We tried Burger King's new $1 tacos and found they were nothing like what we expected

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We tried Burger King's new $1 tacos and found they were nothing like what we expected

Burger King Taco

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  • Burger King brought back tacos for the first time in a decade on Tuesday.
  • The new Crispy Taco, which costs only $1, is made with tortillas filled with ground beef and cheese, then deep-fried and topped with lettuce.
  • We tried the new menu item and came away unimpressed.
  • We were also baffled by how different the tacos looked in real life from how they appeared in advertisements.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Burger King rolled out $1 Crispy Tacos on Tuesday.

Burger King? Tacos? There have been stranger things in fast food, but not many.

As one might expect, BK's tacos aren't exactly conventional. Ground beef and shredded cheese are folded into a tortilla, which is then deep-fried and topped with bits of lettuce. This method of preparation sounds less than taco-like.

We were skeptical.

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The last time Burger King offered a taco was in 2010, almost a decade ago, according to a nutrition page logged by the Internet Archive and noted by Thrillist.

We decided to make our way to the Burger King in New York's Financial District to see what these crunchy creatures were all about.

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When we went to order the tacos, the cashier didn't know what we were talking about. To be fair, it was the first day the tacos were available. We spoke to a manager who confirmed that they did indeed have tacos, but spent five minutes figuring out how to ring them up. The kitchen staff seemed confused and upset that they had to make tacos.

When we went to order the tacos, the cashier didn't know what we were talking about. To be fair, it was the first day the tacos were available. We spoke to a manager who confirmed that they did indeed have tacos, but spent five minutes figuring out how to ring them up. The kitchen staff seemed confused and upset that they had to make tacos.

Eventually, we got our tacos. But when we removed the first taco from its stylish sheath, we immediately understood why it only cost a dollar.

Eventually, we got our tacos. But when we removed the first taco from its stylish sheath, we immediately understood why it only cost a dollar.
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We were baffled by the warped, greasy shell, which looked nothing like the advertisement promised it would.

We were baffled by the warped, greasy shell, which looked nothing like the advertisement promised it would.

For comparison, the advertisement shows a perfectly symmetrical golden tortilla shell stuffed with ground beef, sauce, shredded cheese, and lettuce.

For comparison, the advertisement shows a perfectly symmetrical golden tortilla shell stuffed with ground beef, sauce, shredded cheese, and lettuce.
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The shell was far from golden, and it clung lopsidedly to the filling. Floppy bits of lettuce struggled to escape from the tortilla's iron clutches. The shell was crispy, but it was borderline overcooked and drowning in grease.

The shell was far from golden, and it clung lopsidedly to the filling. Floppy bits of lettuce struggled to escape from the tortilla's iron clutches. The shell was crispy, but it was borderline overcooked and drowning in grease.

The gap between advertising and reality was just too wide to stomach. The taco's insides were a gooey, disappointing, confusing mess, and outside was no better.

The gap between advertising and reality was just too wide to stomach. The taco's insides were a gooey, disappointing, confusing mess, and outside was no better.
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The filling tasted like bean mush. The cheese was melted — not necessarily a bad thing, but not what was expected. And where was the beef? The hot sauce?

The filling tasted like bean mush. The cheese was melted — not necessarily a bad thing, but not what was expected. And where was the beef? The hot sauce?

Burger King, if you want tacos, have it your way. We'll stick to the experts at Taco Bell.

Burger King, if you want tacos, have it your way. We'll stick to the experts at Taco Bell.
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