wrapped in a waffle with syrup drizzled on top) but my boyfriend gave a big thumbs up while chewing large bites. The A.M. Grilled Taco (eggs, cheese and bacon or sausage folded in a tortilla) and the Breakfast Burrito (eggs, sausage or bacon and cheese wrapped in a tortilla) tasted relatively similar. They didn’t include the hot sauce like the Crunchwrap and I was thankful for that. All the breakfast menu items range in price from $1 to $2.99. Coffee is $1.49 and orange juice is $1.99. Fun fact, over 6,000 Taco Bell’s had to be outfitted with coffee machines to prepare for the breakfast menu. At the end of the meal I had basically ingested my entire days worth of calories way before noon, but I didn’t really mind.
The best part about fast food and specifically Taco Bell for me is always the experience. Usually, a trip to Taco Bell is preceded with a long night out on the town and we stumble our way to the fast-food restaurant with blistered feet and empty stomachs. Some of the best nights of my young life have included Taco Bell, and I think that’s why I am so fond of it and continuously come back. It is always the conclusion to a great time with friends and because of those memories, I never count the calories.
I’m not sure I would ever wake up early again with the sole purpose of another Taco Bell breakfast trip, but I would highly recommend to other people planning a similar event if you haven’t tried the new breakfast menu out yet. To (crunch) wrap it up, the Taco Bell breakfast menu is pretty much what you would expect from Taco Bell. But when paired with the right people and the anticipation of a great day, it could be the best breakfast you’ll ever have.
Mia Glatter can be reached at mia.glatter@theminaretonline.com