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Friday, February 8, 2013

Taco Bell's Cantina Steak Burrito

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 When it comes to chain restaurants, I can be kind of a food snob. Don't judge me, please. There is absolutely a time and a place for a McDonalds ice cream cone (frequently) and a Subway sub (every road trip). But when we're looking for quick meals, we opt to whip something up at home, and when we're looking to eat out, we prefer unique, local places. I think maybe I overdid the fast food chains as a kid. Our school didn't have a traditional cafeteria; instead, they brought in lunch from a nearby restaurant--pizza, Chinese, tacos, and more. Needless to say, I had my fair share of it throughout high school.
Truth be told, I really liked it then. Then again, my fourteen year old metabolism can run circles around my twenty-six year old metabolism! I have fond memories of downing greasy slices of pizza and asking for extra cinnamon twists on Taco Bell days. Point is--our stops at fast food chains are few and far between.

For this reason, I almost declined the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker opportunity to try Taco Bell's new Cantina Steak burrito. But then I read the description of the burrito: ...filled with bold and flavorful ingredients, including citrus-herb marinated steak, premium Latin rice, flavorful black beans, guacamole made from real Hass avocados, roasted corn & pepper salsa, a creamy cilantro dressing, and freshly prepared pico de gallo, all wrapped in a warm flour tortilla. Um, yeah...sounds really good, right?! Part of the reason I like Tastemaker opportunities is because they force me to branch out and experiment a bit (like when we paired dark chocolate with cocktails) or try new foods, as in this case.
With our fridge contents dwindling and nothing planned for dinner, Ryan ran through the drive-thru at Taco Bell last night and picked us each up a burrito. I was surprised to hear the burritos were $5, but then again, I'm used to the 10 for $10 tacos that we used to get in 1997. The burritos are fairly big, and the filling is substantial, so the price is pretty standard for what you'd get somewhere similar.
The description didn't lie--each of the elements called out was present in the burrito, although it was heavy on the rice and steak and a little light on the guacamole and salsa (my favorite parts). The steak was surprisingly tender (no mystery meat here!) and flavorful. It tasted freshly prepared, and not like it'd been sitting underneath a heat lamp for the last two hours (and my iphone photos definitely don't do it justice).

Will you suddenly find us running through the drive-thru twice a week? No, but just because that's not the way we eat. But do we have a new meal option for road trips or airports? Absolutely! I'd take the Cantina Steak burrito over any greasy hamburger or fried chicken sandwich!


This post is sponsored by Taco Bell. See how great our steak is when you try the new Cantina Steak Burrito. Because when it comes to a great steak burrito, it's all about the steak.


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Two Years Ago: Black-Eyed Pea Stew
Three Years Ago: Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes