Like four-digit numerical passcodes for your phone, there are thousands of combinations Taco Bell could come up with for its loaded Nacho Fries using its standard ingredients.

The latest is the Steak & Guac Nacho Fries, which have the most condiments I’ve ever seen on the chain’s Nacho Fries and marinated steak — guacamole, reduced-fat sour cream, nacho cheese sauce, and chipotle sauce. There isn’t anything other than the fries and steak to provide some resistance for your teeth.

Since it’s almost halfway there, maybe Taco Bell should create something called Sauce Pool, Sauce Rainbow, or Sauce Swamp Nacho Fries that contains every sauce Taco Bell offers, plus a new one or two. But we’re not here to talk about my wet sauce dream, unless you represent the Yum! Brands, Inc. and are willing to offer me royalties. We’re here to review Taco Bell’s Steak & Guac Nacho Fries.

Like many of the previous loaded Nacho Fries varieties that use Taco Bell’s standard ingredients, it tastes fine, and it’s filling. However, when mixed, it tasted like the sour cream, nacho cheese sauce, and chipotle sauce were upset about the steak and guacamole getting top billing here, so they took over the show. The steak’s meaty flavor is erased when coated with all those sauces, and the guacamole loses most of its avocado-ness when mixed with everything. The only flavors I consistently tasted were the nacho cheese sauce and a bit of the chipotle sauce’s smokiness, which also had a slight spicy kick.

Because the headlining ingredients don’t make a strong impression, it makes me wonder whether Taco Bell needed to combine all those sauces in the first place. Sour cream and nacho cheese sauce seem to be on EVERY loaded Nacho Fries variant that has come out. Maybe give the sour cream and nacho cheese guns in the kitchen a break.

These Nacho Fries might’ve been wholly more guacamole if the sour cream and nacho cheese were left off and replaced with another serving of guacamole. Then the menu item might’ve been worthy of the Steak & Guac name.

Purchased Price: $7.19*
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 530 calories, 34 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 1230 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar (includes less than 1 gram of added sugar), and 13 grams of protein.

*Because I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

Taco Bell’s Flat Burrito is back.

I mean, Taco Bell’s Rolled Quesadilla is back, and it’s gotten the Cantina Chicken treatment. According to the fast food chain, the new permanent menu item is: “A warm flour tortilla filled with savory slow-roasted chicken, a melty blend of mozzarella, pepper jack, and cheddar cheeses, and creamy chipotle sauce, grilled to perfection, rolled, cut, and wrapped for easy enjoying on the go. Served with reduced-fat sour cream and an Avocado Verde Salsa packet.”

It follows the Steak & Poblano Rolled Quesadilla that got the product rolling late last year. Speaking of previously released menu items, this new thing in a tortilla is similar to an old thing in a tortilla — the Cantina Chicken Quesadilla. They share the same ingredients, and the only differences between the two are how they’re presented—the original version also came with a side of guacamole for dipping—and this rolled version has twice as much chicken.

The original Cantina Chicken Quesadilla didn’t make a strong impression on me, and the same goes for this updated version. The chicken is lightly seasoned and pairs well with the cheeses and chipotle sauce, but it’s all not too flavorful or exciting. But as mentioned earlier, it comes with a side of sour cream and a packet of Avocado Verde Salsa, which significantly enhanced the flavor, especially the latter, which I think is one of the best Taco Bell sauces. They take the menu item from “meh” to “mmm, okay.” I wish the default dipping sauce were the guacamole, because reduced-fat sour cream isn’t exactly known for taking mouths to the flashy side of Tasty Town.

Here’s my biggest issue with these Rolled Quesadillas: a regular quesadilla is fanned out when it’s presented to you, so its price makes sense to me. But with these rolled ones, they look like burritos that got smooshed a bit too much in the grill press, making them appear less substantial than Taco Bell’s regular burritos, which, in turn, makes them not worth the surprisingly high price, even if they have twice the chicken. Though I will admit their shape does make them less awkward to dip into a sauce cup than a regular quesadilla wedge.

So, yes, Taco Bell’s Rolled Quesadilla is back, but nothing about its size or flavor has improved to make me want to try the next one, if there ever is one. Maybe it needs to go back to the drawing board.

Purchased Price: $7.99*
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 570 calories, 28 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 105 milligrams of cholesterol, 1410 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar (includes 1 gram of added sugar), and 33 grams of protein.

*Because I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

At this point, I feel as if I don’t need to explain what Taco Bell’s Nacho Fries are, and how there’s always a loaded version of them that usually features standard Taco Bell ingredients that, in the past, may have been chosen by pulling out slips of paper from a flipped-over bell. In the present, I imagine the physical pulling has been replaced by an in-house AI chatbot called Gidget, after the chihuahua from the 90s Taco Bell commercials.

If Gidget does exist, its latest creation is the new Chicken Bacon Ranch Nacho Fries, featuring slow roasted chicken, pico de gallo, bacon, cheese, nacho cheese sauce, and avocado ranch sauce. There are also Chicken Bacon Ranch Street Chalupas, which include almost everything above minus the nacho cheese sauce, wrapped in toasted cheddar chalupa shells. However, when the Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupas debuted last year, I wrote that “if it ever comes back, I’m sure I won’t be sticking it and its bread-y flavor in my mouth again.” So I didn’t give them a try and stuck with the fries. Hey! That rhymes!

A quick search of this site confirms that chicken, bacon, and ranch are a common fast food combo, and the Nacho Fries are an excellent vessel for highlighting them, providing a slightly crispy, seasoned bed for those toppings to rest on. I was skeptical that the nacho cheese sauce could be paired with the avocado ranch, since one might cancel out the other. But the orange goop added a cheesier layer that complemented the creamy, slightly tangy avocado ranch rather than competing with it.

The biggest letdown was the chicken, but mainly because my order didn’t seem to have much of it. It looked less like a star of the menu item and more like it had been accidentally included in my order on its way to being added to another order. At least, there were enough bacon crumbles to make up for it. The pico de gallo was a welcome addition, bringing bright, acidic bursts with each forkful, and doing a nice job of cutting through the richness of the sauces.

Overall, Taco Bell’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Nacho Fries are as good as many of the previous loaded Nacho Fries iterations. There’s a lot of flavor, and the fries are a great carrier for all the sauces and toppings. But at the same time, there’s nothing about it that makes it a must-order, and if you happen to miss this limited-time offering, there’s no need to feel any amount of FOMO.

Besides, Gidget will have something new for us soon enough.

Purchased Price: $6.99 each
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 350 calories, 24 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 940 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.

Taco Bell has gotten expensive.

I’ve seen your comments complaining, and I completely agree with you because I hear the voices in my head yelling profanities in between statements like, “SEVEN DOLLAR DIPPING BURRITOS!? Back in my day, you could spend seven dollars at Taco Bell and eat for seven days! Now get off my lawn!”

Those days of a few dollars getting you a lot of food are long gone, but Taco Bell has heard your grumbling and my mind’s cursing because there’s now a new Luxe Value Menu that features ten items that are advertised for three dollars or less. While that’s not like the days of yore quiero Taco Bell, it’s a start.

Of those ten menu items, five are new-ish: Beefy Potato Loaded Griller, Salted Caramel Churros, Mini Taco Salad, Chips and Nacho Supreme Dip, and Avocado Ranch Chicken Stacker. The not-new-ish are the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito, Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito, 3-Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt, and Cheesy Roll Up. I’ll be reviewing the five new-ish ones here.

Avocado Ranch Chicken Stacker

Let’s start with my least favorite of the bunch, which features grilled all-white-meat chicken, avocado ranch, creamy chipotle sauce, a three-cheese blend, lettuce, and tomatoes, all wrapped in a folded tortilla.

Yeah, it’s my least favorite of the bunch, but it’s still decent. Although I’m not sure mine was made correctly, I could definitely taste the avocado ranch sauce, but not the creamy chipotle. Whatever I got, it’s pretty basic tasting with just the chicken and ranch sauce coming through. The poultry is tender, and the lettuce adds a little crunch, but the tomatoes aren’t noticeable at all, despite my order having several chunks.

The Avocado Ranch Chicken Stacker is a limited time offering, but it’s so mid that it’s okay to skip it. Also, it’s the priciest of the bunch.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 430 calories. No other nutritional information is available at the time of publication.

Let’s follow up my least favorite of the bunch with my favorite: a grilled roll-up filled with seasoned beef, crispy potato bites, chipotle sauce, nacho cheese sauce, and reduced-fat sour cream. Those of you who edit the Taco Bell Wiki probably realize that this is awfully similar to Taco Bell’s Beefy Potato-rito from 2017. The only ingredient difference between this and that is the addition of sour cream in this one.

I gave the Beefy Potato-rito a 7 out of 10, and I’m going to give this one a slightly better score because it’s bigger, making it beefier and potato-ier. There’s a chili cheese fries vibe with these, and I love the seasoned beef and potato combo. The nacho cheese is the most noticeable of the sauces, and there’s also a slight kick that might be coming from the chipotle sauce, but it doesn’t build to anything beyond smoldering. The Beefy Potato Loaded Griller is terrific, and it makes me wonder why more Taco Bell items don’t have potatoes in them. Will definitely be repurchasing this.

Purchased Price: $2.79
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 490 calories, 25 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 1120 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar (including 2 grams of added sugar), and 12 grams of protein.

Mini Taco Salad

Let me start by saying this Mini Taco Salad is super adorable. That adorable mini tortilla bowl is filled with seasoned beef, chipotle sauce, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and refried beans. I want to call it a Taco Side Salad.

Despite having “salad” in its name, it’s more meaty than salad-y. Actually, if it didn’t have the lettuce, it looks like the dip from the chips & dip you’ll read about next. With the lettuce and tortilla bowl, it has that familiar taco salad taste. So it’s almost everything you’d taste from a regular taco salad, but in a cuter form.

However, I think the best thing about the Mini Taco Salad is the fact that I didn’t need a fork to eat it. Sure, I was given one, but I took one look at the mini tortilla bowl and thought, “Yeah, not gonna need utensils with this one.” Then I picked it up with my hands and started chomping away. Surprisingly, I didn’t make a mess. Your cleanliness may vary.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 280 calories, 16 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 490 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 9 grams of protein.

Chips & Nacho Supreme Dip

I’m a little surprised this wasn’t called Chips & Six-Layer Dip. Okay, “six” doesn’t EXACTLY rhyme with “chips” and “dip,” but it kind of does. Those six layers include seasoned beef, beans, nacho cheese sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, pico de gallo, and a three-cheese blend, which is served with a sleeve of tortilla chips.

As I looked at the Luxe Value Menu on my table, I had thoughts about dumping the Nacho Supreme Dip into the Mini Taco Salad’s tortilla bowl and eating them as a combined menu item. Maybe I’ll spend five dollars to do that during my next Taco Bell run.

The dip is plentiful, and there’s enough for all the chips given. Much like the Beefy Potato Loaded Griller, the nacho cheese sauce is the most noticeable condiment. With my order, there was a slight bitterness, which might’ve been from the pico de gallo. The dip overall had a familiar flavor, which isn’t surprising since it’s made with common ingredients in the Taco Bell Universe. I guess you could think of this as a burrito filling that doesn’t have a flour tortilla to go home to.

The chips and dip were enjoyable, and I would spend another $2.50 to eat them again.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 360 calories. No other nutritional information is available at the time of publication.

Salted Caramel Churros

I ended my Luxe meal with the only dessert on the menu. An order comes with three pieces featuring a creamy filling and a crispy exterior dusted with salted caramel-flavored sugar. That crystalline substance on the crispy fried dough is definitely sweet and definitely salty, but perhaps a bit more salty than I was expecting.

The creamy filling adds a modest amount of sweetness, but I kind of question whether it was necessary if all the salted caramel flavor comes from the sugary coating. I also wondered whether the filling wanted to be involved with this dessert, because when I bit into a piece on one end, the filling would escape from the other, as if it were trying to run away from being associated with these churros.

Other than being saltier than I expected, I think these churros were worth it. For $1.99, you don’t have to fork over much.

Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: 3 pieces
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 230 calories, 16 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

With Taco Bell’s Luxe Value Menu, you won’t be able to stretch five dollars as much as you could a decade or so ago. However, you can get two or three of these items for five, six, or seven dollars. I paid under $13 for all five, which isn’t enough to quiet the voices in my head. Although they’re whispering, “That’s not too bad.”