Taco Bell Vs. Taco John's: Who Has The Better Value Menu?
Ordering from the value menu at Taco Bell and Taco John's can be a satisfying way to fill up on Tex-Mex on a budget. But if you're on the fence about which one to visit to suit your tastes and to spend the least money for the best value, you have to do a little analysis.
It turns out that one has better choices than the other when it comes to really satisfying specific cravings. Both have vegetarian, chicken, and beef options, but only one has quesadillas, steak, and crispy chicken on the value menu. And only one has a combo meal that will save you nearly $4 from what you'd normally pay for the same items individually. One of the chains is better for omnivores, while the other is better for vegetarians.
Of course, everyone has different tastes and finds different things important when deciding where to eat. However, if you look at the overall picture, you'll find that one of these fast-food Tex-Mex restaurants is a clear winner when it comes to having the best value menu.
Taco John's has a better variety on its value menu
If you're looking for a value menu with a lot of variety to please different flavor moods, your best option is Taco John's. While both Taco Bell and Taco John's have eight items on their value menus, the variety at Taco John's is more likely to please more people if ordering for a crowd.
Four of Taco John's ValuEST menu items revolve around chicken, two contain beef, and one is vegetarian. There's also a dessert option. Meanwhile, on Taco Bell's Cravings Value menu, you'll find one chicken, one beef, and four vegetarian items. Plus, there's a dessert and a combo option, too. The combo is where things get interesting with the Taco Bell Cravings Value menu because it includes two main meal options, a dessert, and a drink for a really great price.
While there are fewer options for people looking for meaty choices on the Taco Bell cravings value menu, the items are highly customizable, so it's possible to make some substitutions for no upcharge. However, these substitutions tend to be best for vegetarians, since making changes to the meat would incur an additional cost. The combo meal is also an excellent value because it allows you to get a full meal for far less than you would spend on the items individually.
You can get more bang for your buck from the Taco Bell value menu
Gone are the days when you could eat at Taco Bell for "59, 79, 99" (cents). Back in the '90s, you could load up on several good menu items with just the change you could scrounge from the bottom of your car floorboard. However, Taco John's tried to bring back that feeling in 2020 with its $1, $2, and $3 ValuEST menu.
Since prices have fluctuated a bit, the prices aren't always round numbers anymore. The prices of the value menu items at Taco John's range from $1 for the Cheesy Snack Quesadilla to $3.69 for the Spicy Steak & Potato Griller. The average price of the value menu items at Taco John's is a flat $2.
Meanwhile, the items on Taco Bell's Cravings Value menu range from $1.29 for a Cheesy Rollup or Cinnamon Twists to $6.99 for the Classic Combo. However, when you don't include the classic combo on the Taco Bell Cravings Value menu, the most expensive item is the Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito for $2.89. The average cost of the value menu items at Taco Bell is $2.03 if you don't include the classic combo. When considering each of the four items in the classic combo as individual items, the average drops to $1.95, making Taco Bell the better value.
Taco John's has the healthiest items on its value menu
Eating Tex-Mex fast food is usually better nutritionally than eating unhealthy burgers. Luckily, no food items on either value menu exceed the FDA's recommended daily value for fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or carbs. However, if you get a large drink with Taco Bell's Classic Combo, you'll go over the amount of sugar you should consume in a day by 90 grams. The average value menu food item at Taco Bell is more calorific, fattening, salty, and carby than what you'll get from Taco John's value menu. With that said, the average food item on Taco John's value menu is more cholesterol-laden.
Taco John's value menu items average 290 calories, 14 grams of fat, 3.8 grams of saturated fat, 25.6 grams of cholesterol, 623.75 milligrams of sodium, 29.25 grams of carbs, and 2.75 grams of sugar. Meanwhile, Taco Bell's value menu items (including the food items from the combo) average 376.7 calories, 17.6 grams of fat, 5.6 grams of saturated fat, 22.7 grams of cholesterol, 737.2 milligrams of sodium, 43.1 grams of carbs, and 3.4 grams of sugar. The least healthy value menu item at Taco John's is the 390-calorie Spicy Steak & Potato Griller. If you look at Taco Bell's value menu, the least healthy option is the 620-calorie Beefy Melt Burrito. So, while Taco Bell's menu items may end up being more filling, they're just not as healthy.
Taco Bell has more vegetarian options on the value menu
As its menu has evolved, Taco Bell has continued to add more vegetarian options, making it one of the best fast food restaurants for vegetarians. Vegetarians looking for a good deal can find four non-dessert value menu items at Taco Bell. On the other hand, Taco John's value menu only has one vegetarian non-dessert option – its $1 Cheesy Snack Quesadilla.
Taco Bell's value menu is a vegetarian's dream, and it's cheap. Starting at $1.29, you'll find a Cheesy Roll Up burrito. For $1.49, you can buy a Spicy Potato Soft Taco. The Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito costs $1.69. For something to really satiate your hunger, you can get the $2.79 Fiesta Veggie Burrito. You can also swap out the seasoned beef for beans or black beans on the $2.79 Beefy Melt Burrito for no upcharge. Even though the Classic Combo comes with beef, it's customizable to be vegetarian, too. Just ask to remove the seasoned beef and swap it out with your choice of beans, and you're golden.
