Monday, February 18, 2013

Taco Bell's Cantina Steak Burrito

Taco Bell's Cantina Steak Burrito
Exhibit A
My kitchen is getting on in years and, as such, has been suffering from some of the problems of the elderly.  Leaking, cracking, arthritis...  So, at the end of last week, several large men in work clothes came by to take it apart (see exhibit A), perform some surgery and Scotch tape it all back together again.  Needless to say, there wasn't much cooking going on.



Taco Bell's Cantina Steak Burrito
As it happens, I had also been asked to review the Taco Bell Cantina Steak Burrito from the new Cantina Bell menu.  We're not big fast food eaters, which they knew, but sometimes life gets in the way and you need a quick, convenient meal.  Given the state of my kitchen, it seems we were in just such a need.  I'm also a big Top Chef fan and had seen the Cantina menu developer, Chef Lorena Garcia, compete.

Taco Bell's Cantina Steak Burrito
The steak burrito features citrus herb marinated steak, premium Latin rice, fresh guacamole, black beans, roasted corn and pepper salsa, creamy cilantro dressing and pico de gallo in a warm flour tortilla.  It sounded good but, I should mention that I am super picky about my steak.  Yes, I know that in the commercials, Chef Garcia is being super picky but I am really, really picky.  So much so that I usually avoid it in anything other than a steakhouse and choose chicken or vegetables instead.  So I fully expected to report that I liked the rice, beans, guac, pico and wrap but that the steak was too chewy for my standards.  Yup, that's what I expected.  But, nothing could be further from the truth.  This steak was super tender and very flavorful.  It tasted like good, slow cooked brisket.  We liked it so much we wished there were even more steak pieces in the burrito although we really can't complain about the amount we got.

Taco Bell's Cantina Steak Burrito
All the rest of it is as I expected.  I love rice and beans and avocados and all the rest of the ingredients found in there and it was no surprise that I really liked them in the burrito.  The wrap itself was fresh and nicely toasted.  Brian and I both commented that we thought the filling was a tad under-seasoned, especially for Mexican food.  But it wasn't so egregious that it lessened our enjoyment of the burrito.

Taco Bell's Cantina Steak Burrito
I'll also say that the burrito was generously portioned, perhaps too much so.  Certainly 700 calories is beyond my limit for any one meal so I gave half to Brian.  Overall, we enjoyed our food quite a lot.  We still might not be frequent fast food eaters but it's useful to know there's a really good option for those times when we can't cook, are on the road or just in the mood to indulge.  We'd both be quite happy to have that burrito again and maybe even try some other items on the new Cantina menu.




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.

14 comments:

  1. Wow, that looks darn tasty for fast food! Hope your kitchen update goes quickly :)

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  2. Thanks for the review. I've been wondering about it, as I am also very impressed with Chef Garcia!

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  3. It looks very filling and delicious. Chef Garcia deserves way more attention than she gets.

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  4. We did the burrito too!! Works in a pinch, doesn't it? I'm not a fast food girl either, but every once in a while nothing does like a burrito!

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  5. Ok, real talk, T-Bell is one of my guilty pleasures. I have been so curious about this burrito. I will have to split one with Mike.

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  6. My mother in law loves Taco Bell so I'm always looking for something new to order when she asks us to join her. Thank you for your review!

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  7. got this burrito for first time yesterday....disgusting lol and I love Taco Bell so its not biased

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    1. Well it's your opinion so yes, it is biased. Things you find disgusting other people will like.

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    2. Actually no, it isn't biased. I said I love T-Bell so I don't have a previous bad prejudice towards Bell, therefore it was just a statement of opinion. No bias involved. A simple preference isn't part of a bias....and I know other people like the burrito. Mine was just loaded with guac and overpowered all the other flavors.

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  8. IM NOT A FAN OF TACO BELL BUT, MY BOYFRIEND IS,. AND HIS FIND , PURE RICE AND BEENS AND A VERY FEW PIECES , ABOUT TRHEE OF THAT GREAT STEAK THAT CHEF LORENA VERY WELL ACCEPTED. I DID NOT LIKED IT NEITHER MY BOYFRIEND , FOR 6.00 DOLLARS A PIECE , I SPECTED TO TASTE THE SO CALL STEAK
    S VALENTIN, PERTH AMBOY NJ

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  9. I tried the chicken version of this burrito today while I was trapped at the mall. I was positively surprised by the flavors, it didn't taste like fast food, and I didn't have that "ick" feeling afterward.

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  10. That thing was a big gross burrito. Maybe its just taco bell I went. I can say the meat was tender, but of course like all fast food place it looks different from the pictures. I will never buy it again.

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  11. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday. This is a great review, but next time please link up a recipe since that is our theme.

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  12. so how much does TB pay all of you to write this BS?

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