Here's Why Taco Bell's Burger Never Took Off

You make a run for the border when you need a break from a burger and fries, right? Because no matter how much you love a Quarter Pounder, with its juicy meat patty and soft, buttery bun, there are just days when instead, you want to hear that crunch of cracking taco shells between your jaws, and feel the heat of salsa spreading in your mouth. But did you know that Taco Bell actually served a burger for a years-long stint in the restaurant's 58-year-long existence? Similar in consistency to a Sloppy Joe, the Bell Beefer was added to TB's menu in the 1970s.

Initially introduced as a "chili burger" (via Spoon University) before getting its alliterative menu name, the Bell Beefer was essentially a hamburger bun containing taco meat, lettuce, diced onions, and Taco Bell mild sauce. You could upgrade your Bell Beefer by going "Supreme," which added diced tomatoes and three-cheese blend to the mix (per Mental Floss). The Daily Meal says a phaseout began in the 1980s when the company shifted entirely to selling Tex-Mex items while according to Mental Floss, it was discontinued in the mid-'90s. The Bell Beefer was removed from the menu because people weren't buying it. "It's the circle of life. The popular items stay around and the underperforming items get retired," former Taco Bell employee Shaun Quinn told Chowhound. The Bell Beefer in particular, he added, "just seems wrong" for a Tex-Mex style fast-food joint.