First Look at Cool Ranch and Flamas Doritos Locos Tacos from Taco Bell

June 18, 2012 // 2:32 pm // By: Elie Ayrouth

The Doritos Locos Taco is one of the biggest things to happen to the Taco Bell brand since that talking chihuahua told the world, “¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!”

Reports came out last month that the Taco Bell chain had sold more than 100 million of the original Nacho Cheese-flavored tacos, with more flavors on the horizon, including the hotly anticipated Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco. Just a few short weeks later, we’ve spotted not only a Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco in the wild, but a confirmed testing of the Doritos Flamas Doritos Locos Taco as well.

The Flamas shell features one of the most unique flavor combinations to grace the fast food chain’s menu in quite some time. Like the tortilla chip version, the shell brings together hot chile and lemon flavors with the guts of a traditional Taco Bell taco.

We had the opportunity to try both, as both these varieties are being tested in the Orange County area. It’s being said that the tandem test of Cool Ranch and Flamas is spread across six Southern California locations, including spots in Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo and Tustin.

The Flamas Doritos Locos Taco has a very serious flavor profile. The shell emirates with a spicy, citrusy crunch and acts as a fun prelude to the lettuce, meat and cheese ingredients that await inside the taco.

Here’s a shot of web developing guru Tommy chomping on the Flamas Doritos Locos Taco. He spotted these tacos during a late night Taco Bell run over the weekend, and brought in a garbage bag full of them into the office this morning for us to try:

The Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco shell is the one people will be talking about for weeks when it goes national. It utilizes the same subtle tones that don’t hammer the flavors down your taste buds — the way the original nacho cheese version tasted. For fans of Cool Ranch Doritos, the taco doesn’t disappoint. Here’s a look:

Which Doritos Locos Taco flavor are you most excited to try? Do you have any ideas for future flavors? Sound off in the comments, who knows, Taco Bell might be reading…and your ideal flavor might be the next one to get tested!

Elie AyrouthTwitterFacebook

Elie is a product of Orange County, CA. In early 2012, his dentist diagnosed him with 8 different cavities, three of which on the same tooth, as a result of his 23-year Sour Patch Kid addiction.

http://twitter.com/yvonneyvonney yv0nne

WHERE??
http://www.facebook.com/ken.langston8316 Ken Langston

they should put the volcano sauce in the flamas tacos.

Joseph Roberts

I think i’m gonna have to agree, you can always ask them too, I always get some in my double decker tacos
http://twitter.com/miketramontano Mike Tramontano

Just say “add lava”

http://twitter.com/suvachi suvachi

Dear Doritos,

I understand the above article vaguely mentions the possibility of you reading this, therefore I understand this is without question so. Let me first say, THANK YOU for not only introducing FLAMAS as an option on the Doritios Locos Tacos menu, but keeping it as a staple in your line up. It’s hard to say which flavor is my favorite, but it’s definitely high on the list. With that said, I would like to suggest some flavors I’d like to see (why not them all?), but also want to ask what happened to the Ranchero flavor from the late 90′s? Please, I beg of you, return it! It’s haunted my taste bud’s day dreams for over a decade.

Jalapeño & Cheddar (3D)
Hot Wings Blue Cheese
Jacked Smoky Chipotle BBQ
Ketchup (!!!!!!!)

Thanks! And please please PLEASE bring back RANCHERO!!!!

Anonymous

They have Doritos Jacked Ranch Dipped Hot Wing…they are good, but not as great as it sounds.

Anonymous

Looks like I’ll be making a trip to Orange County this week in search of these tacos. Which locations, pray tell?
Anonymous

The YUM corporation is one of the most guilty of all the corporations for using added synthetic chemicals that are responsible for causing obesity. Call this a conspiracy rant, but if you are smart enough to think about this for yourself and do a little research on your own, you will find the truth.
Most Americans want to believe that the government is going to be their watchdog and tell them when something might be harmful for them or have adverse side effects. You are wrong to think this way and you will invariably allow yourself to be gullible and vulnerable! Your good health does not make a profit for these corporations.
If you want to become morbidly obese, then eat this food. It is something that has been proven in scientific animal studies. This food doesn’t make people obese because it is greasy or fried. This food causes people to become obese because the corporations have added synthetic chemicals that makes their food somewhat ‘addictive’ and causes changes in human brain chemistry. It is still not fully understood exactly by what mechanisms these chemicals use to go from consumption to obesity. The food is not quite addictive like cigarettes, but it’s very similar in the effects. Not only does it cause obesity, but it also causes depression, irritability, fatigue, and a number of other added side effects.

