Taco Bell spices things up with the Steak & Poblano Rolled Quesadilla and Fan Style Menu winners

The poblano pepper makes its Taco Bell debut alongside the limited release of the California Crunchwrap, Burrito Bliss and Cantina Craze.

Taco Bell spices things up with the Steak & Poblano Rolled Quesadilla and Fan Style Menu winners

Taco Bell hit us with two major releases on Thursday, dropping both the Steak & Poblano Rolled Quesadilla and launching the Fan Style Menu with the California Crunchwrap, Burrito Bliss and Cantina Craze.

Yes, I ate way too much Taco Bell to bring you this news.

“With the debut of the Steak & Poblano Rolled Quesadilla, we’re celebrating the unique flavor profile of the poblano pepper in a new form,” Luis Restrepo, chief marketing officer at Taco Bell, said in a statement. “This launch is a testament to our relentless drive to deliver craveable innovations in every bite.”

How the poblano pepper escaped Taco Bell’s menu until 2025 is beyond me, but the chain promises that the “newest hero ingredient delivers even more Mexican-inspired flavor in a way fans have never tasted before on the menu.”

And if the Steak & Poblano Rolled Quesadilla wasn’t enough to satisfy your desire for new Taco Bell menu items, the Fan Style Menu brings to life new combos created by fans through Taco Bell’s app, with the first three items being selected for their “originality and craveability.”

I had no idea Fan Style was a thing you could do with Taco Bell’s app, but the feature “was developed as an ode to the customizers, swappers and dreamers who’ve added their own flavor to the Taco Bell menu. The in-app feature puts the power of customization and shareability directly in the hands of Taco Bell Rewards Members — allowing them to build, name, and share their custom orders.”

While I ponder the world of possibilities offered by the Fan Style program, let’s dive into this week’s four new Taco Bell items ...

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What they cost

At my Taco Bell, the Steak & Poblano Rolled Quesadilla was $4.99. I think the prices for the Fan Style Menu offerings will vary depending on your location since, despite their official menu status, individual locations might be making the trio on the fly. For me, the California Crunchwrap was $8.79, the Burrito Bliss was $3.44 and the Cantina Craze was $5.14.

My thoughts

Steak & Poblano Rolled Quesadilla

When I came home from picking up my Taco Bell order, my daughter asked, “Did you get anything for me?” Her go-to Taco Bell order is a crunch taco with only beef. No cheese. No other toppings.

Poblano pepper was absolutely out of the question.

But I hope that when her Taco Bell palate evolves in the years to come, the fast-food chain still offers the Steak & Poblano Rolled Quesadilla because this is an ingredient that Taco Bell needs to keep in the mix.

This quesadilla brings together “roasted poblano peppers, marinated steak, a blend of melty cheese and Spicy Ranch sauce,” and these ingredients work very well together. There’s a warmth to the poblano peppers that I haven’t tasted in previous Taco Bell items, and the chain’s roasted steak is arguably their best option when it comes to picking a protein.

Snack score

🍪🍪🍪🍪 (4 out of 5 cookies)

California Crunchwrap

Whoa whoa whoa — why didn’t anyone tell me that you could add Taco Bell’s seasoned fries to a Crunchwrap?! My mind was blown here.

The California Crunchwrap 100 percent needs to be a permanent Taco Bell menu item. In addition to fries, this Fan Style winner upgrade the ground beef to, yet again, marinated steak and squeezes in guacamole. It’s so, so good.

“I can’t remember the first time I had a Crunchwrap, but it’s been my go-to for years,” Brock, the creator of the California Crunchwrap, said in Taco Bell’s announcement. (Yes, just “Brock.”) “I kept seeing people in California add fries to their burritos, so one day I tried it in a Crunchwrap instead — and it just worked. Now it’s my new Taco Bell staple, and I can’t wait for people everywhere to try it.”

You’re a genius, Brock.

I’m hoping that Taco Bell isn’t phasing out its fries again, but my usual spot didn’t have them, which led to the California Crunchwrap not showing up for order when I had the app set to that location. Luckily I had another Taco Bell that was pretty much the same distance away that did have fries and the California Crunchwrap on the menu.

Snack score

🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪 (5 out of 5 cookies)

Burrito Bliss

My hopes were high when I picked up the Burrito Bliss. After all, Taco Bell had just hit a fast-food home run with the Flamin’ Hot Grilled Cheese Burrito.

The Burrito Bliss is a vegetarian option, boasting “seasoned rice, refried beans, Pico de Gallo, Fiesta Strips Tortilla Strips and creamy Avocado Ranch.” Those refried beans are tasty, but this Fan Style menu option doesn’t live up to the culinary glory of my beloved Flamin’ Hot Grilled Cheese Burrito.

“I’ve always loved how easy it is to make Taco Bell my own,” Kajol, creator of the Burrito Bliss, said. “The Burrito Bliss came from mixing a few of my favorite ingredients into something simple but really satisfying. I still can’t believe something I threw together for fun is now on the menu.”

Points for the refried beans, Kajol.

Snack score

🍪🍪🍪 (3 out of 5 cookies)

Cantina Craze

The Cantina menu items have brought a freshness to Taco Bell, but I sometimes feel like they all start tasting the same. The Cantina Craze mixes up the standard Cantina Chicken Crispy Taco with “Creamy Jalapeño Sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and a touch of Reduced-Fat Sour Cream.”

Like pretty much the entire Cantina menu, the Cantina Craze is good ... but even with the modifications made by Sandra, I’m not sure it stands apart from anything else I’ve eaten from this segment of the Taco Bell menu.

If you want to try the Cantina Craze, make sure you either eat this one at a Taco Bell or pick it up yourself. I can only imagine the state it would be in when it arrived at your home after driving around with a delivery worker.

Snack score

🍪🍪🍪 (3 out of 5 cookies)

The Steak & Poblano Rolled Quesadilla, California Crunchwrap, Burrito Bliss and Cantina Craze were provided to Snackology for this independent review.

Snackology is written and produced by Bill Kuchman.
Copyediting by Tim Kuchman.

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