Doritos Tacos: The Latest Much-Mocked Fast Food Mash-Up Won't Be the Last

Rick Aristotle Munarriz
Updated
Taco Bell
Taco Bell

A taco shell made out of Nacho Cheese Doritos? Where have you been all my life?

Foodies and gluttons for gut punishment may not see eye to eye -- or taste bud to taste bud -- here, but Taco Bell's new Doritos Locos Taco is turning heads. The new treat from Yum! Brands' (YUM) Mexican food chain had its launch last week -- and it's already getting plenty of publicity. Not all of it is good.

Saturday Night Live skewered the offering over the weekend, joking that it was Taco Bell's way of saying "We hate you!"

Fast Foodies Reinventing Food

Taco Bell isn't afraid to take chances. Remember the "Yo quiero Taco Bell" Chihuahua? How about the Bell Beefer, Taco Bell's short-lived run at serving taco ingredients on a bun? There were also Taco Bell's brazen if not ridiculed marketing campaigns calling for a fourth meal and the drive-thru diet.

The Hula Burger
The Hula Burger

It's not just Taco Bell. Every major fast-food chain has its history of blunders. McDonald's (MCD) may be the industry darling as the world's largest restaurant chain, but take a moment to pay your respects to some of the menu items that faltered along the way.

  • Arch Deluxe: Mickey D's shot at making a high-end burger and marketed as a sandwich for grownups.

  • McDLT: This burger was served in two halves with the lettuce and tomato and one bun on a cool end of the container and the beef patty, cheese, and other end of the bun in another side of the container.

  • Hula Burger: Ray Kroc's own meatless creation, substituting a pineapple for the beef.

More Weird Combos to Come

It's not a coincidence that Taco Bell is playing nice with Doritos. Yum! Brands -- the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut -- was spun off by Doritos parent PepsiCo (PEP) several years ago.

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This isn't even the first time that Taco Bell has worked salty snacks for PepsiCo's Frito-Lay subsidiary into its grub. It once had the Frito Burrito. Just last year, the menu added the Beefy Crunch Burrito stuffed with Flamin' Hot Fritos chips.
Be patient. It won't be long before you find Cheetos in your Gordita.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz does not own shares in any of the stocks in this article. The Motley Fool owns shares of PepsiCo. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Yum! Brands, PepsiCo, and McDonald's. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended creating a diagonal call position in PepsiCo.

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