Taco John's has more value menu chicken options
Taco John's is king if you're looking for a chicken-based value menu item. Taco John's has four chicken value menu items, while Taco Bell only has one.
Without making costly substitutions, the only chicken item on Taco Bell's value menu is the $2.89 Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito. While it's one of the better menu items at The Bell (in our opinion), it's your only chicken value menu choice. We will tell you a secret, though: Another favorite cheap chicken menu item of ours — the Chicken Chipotle Melt — is in the specialty menu instead, and it only costs $2.39. Still, at only 190 calories, it's just not as filling as the 510-calorie Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito.
Undoubtedly, Taco John's is the place you want to go if you're looking for chicken on the value menu. The fun starts with the Chicken Snack Quesadilla for $1.69. Then, there's the Mini Fried Chicken Taco for $2.19. Finally, you'll find both the Nacho Crunch Chicken Burrito and the Spicy Chicken & Potato Griller for $3.
Both have a good value menu beef burrito
When it comes to non-steak beef burritos, each chain has one on the menu. Taco John's has a 300-calorie Nacho Crunch Beef Burrito for $2, and Taco Bell has a 620-calorie Beefy Melt Burrito for $2.79. Both contain seasoned ground beef, crunchy tortilla strips, and nacho cheese. However, Taco Bell's version is more robust since it includes seasoned rice, shredded cheese, and reduced-fat sour cream. If you're looking for a cheap, beef burrito with a crunch, you can find one at either place. The one from Taco Bell will fill you up and satiate your hunger longer, though.
When Taco John's first put the Nacho Crunch Beef Burrito on its menu in January 2023, it was obvious that it was a knockoff of Taco Bell's Beefy Crunch Burrito, but lots of fans liked the Taco John's one better. Besides, Taco Bell only ever keeps it on the menu for a limited time, so adding a similar (hopefully permanent) one to Taco John's value menu seems like a strategic move for the chain. Despite the rice making the Beefy Melt Burrito more filling, a lot of Taco Bell customers on Reddit say they'd like the value menu Beefy Melt Burrito better if it were grilled and came without the rice. However, most customers are still big fans.
They both have good grilled burritos on the value menu, but Taco John's has more
One good thing that came out of 2020 was Taco Bell's grilled burritos, which debuted in July of that year. Taco Bell has tended to put a premium price tag on its grilled burritos, turning them into a real profit-maker. For example, the Double-Meat Grilled Burritos have sold for as much as $7.29. Of course, the various grilled burritos are on and off the menu. However, you can find one of the best ones — the 510-calorie Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito — on the value menu for just $2.89. In addition to chicken, it comes with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and fiesta strips. The avocado ranch and chipotle sauce take it to the next flavor level.
Taco John's has not one, but two grilled burritos on the menu: the Spicy Chicken & Potato Griller and the Spicy Steak & Potato Griller. Fans of both Bell's and John's grilled burritos often find they like Taco John's better because of the Potato Olés inside. However, which one you like best may come down to whether you prefer nacho cheese sauce or real cheese inside your grilled burrito. In addition to the chicken and Potato Olés, the 380-calorie Spicy Chicken & Potato Griller contains nacho cheese, with chipotle lime sauce and super hot sauce adding flavor. The only difference with the Spicy Steak & Potato Griller is that it contains sirloin steak instead of chicken, along with 10 extra calories.
Taco John's has the best dessert choice on its value menu
When it comes to dessert, there aren't a lot of choices at either restaurant on any part of the menu. Taco John's offers Mexican Donut Bites and Churros for dessert, but only the Churro is on the value menu. At Taco Bell, desserts consist of Cinnabon Delights or Cinnamon Twists, but only Cinnamon Twists are on the value menu. However, the Churro at Taco John's is a significantly better choice.
Let's face it. Nobody has ever gotten excited about Taco Bell's Cinnamon Twists. They're a little like crunching down on crispy cinnamon-flavored air, if you ask us. But if you want something sweet and crunchy to end your meal, they're okay for just $1.29, as long as they haven't been sitting around and getting stale. The Cinnamon Crispas from the '80s would be better, but alas, this is what we have.
Meanwhile, Taco John's fans were excited in 2022 when the Churro returned to the menu. They're real churros that are prepared fresh and covered in sugary cinnamon goodness at the restaurant, so they're a true palette pleaser. The chain had mini churros on the menu for a while, but everyone was glad to see the real thing back. Hopefully, it will stick around for a while.
