Taco Bell's Volcano Taco with Lava Sauce Returns to Menus Nationwide
Note: I got to visit the Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine, California, this week, hence all of this impressive knowledge.
"It is true. I am back."
First introduced last September, the Volcano Taco appeared on Taco Bell's menu for only three months. Whether it was the red crunchy taco shell (just the normal one with artificial dyes) or the spicy orange goop (which goes by "Lava Sauce") or the limited-time-only appeal, people were into it. Really into it. When it disappeared from menus, Facebook groups formed with folks acting like it was the fast-food apocalypse—even worse than when the Crazy Gordita Crunch left us.
Thankfully, all the members of "I Refuse to Go to Taco Bell Until They Bring Back the Volcano Taco" can stop freaking out. It's back as a permanent item, joined by the Volcano Double Beef Burrito. Both have the pretty standard taco and burrito skeleton (ground beef, shredded lettuce and cheese, sour cream) multiplied by the Lava Sauce.
Fast-food never seems to get that spicy, but this is a noble attempt. The Lava Sauce will get your attention without making you wear a sweatband. Of course, the elite fire eaters could probably drink a mug's worth and be fine. But please don't, that's pretty gross. After the jump, more than you ever need to know about Taco Bell's Volcano menu.
The Double Beef Burrito weighs 10.8 ounces. A whole ounce of that is the Lava Sauce. They also throw in strips of the red crunchy taco shell, probably to make up for the lack of red flour tortilla jacket here. They're looking into it.
The embryonic stages of the burrito. Yes, that's a sour cream gun you see in the top right. More on that below.
The burrito gets two Z-shaped squiggles of Lava Sauce (one ounce) and the taco gets half that, or one Z.
The mayo-based potion of cheese and peppers is one-and-a-half times spicier than the Fire Sauce. On the Scoville scale, it comes in at 800 scovilles compared to the Fire Sauce's 500. It goes up to 16 million, to give you some perspective.
Nice frontal view. The Volcano Taco weighs a mere 3.4 ounces. As with red velvet cake, there's something so mystical about that not-found-in-nature red color. But to repeat, the red crunchy taco tastes exactly like the off-whitish one. Apparently in Taco Bell focus groups though, people still thought it was spicier. You eat with your eyes, I guess.
The Lava Sauce isn't in sauce packets yet, but Taco Bell representatives said maybe some day, just maybe. People are starting to request it slathered all over other things and since Taco Bell adopts a very pro-DIY menu approach (you can mix and match all you want; crazy, I know) they're cool with that.
Bonus: Taco Bell Gadgets
Here are some tools you might find behind a typical Taco Bell counter.
The Meat Rake: The rectangular scooping device for the foundational beef ingredient. This is when you're supposed to start picturing a pile of seasoned ground beef in autumn months with little kids running through it and fathers attempting to plastic bag it.
The Sour Cream Gun: A weapon powered by white glop. Why didn't we fight wars with this?! OMG, they let me play with it.
The Guacamole Gun: The SCG's condiment artillery cousin.
Potato Wedge Receptacle: A team of engineers made sure those windows in the wedge-catching device allowed them to breathe, without letting any escape.
Jalapeño Holey Spoon: To prevent the soggyfication by jalapeño juice.
Note: I did not come across a meat hose.
Related
Taco Bell's 'Volcano Taco' Is Spicy, Made with Red Crunchy Shell
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24 Comments:
I don't know who in their right mind would eat a red taco but the burrito is worth trying.
I go to Taco Bell when I want something a little more "gourmet" than the typical fast food experience.
redfish at 3:22PM on 06/12/09
@redfish Yeah, nothing says gourmet quite like a meat rake.
RachelDP at 3:25PM on 06/12/09
great commentary on the meat rake. I might try the burrito, but I have to wonder the um, effects of red food dye (think Buffalo Wild Wings' blue corn chips ...)
joyyy at 3:29PM on 06/12/09
disgusting, but i did enjoy the caption: "it is true. i am back."
gastronomeg at 3:36PM on 06/12/09
This post makes it look like real food... forgot it was Taco Bell for a second. :)
But not many people get to go to a Taco Bell headquarters for a visit!
