REVIEW: Taco Bell Strawberry Cinnabon Delights

They're also available as a 2-pack.

Taco Bell’s new Strawberry Cinnabon Delights are simply a mild variation on the Cinnabon Delights we’ve been eating at the chain for years now. But that’s the appeal of the revamped product — it takes what we already love and changes it up just enoughto make it feel different but not too different. It’s a safe bet for a limited time only fast food snack … maybe too safe.

Weirdly enough, the new product comes in two comically disparate sizes. You can get a 2-pack for about $3 or you can splurge for the 12-pack version that’ll run you well over $8 once applicable state and local taxes are factored in. You’d think there’d be a middle ground, medium-sized product on the table, but like “fetch” in Mean Girls, six-packs of Strawberry Cinnabon Delights just aren’t happening.

I opted for the 12-pack because hey, you have to eat something while watching blender infomercials at two in the morning. The first thing you’ll notice is the smell. The bag emits a very strong scent of strawberry (of the artificial persuasion), and you also get a nice, greasy, fried dough smell that automatically tricks you into thinking your kitchen is a top-secret Dunkin’ location. You get a whiff of these things, and you will be entranced.

If you’ve ever had a Munchkin from Dunkin’ before, it’s more or less the same thing here — except the Delights are jam-packed full of cream cheese frosting. And as the name implies, the exterior dough ball is speckled with a nice dusting of strawberry-flavored sugar. It can be a little faint in low-light situations, but you can definitely see red speckles all over these things.

Taste-wise, the Delights are pretty much exactly what you’d expect. That’s the best thing about the product — and its biggest weakness at the same time. I guess the question is how much of a cream cheese-to-strawberry-flavoring-to-fried-dough ratio you prefer. I’d argue that it’s probably something like 45 percent cream cheese, 45 percent fried dough and 10 percent strawberry. As powerful as the strawberry scent may be, the overall product doesn’t taste that much like the fruit it’s imitating. Granted, it’s more flavorful than a generic grocery store brand strawberry doughnut hole, but the gap isn’t as wide as you might anticipate.

The good news about these Delights is that they’re perfect for instant gratification snacking. Alas, it’s such a mild recalculation of the standard Cinnabon Delight formula that it kind of feels like an unnecessary field trip. If you already love the product, you’re more than likely going to love these, but if you’re not a fan, I doubt these strawberry variants will win you over.

The price point is the real backbreaker here. For two Delights you can literally destroy in ten seconds, it’s a bit expensive, especially considering it almost costs as much as some full-sized cereals. With this particular product, Taco Bell is obviously pitching to people who already enjoy the regular Delights. It’ll likely please them, but newcomers might be a little disappointed in how non-special this special edition dessert tastes.

Purchased Price: $7.39
Size: 12-pack
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (One piece) 80 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 7 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar (includes 4 grams of added sugar), and less than 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Oreo Cloud Latte

The Dunkin' cup looks groovy.

With summer around the corner, you might be picturing blue skies, fluffy clouds, and handfuls of smashed Oreos strewn about because everyone knows nothing says summer like chocolate sandwich cookies.

Okay, maybe they have no tangible connection to the season, but adding Oreos to something feels like a cheat code. It may not be groundbreaking, but odds are it’s going to be good. Dunkin’s new Oreo Cloud Latte combines espresso and milk with a chocolate cookie swirl and serves it iced, topped with marshmallow cold foam and a few spoonfuls of crumbled Oreos. These are original Oreos, mind you, not fever dream-inspired Sour Patch Kids ones or anything of that ilk, so the overall theme here is pretty standard cookies and cream.

That marshmallow cold foam looks groovy.

Dunkin’ calls its marshmallow cold foam a fan favorite, and it’s easy to see why. True to its namesake, it’s light and airy, crowning the beverage like a puffy cumulus cloud of sugary goodness. I recall trying this foam back in 2024, and I don’t know if it’s changed or I have, but I found the current iteration to be less distinctly marshmallowy than I remembered. Back then, it seemed to have a very pronounced marshmallow flavor and even texture, being somewhat sticky. This time around, I think even people who don’t like marshmallow can probably appreciate the foam. Maybe the crushed cookies it props up have the effect of mellowing the mallow because the first several sips are less like marshmallow fluff and much more reminiscent of classic chocolate Oreo cookies and their creme filling.

Those Oreo crumbs looks groovy.

