![\"Taco](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tbcantinamelt1.jpeg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1\" "\\"tbcantinamelt1.jpeg\\"")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I used to hate crunchy tacos.<\/p>\n
My grandfather would try so hard to get me to like them when we went to Taco Bell for “39-cent crunchy taco night,” but usually ended up paying the extra 10 cents so I could get soft tacos instead. I can’t tell you why I didn’t like them, but it was a preference that followed me well into my late 20s until something clicked.<\/p>\n
It is probably too dramatic to say I heard angels singing, but it’s the truth. Since then, they have been my preferred taco of choice, particularly Taco Bell’s crunchy beef taco (sorry, Grandpa). Its simplicity is one of the reasons why they are so satisfying. Rarely will I venture out of the standard build (shell, meat, cheese, lettuce), but every so often, Taco Bell will tempt me away with a new product, like it did with its Cantina Crispy Melt Taco.<\/p>\n
The menu item is made with a white corn tortilla that is fried in-store daily, then layered with nacho cheese sauce, three-cheese blend, seasoned beef, tomato, lettuce, sour cream, and (yet more) shredded cheddar cheese. Two things about this item caught my attention immediately: the freshly fried in-store white corn tortilla and the sheer amount of cheese involved with it. With the white corn shell, I was curious how it would differ from the standard yellow corn shell in both structural integrity and flavor. I was a bit wary about the amount of cheese involved, particularly the nacho cheese.<\/p>\n
![\"Taco](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tbcantinamelt2.jpeg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1\" "\\"tbcantinamelt2.jpeg\\"")
<\/p>\n
Look, I’m no stranger to cheese, but crunchy tacos can go from crunchy to soggy rather quickly, and I was worried the dairy would expedite that process. Much to my surprise, it all held up exceptionally well. The white corn offers a much more mild flavor than the yellow corn. I wouldn’t quite say it’s bland, but it’s certainly not the star flavor-wise.<\/p>\n
Its texture, though, exceeded my expectations. It was airy and light, but managed to stay strong after the 15-minute car ride home. With my first bite, it didn’t shatter or split. In fact, it did not break apart until the end.<\/p>\n
The nacho cheese was the strongest flavor, with the seasoned beef and sour cream coming in next. I couldn’t quite tell you if the three cheese blend added to it in any way, but it didn’t detract. I was also pleasantly surprised that the cheese didn’t cause the seam to get soggy and split apart. The rest of the toppings (lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese) felt sort of like a take-it-or-leave-it situation, but I often find those Taco Bell ingredients to be that way.<\/p>\n
![\"Taco](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tbcantinamelt3.jpeg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1\" "\\"tbcantinamelt3.jpeg\\"")
<\/p>\n
While I don’t find the Cantina Crispy Melt Taco too groundbreaking, it’s an interesting detour from the standard crunchy taco, and it’s worth trying once. The standout was the shell, but mostly for how well it held up and not because it added to the taste profile. But if you are a fan of the nacho cheese, I think you will very much find this to be a home run. <\/p>\n
Purchased Price:<\/strong> $2.19 I used to hate crunchy tacos. My grandfather would try so hard to get me to like them when we went to Taco Bell for “39-cent crunchy taco night,” but usually ended up paying the extra 10 cents so I could get soft tacos instead. I can’t tell you why I didn’t like them, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1440],"tags":[1477,1519],"class_list":["post-48638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-fast-food","tag-taco-bell"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17857,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2014\/12\/11\/review-taco-bell-rolled-chicken-tacos\/","url_meta":{"origin":48638,"position":0},"title":"REVIEW: Taco Bell Rolled Chicken Tacos","author":"Kelley","date":"December 11, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Say what you will about Taco Bell's recycling of ingredients when introducing new menu items, but I will say this \u2013 they do enjoy getting creative with tacos. Whether they're turning a Dorito into a shell, or wrapping a taco around another taco, playing origami with tortillas is not their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Taco Bell Spicy Ranch","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/15809175570_2891c82b2b_o.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/15809175570_2891c82b2b_o.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/15809175570_2891c82b2b_o.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48225,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2021\/09\/12\/taco-bell-crispy-chicken-sandwich-taco-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":48638,"position":1},"title":"REVIEW: Taco Bell Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco","author":"Marvo","date":"September 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"What are the Taco Bell Crispy Chicken Sandwich Tacos? The new \"sandwiches\" with flatbread that wraps around the chicken like a taco are available in two varieties -- regular and spicy. Both come with creamy chipotle sauce and crispy, white-meat chicken that's marinated in jalape\u00f1o buttermilk, seasoned with Mexican spices,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/tbchicksandtaco4.