Los Doritos Locos Part 1: The Tacos

It’s about time we discuss the Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos Tacos. First, we were introduced to the Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco. Then, we were told there would be a Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco, which was delayed. Outrage, betrayal, and nearly full riots occurred with the news. Finally, our friends at Taco Bell released the Cool Ranch tortilla pocket. Great…but now we have to choose between the two.

The battle begins…

First off, let me be clear in establishing that overall, the Cool Ranch Dorito is the best of Doritos. If you prefer the nacho cheese, that means that you are probably a square, vanilla, and most likely a vegetarian (no offense). However, for the purpose of this consumer report, I took my bias out of it. Plus, I polled various members of the public.

Let’s talk flavor profiles briefly. The two varieties share the same contents: “beef,” lettuce, cheese. We have cetirus paribus. The nacho cheese shell indeed tastes like the Nacho Cheese Doritos, however I have found that the shell has less flavor than the actual chips—they are not as cheesy. The Cool Ranch shell also tastes just like the actual chips, but is not as crispy (obviously). However, I do think it contains the same amount of strong flavor.

The Verdict: Cool Ranch wins. The majority of my subjects voted for Cool Ranch and the overall reason was because the Cool Ranch shell has more flavor. Further questioning also indicated that the Nacho Cheese tacos were really just an addition to the cheese already in the taco. Meanwhile, the Cool Ranch taco offered a contrasting flavor that made the taco just that much better. And finally, avoiding cheesy fingers was another reason for voting Cool Ranch. Depending on where you are, sometimes you just can’t afford to have the cheesy fingers.

Next up for Part II: The Chips!

Until then—what’s your take?

(Photos: Taco Bell)