Ambitous at 4:16PM on 06/12/09
It's still Taco Bell.
beth1 at 4:20PM on 06/12/09
For the love of God, why?
smallkitchen at 4:39PM on 06/12/09
Taco Bell's fresco menu isn't terrible as far as fast food goes, but if I want fast Mexican food, I usually do Chipotle. That said, I want a guac gun. Just so I can tell everyone I have an AR-15...the Avocado Rifle-15! Fear the Green Death...while the enemy is contemplating how tasty our ammo is, we'll move in for the kill and hit 'em with napalm! And when I saw napalm...I mean lava sauce.
cycorider at 6:25PM on 06/12/09
Ugh, and when I say "saw," I mean "say." I can't type...
cycorider at 6:26PM on 06/12/09
re: Volcano Double Beef Burrito - for 800 calories & 42 grams of fat I'm gonna have to go with nooooooo.
graciecat at 9:16PM on 06/12/09
it's more filling than the whole foods organic "ready-to-eat" steamed asparagus that you had for dinner with the side of irony fries and maybe one tiny chicken tamale... suck it.
chefimpostor at 5:07AM on 06/13/09
@chefimposter: Maybe, if you enjoy the feeling of a cannonball in your gut. Who wants to be filled up with that crap?
I'd rather starve than eat the processed garbage that Taco Bell calls "food."
unpocojmoney at 8:49AM on 06/13/09
Sorry,but I could live off them volcano taco's,just as long as I could get a caramel apple empanada for dessert!
onepercent99 at 5:46PM on 06/13/09
And I'm pissed that Taco Bell stopped carrying the spicy chicken. That was my favorite in all it's forms.
iwanttobeachef at 6:31PM on 06/13/09
When I want fast Mexican, I still do Taco Bell over Chipotle, only because I want something I can actually finish, not a 3-pound burrito bigger than my head.
Having said that, I usually get 2 things: Chili Cheese Burrito and Beef Mexi-Melt.
For the foodie in me, the Mexi-Melt has real fresh cilantro in it. =)
akk328 at 2:31PM on 06/15/09
I stopped eating at Taco Bell when I found out the Taco Bell I went to when I was drunk one night ended up being the one on 6th ave that got shut down from all the rats a few months later. Ew.
kimbodian at 5:48PM on 06/15/09
I once worked in the kitchen on a ship that fed 450 people, and to make the veggies fot the evening meal you used a canoe-paddle sized metal oar to stir the corn or carrots in a 'copper' that filled with water and heated and boiled the vegges; all suspended above a drain trough for easy cleanup. And like five or six of these things in a row!
jtowndave at 12:31AM on 06/19/09
I like the fire taco plenty, though it really isn't spicy at all to me. I have to add a fire sauce packet per taco just get get some heat. That being said, the volcano taco is still good. The burrito on the other hand has that bad taco bell rice in it so I won't order that ever.
elangomatt at 2:55AM on 06/21/09
The taco isn't too bad- fewer calories than a couple of the fresco menu items. Added fire sauce helps. But the burrito, at 800 calories almost half of which are from saturated fat, is a gut bomb. Add 1230 milligrams of sodium, and you're done for the day....
Zennia at 9:21AM on 06/22/09
I've gotten sick THREE too many times at Taco Bell. Never again.
jbzepol at 9:58AM on 06/22/09
Taco Bell isn't bad as far as fast food is concerned. But under no circumstances should it be confused with Mexican food!
stu freeman at 11:28AM on 06/22/09
taco bell isn't that bad for fast food. I'll eat some of the items on the menu, I just make sure i don't get the sour cream. it doesn't taste that great and just adds calories. i still feel better (less full and gross) than when i eat at a "burger" joint. maybe once every two months.
momtimestwo at 6:34PM on 06/22/09
I ate a volcano taco and thought it was too hot. I live in Texas and love love love spicy food...go figure.
greenkitchen at 5:53PM on 06/23/09
i love love love love love taco bell, and i have never had any digestive problems from this vendor. I have tried the volcano taco, and found it spicy-for spicy's sake, but not flavorful at all! Although I am curious about the burrito's higher meat content, which may make up for the lack-luster flavor of the taco. I guess I am just lucky to have low blood pressure and can have as much sodium as I want, and that my husband has banned me from taco bell except for every 1/300 urges. Haha.
mrskayl at 1:10PM on 06/24/09