The idea has stemmed from the tobacco industry. The tobacco industries success in adding chemicals to their products to make it very difficult for people to stop has caught the attention of many people who are interested in making money by any means necessary. Although it is difficult to stop smoking, it is not impossible. As long as a product does not cause acute and immediate harm to the human body it can be Generally Recognized As Safe or GRAS. Even when there are known health risks in a product such as cigarettes, it is allowed to be placed into the market with a warning of the health risks. This warning did not always exist on cigarette packaging. The food industry has not gotten to the point where they are required to place warning information about the synthetic chemicals that they use. They often even change the names of the chemicals to hide from the people who discover the truth. The same chemicals with a different name so they can continue to sell to the public and make larger profits.

As long as they keep their scientific findings from reaching the general public, they will continue to fool and abuse the entire american population. It is not some act of GOD that Americans have a higher rate of obesity than in the past. Americans are getting bigger in large part because of the actions of the corporations that are producing these processed food products that contain their “secret ingredients.”

In reality, these products should not be consumed. They should not even be considered to be food items. As much as I used to like all of the products that the YUM corporation produces, I will not touch any of it anymore. Since I have made this decision, I have lost very much weight. I no longer have a desire to eat more than what I need and I am so much healthier. My mood is improved. I have been able to live again.If you have read this far and want to begin to find out more, here is a link to start with:http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/16/this-common-food-additive-now-linked-to-weight-gain.aspx

The problems in the US food industry are vast. There are many countries in the world that consider US products to be toxic and poisonous. For this reason, there have been bans placed on these products from being exported.

Europe and Canada have both banned many of these products. Both have government sponsored health care programs. It would cost these countries billions of dollars to give health care for the adverse effects of using these products as they are used in the USA. The United States government does not have any invested interest in the health of the American public and they will never pass a government sponsored health care program for exactly this reason. Their only interest is in making money from the ignorance and apathy of the general public.

Anonymous

Some people need to stop blaming everything and everyone before themselves. It’s called personal responsibility.
http://twitter.com/punk_nerd97 Jeff Smith

Dude, if we gave two craps about what is going into our bodies, I can GUARANTEE you that we wouldn’t eat Taco Bell. There is no such thing as a ‘Healthy Taco Bell Regular’ For that matter and like the other guy said. Stop blaming ‘The Man’ for our countries obesity issues. It is idiots like you who rant and rave about things like this, then go out for a $1.00 Burger at your local McDonalds because it is convenient. Unless you boycott all fast food chains, you won’t make much of an impact. And even then. And if you don’t like the way mass produced food is made, be my guest to pay $15 for an all ‘Organic’ Whopper sized burger.

Let me ask you this. due to the fact that you are so obviously against it. How do you live your life? Organic? Vegan? I felt the same way you did. For a bout an hour.

Who and what deems something is vegan. And what keeps them from lying to the consumers.

Anonymous

It’s personal choice if you want to buy the products that these corporations put out as so called “food.” I don’t buy these things. Not ever! I have better things to do with my money than to throw it away. I don’t ever eat fast food and I rarely go to a chain restaurant like Olive Garden.

I don’t buy processed garbage like Dorito’s anymore. I used to, but just because you run one red light in your life doesn’t mean that you have to continuously run every red light for the rest of your life. I learned better eating habits and I’m not a vegan or a vegetarian. I feel better, have more stamina, more energy, and I’m healthier now than I have ever been in my entire life. I wouldn’t go back to eating garbage like this if the corporation paid me.

cashd00d

They should make a taco shell out of the Mountain Dew (Mystery) flavor Doritos. Or the Taco flavor. That would be meta.
wheredasocoat1

SALSA VERDE FLAVORRR
http://twitter.com/DJSciFly Simon Beltz

Does anyone know when they are coming out? Or did it already come out??
AnneMarie Czajkoski

WHEN?
http://twitter.com/Miniwolfsbane CW

Sometime I’m adding nacho cheese sauce to my dorito taco. Just had the great idea for that yesterday, I’m sure it would be delicious.
I love flamas chips, so I’m very excited for the flamas taco! I can’t remember the last time I had cool ranch, but I’m sure it will be good.
http://www.facebook.com/alice.thompson.946 Alice Thompson

They should offer chicken in the ranch taco:)