This Oreo flavor continues throughout the drink thanks to the chocolate cookie swirl syrup that also contains Oreo pieces. It imparts an Oreo taste and not just a generic chocolate or mocha flavor. Between the foam, cookie bits, and swirl, it would be easy for this cloud concoction to drift into too sweet territory, but somehow it never does. The espresso tempers the sweetness, and I’m glad that the coffee notes come through because otherwise this would be like drinking a cup of milk and cookies. That would obviously be delicious, but it’s a much more rounded experience when you can taste the coffee. The nutrition facts here tell me that what I’m drinking is basically equivalent to a medium Oreo Blizzard, but I think we all know what we’re getting into with this kind of Dunkin’ drink. No one’s getting this to replace a cup of coffee; you’re getting this to treat yourself to an Oreo experience.

From start to finish, it’s a cool, sweet, creamy, quintessentially cookies and creme ride. This latte might not be innovative, but it is well executed, and if you’re looking for an excuse to sweeten up a summer day, you could certainly do worse. Not surprisingly, Oreos continue their tradition of playing well with dairy, and it turns out they play nicely with coffee too.

Purchased Price: $6.09
Size: Medium
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 650 calories, 30 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 85 grams of total carbs, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 76 grams of total sugar, and 11 grams of protein

REVIEW: Taco Bell Shredded Beef Nacho Fries

Taco Bell Shredded Beef Nacho Fries

When you think “Taco Bell beef,” a VERY specific kind of product enters your mind. And the beef in Taco Bell Shredded Beef Nacho Fries is not that idiosyncratic, unmistakable Taco Bell beef at all.

Yup, that's definitely shredded.

It’s hard to describe. It’s shredded beef, alright, but not shredded beef a la Arby’s. More like shredded beef, Sloppy Joe-style (just sans the Sloppy.) It has a decent mouthfeel and an adequate level of chewiness, but frankly, it’s a bit forgettable. After all, there are SO many different ingredients in this thing that the beef itself just kind of soaks up the congealed flavor of everything else. And for the most part, that’s a good thing.

Yup, that's definitely melty.

I doubt I have to reintroduce anybody reading this to Taco Bell’s Nacho Fries. They’re a fan favorite for a reason, and TB didn’t meddle with the product at all here. In addition to the shredded beef, we get a deluge of Creamy Jalapeño sauce, a smattering of pico de gallo, and no less than four different types of melted cheese blends on top of it all. Nacho, cheddar, mozzarella, pepperjack — the band’s all here, folks, and you already know how beautiful their medley sounds (and tastes, I guess.)

Gooey. Saucy. Tomato-y

It seems like the general taste of the Shredded Beef Nacho Fries would be super obvious, but there are more nuances going on than you might anticipate. The sinewy, stringy meat does a pretty good job of augmenting everything else on the plate, but it doesn’t change the mouthfeel and texture as much as you’d imagine. The fry seasoning, the sauce, and the monsoon of cheeses drown out everything else, even the pico de gallo ingredients. There’s nothing dry or savory about this dish, and I can see how that might turn off some potential consumers. Nor is it very spicy, though it occasionally catches you off guard with a “kick” out of nowhere; the flavor’s power seems to ebb and flow, with some pockets of the dish definitely carrying a more robust, potent taste.

If you’re looking for something zesty, filling, and oily in the best possible way, these things are right up your alley. Hardcore Nacho Fries fans are probably going to love this product by default, although it doesn’t taste that much different from some of the chain’s previous variants. It would’ve been nice to see Taco Bell amp up the product with something different — i.e., a new kind of sauce or more supreme-style toppings — but overall it’s hard to complain about everything you get here. The relatively steep price point might be a deterrent to some people, but you do get a rather filling dish.

That said, I still think the Fiesta Strips should’ve been included. And definitely a black olive or two.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 480 calories, 30 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 1,080 mg of sodium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Mexican Pizza

Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Mexican Pizza with the sauces

Taco Bell understands that true innovation isn’t accomplished in broad strokes, but mild refinements. The Cantina Chicken Mexican Pizza is proof of this.

This fusion of the Cantina brand with the Mexican Pizza works wonderfully, to the point I’d contend it’s one of the best things you’ll find in the entire Taco Bell canon.

By now, we all know how TB’s Mexican Pizzas work. We’ve got two tortillas, with a smattering of black beans and what the restaurant touts as “savory, slow-roasted chicken” wedged in between them. The quality of the poultry here is much better than what you’d expect from the franchise. Like, it actually has some chewiness, and it isn’t buried alive in salt like the rotisserie-style chicken you get at rival fast food chains. Maybe it’s not on par with Chipotle, but it doesn’t feel like run-of-the-mill TB chicken, either.

Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Mexican Pizza minus the sauces

Atop the pizza, we’ve got a smorgasbord of toppings. We’ve got a tri-cheese blanket consisting of pepperjack, mozzarella, and cheddar, we’ve got the iconic green chile sauce, we’ve got pico de gallo, and we’ve got purple cabbage … and lots of it. I’ve never been a big fan of cabbage in Tex-Mex, but I actually liked the textural variety it adds with this particular product. It’s a bit muted, but in a fast food item like this, muted cabbage is hardly a negative.

Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Mexican Pizza minus the sauces, but closer up.

All by itself, the Cantina Chicken Mexican Pizza is exactly the kind of limited-time-only offering you’d want from the Bell. It’s crispy, it’s chewy, it’s comically cheesy, and it has a richer, more varied amount of ingredients in the mix than the standard Taco Bell product. Pretty much my only complaint is that the interior chicken was a little skimpy, but that’s the kind of thing that varies from store to store. As is, it’s still a top-tier Taco Bell item and something any long-time Mexican Pizza fan would almost certainly enjoy.

Yet the thing that pushes the Cantina Chicken Mexican Pizza from being a very good fast food selection to a genuinely great one comes in the side dressings. The Avocado Verde Salsa isn’t exactly a “new” offering from Taco Bell, but the Jalapeño Citrus Salsa certainly is. The latter is reason alone to give these things a try. It’s the best sauce I’ve tried from TB in ages, and it’s something that already deserves to be a year-round item. Heck, I’d even pay extra for it — it’s that good.

Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Mexican Pizza with the two sauces.

Once you’ve mixed the two salsa packets onto the Mexican Pizza, not only do you get a nice green and orange color palette, but you also get an absolutely stellar combination of flavors that’s unlike anything else you’ll find at Taco Bell. It’s chunky, it’s gooey, it’s zesty, it’s delightfully spicy, and it’s filling like you wouldn’t believe. Taste-wise, this is one of the ritziest and most complex dishes we’ve ever gotten at the Bell. It’s definitely worth checking out — especially considering it could leave the menu and never, ever come back.

Purchased Price: $6.49
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 520 calories, 29 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 75 mg of cholesterol, 1,190 mg of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar (includes less than 1 gram of added sugar), and 27 grams of protein.

REVIEW: McDonald’s Blackberry Passion Fruit Refresher

Do you love purple? This is definitely purple.

You might be wondering why I only reviewed McDonald’s new Blackberry Passion Fruit Refresher and not the other two beverages in the newfangled product line. Well, that’s because the other two flavors — Strawberry-Watermelon and Mango-Pineapple — were totally sold out. Gee, who would’ve thought THESE things would’ve been such a smash hit in the foothills of north Georgia?

It’s pretty obvious what McDonald’s is going for with these Refreshers, and it’s especially clear with the Blackberry Passion Fruit mix. It looks like a Starbucks drink, it smells like a Starbucks drink, and it’s almost priced as much as a Starbucks drink — but can Mickey D’s really beat a certain Seattle coffee monolith at its own game?

Well, the short answer is … nah, at least as far as the Blackberry Passion Fruit Refresher is concerned.

Fruits and ice.

The product is definitely a McNovelty. The beverage is anchored around a lemonade base with a deluge of blackberry flavoring stirred into it. And not only do we get a dose of passion fruit syrup, but we get more passion fruit on top of it. As in, the extra passion fruit is literally frozen in humongous chunks of ice, like an esoteric fruit version of Captain America or something. It’s not exactly something I’d expect to ever see at McDonald’s, but hey, we all went through our experimental art phase at some point.

It's like Skeleton purple.

I guess my biggest issue with the drink is the use of the term “Refresher.” I see that, and I instinctively think something sweet, or at least a bit syrupy on the taste buds. This Refresher, however, is surprisingly stout and bitter, even for a lemonade-based beverage. The blackberry and dragon fruit flavorings aren’t terribly harmonious here, and they don’t really gel all that well with the lemonade. The first couple of sips were definitely a culture shock for me. Indeed, I had to pinch myself to make sure I was on Ronald’s turf and not trying a sample at Teavana.

Thankfully, your tongue does get acclimated to the beverage the more you drink it. I suppose if you’re in a certain mood and you’re pairing it with some very specific meal, it would be a bang-up drink. This is something you delicately sip while in a study, listening to Cocteau Twins, and not something you’d want to reach for in the fridge right after mowing the lawn. And it definitely does not go well with pancakes, if anybody asks.

Prince would've loved this drink. Maybe.

Perhaps saying I was “disappointed” by this Refresher is too harsh. It’s not a bad drink at all, and I can see how some people might really dig it. Alas, the mixologists at McDonald’s look like they still have some reformulating to do before they get this specific recipe right. You can almost taste what could’ve been here, and with a bit more tweaking, it definitely could’ve been a Starbucks-tier offering.

As it is, it’s merely alright. It does look pretty cool, though. Even if they didn’t mean to, this thing is TOTALLY Grimace-coded.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: Large
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 270 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 66 grams of carbohydrates, 59 grams of sugar, 0 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.

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