Only Taco John's has quesadillas on its value menu
Sure, you can get quesadillas in either restaurant, but you'll only find quesadillas listed on the value menu at Taco John's. Taco John's has both a $1 plain Cheesy Snack Quesadilla and a $1.69 Chicken Snack Quesadilla on its ValuEST menu. The cheese one is only 210 calories, while the chicken variant is 220 calories. You can get an idea of the size of the quesadilla when adding chicken only adds 10 calories, especially when the regular 4-Cheese Quesadilla on the favorites menu is 420 calories without chicken and 540 calories with chicken.
While it's not called a quesadilla, the Cheesy Rollup on the Taco Bell value menu is basically the same thing as Taco John's snack quesadillas, except it's rolled (rather than folded) and doesn't come grilled. It's less filling and more expensive than Taco John's, since it's 180 calories and $1.29. However, when you get a quesadilla from Taco John's, you're getting a quesadilla that tastes more like one you'd make at home with real cheese.
Taco John's value menu is the only one that contains steak
You really wouldn't expect to see steak to on a value menu, but there it is on Taco John's menu. Not only is it steak, but it's on a grilled burrito and contains bonus potatoes. The best news? The Spicy Steak and Potato Griller on the value menu at Taco John's is only $3.69. Meanwhile, if you get the Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito at Taco Bell, you'll spend $5.89.
In addition to sirloin steak and Potato Olés (essentially tater tots), the Spicy Steak & Potato Griller at Taco John's comes with nacho cheese sauce and gets its distinct flavor from chipotle lime sauce and super hot sauce. The Spicy Steak & Potato Griller is slightly different from how it was when it first came out in 2021. Back then, it used creamy chipotle sauce instead of chipotle lime sauce. However, the flavorful steak is really the star of this value menu item, although you might end up with some that's a little tough. After all, it is a value menu item. The Griller comes in at only 390 calories, compared to the 700 calories you'd consume if you got the more expensive Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito from Taco Bell.
Taco John's value menu is the only one that has fried chicken
Despite every fast food chain rushing to make the best fried chicken sandwich, Taco Bell hasn't stayed in the game with a fried chicken taco. You can find a crispy chicken Crunchwrap on the Taco Bell menu in Japan. However, the crispy chicken sandwich taco entered and exited the stage in 2021 in the U.S. so quickly that most of us missed it because it only existed for a month. So, if you're looking for a fried chicken experience with a Mexican-ish twist, your search is over at Taco John's.
Fried chicken tacos showed up at Taco John's before they showed up at The Bell. Taco John's had them in July 2021, while Taco Bell's copycats didn't arrive on the menu until September. The mini version of the fried chicken taco joined Taco John's ValuEST menu lineup a year later, in July 2022. The fried chicken tenders come in a thick and soft flour tortilla. Unlike most chicken sandwiches you'll find in the fast food world, the Mini Fried Chicken Taco comes with Mexican cheese. Instead of getting its spiciness from hot breading, you'll find that it comes with pico de gallo and spicy jalapeño ranch sauce. Currently, John's is the only fried chicken taco in the game. So, if you're craving crispy chicken Mexican style on the cheap, it's the place to go.
Only Taco Bell has a value menu combo meal
One thing that sets the Taco Bell menu apart from Taco John's is that only Taco Bell has a combo meal. You expect a combo meal to come at a slightly discounted price, but the Classic Combo on the value menu at The Bell saves a total of $3.67 off the regular menu price of each individual item. Plus, the combo is highly customizable.
The Classic Combo comes with a Beefy 5-Layer Burrito (regularly $3.69), Crunchy Taco (regularly $2.79), Cinnamon Twists for dessert (regularly $1.29), and your choice of large fountain drink (regularly $2.89). You'd normally spend $10.66 for the same items, but as a combo, they're only $6.99, with each individual item only costing $1.75.
With the combo, you get to choose the drink you want, and all the main menu items have available substitutions that won't cost anything. For example, you can swap out seasoned beef for refried or black beans. You can also choose between a crunchy or soft taco. And if you don't care for them, you can even replace the Cinnamon Twists with chips and nacho cheese sauce. Depending on which items you order in the combo, you'll end up with a meal that's 830 to 1,250 calories, so you won't leave hungry.
Our Verdict: Taco John's has the best value menu
Both Taco John and Taco Bell have eight items on their value menus. However, we feel that Taco John's has done a better job crafting a menu that has more variety and is more appealing to more people.
Taco Bell's value menu has a lot going for it. You can get more bang for your buck than at Taco John's, but mainly because of the Classic Combo. However, if you don't count the combo, Taco John's individual items are slightly cheaper. The Bell also has cheap vegetarian items available (which is great if you don't want meat), but it just doesn't have a lot of choices if you want meat. In other words, the menu is great for vegetarians, but a little disappointing for omnivores.
As we were comparing the items on both of these chains' value menus, Taco John's seemed to have the best options in each category. It has the cheapest individual items, more nutritious food, more chicken options, and the best dessert. Plus, Taco John's is the only one offering quesadillas, crispy chicken, and steak on its menu. So, if you're wanting Tex-Mex on a budget and live in or near one of the 287 cities in the U.S. with a Taco Johns, you might want to give it a try instead of defaulting to The Bell.