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/tbchicksandtaco4.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/tbchicksandtaco4.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/tbchicksandtaco4.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/tbchicksandtaco4.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18257,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2015\/03\/25\/fast-food-news-taco-bell-biscuit-tacos\/","url_meta":{"origin":48638,"position":2},"title":"FAST FOOD NEWS: Taco Bell Biscuit Tacos","author":"Marvo","date":"March 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Goodbye, Taco Bell Waffle Tacos! Hello, Taco Bell Biscuit Tacos! The newest additions to the Taco Bell breakfast menu feature a warm, fluffy, buttery biscuit that's folded into the shape of a taco. There are five varieties available: Sausage, Egg and Cheese, Crispy Chicken with Jalapeno Honey, Crispy Chicken with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fast Food News"","block_context":{"text":"Fast Food News","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/fast-food-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Taco Bell Sausage Egg and Cheese Biscuit Taco and Chicken Biscuit Taco with Jalapeno Honey","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Taco-Bell-Sausage-Egg-and-Cheese-Biscuit-Taco-and-Chicken-Biscuit-Taco-with-Jalapeno-Honey1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Taco-Bell-Sausage-Egg-and-Cheese-Biscuit-Taco-and-Chicken-Biscuit-Taco-with-Jalapeno-Honey1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Taco-Bell-Sausage-Egg-and-Cheese-Biscuit-Taco-and-Chicken-Biscuit-Taco-with-Jalapeno-Honey1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50001,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2022\/02\/05\/taco-bell-cantina-crispy-chicken-taco-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":48638,"position":3},"title":"REVIEW: Taco Bell Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco","author":"Marvo","date":"February 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"What is the Taco Bell Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco? Taco Bell brings back its Crispy Chicken and puts it in a flour tortilla with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and your choice of avocado ranch or creamy chipotle sauce. The protein is crispy, white-meat chicken that's marinated in jalape\u00f1o buttermilk, seasoned with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/tbccct3.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/tbccct3.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/tbccct3.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/tbccct3.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/tbccct3.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43634,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2020\/04\/16\/fast-food-news-taco-bell-flamin-hot-doritos-locos-tacos\/","url_meta":{"origin":48638,"position":4},"title":"FAST FOOD NEWS: Taco Bell Flamin’ Hot Doritos Locos Tacos","author":"Marvo","date":"April 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Taco Bell has introduced a new shell flavor to the Doritos Locos Taco line -- Flamin' Hot. The taco is available with the standard Taco Bell Crunchy Taco fillings (seasoned beef, lettuce, and cheese) or standard Taco Supreme fillings (seasoned beef, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and reduced fat sour cream). The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fast Food News"","block_context":{"text":"Fast Food News","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/fast-food-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/News-TB-Flamin-Hot-DLT.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/News-TB-Flamin-Hot-DLT.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/News-TB-Flamin-Hot-DLT.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/News-TB-Flamin-Hot-DLT.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/News-TB-Flamin-Hot-DLT.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16514,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2014\/03\/14\/quick-review-taco-bell-xxl-steak-crispy-taco\/","url_meta":{"origin":48638,"position":5},"title":"QUICK REVIEW: Taco Bell XXL Steak Crispy Taco","author":"Marvo","date":"March 14, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Purchased Price: $3.89* Size: N\/A Purchased at: Taco Bell Rating: 6 out of 10 Pros: Holy cow there's a lot of steak in this taco. Steak is easy to chew; no tough parts. Taco shell seemed sturdier than Taco Bell's regular taco shell. It's noticeably larger than a regular Taco\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Taco Bell XXL Crispy Steak Taco","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm4.staticflickr.com\/3260\/13094863883_2f3c99caa1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/63"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48638\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nSize:<\/strong> N\/A
\nRating:<\/strong> 7 out of 10
\nNutrition Facts:<\/strong> 280 calories, 17 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 540 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"