Here's Where You Can Try Taco Bell's New Beyond Carne Asada
Following the return of Taco Bell's cult-favorite Mexican Pizza dish in September 2022, the love for the fast food chain seems to be burn brighter than ever. Sure, some customers probably weren't too happy with the initial-but-short-lived "permanent return" of the pizza in May, which, according to CNBC, ultimately came to a screeching halt due to major supply chain issues. But hey, now the chain must really mean it: Food & Wine reported the pizza would officially return to Taco Bell's menu on September 15, and no one has yelled "gotcha" as of yet.
With the unprecedented success of the menu item, one would think that Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza would be it for a little while — at least as far as new menu adds go. But as CNBC reports, Taco Bell ain't stopping there. Enter Beyond Carne Asada. Ostensibly this would be a plant-based version of the OG carne asada taco staple, comprised of thinly sliced, grilled, chopped steak.
That's right, plant-based lovers rejoice! If all goes according to plan, options beyond beans and potatoes are just around the corner at one of America's favorite fast food chains. If you'd like to try it, you're not alone. But be careful, because chances are you might not be able to. The Beyond Carne Asada will be here hitting select menus next month, according to CNBC — but it's not set to be available everywhere.
Where oh where is the Beyond Carne Asada?
Starting October 13, Taco Bell will test out its Beyond Carne Asada meat in its Dayton, Ohio locations for a limited time. The rollout will more or less serve as a case study to determine the demand for meatless alternatives among consumers and will be sold at the same price as the regular Carne Asada meal, according to CNBC.
Although Taco Bell officially announced the Beyond Carne Asada in September, the Beyond Carne Asada has purportedly long been in the works. Speaking with CNBC, Taco Bell's Director of Global Nutrition and Sustainability Missy Schaaphok divulged that their testing phase for it lasted almost a couple of years. The product was a grilled steak substitute made from wheat gluten and faba bean protein — and should hypothetically, closely mimic the taste of the real meat (via CNBC).
In order to create an alternative steak that would best satisfy its customers, Bloomberg reported that Taco Bell even canceled a previous test for its Beyond meat in October of 2021. The Yum Brands-owned chain also tried testing its own meat alternative made of peas and chickpeas earlier this year, per CNBC. Unfortunately, it wasn't happy with any previous results — until now.
The introduction of plant-based options at Taco Bell follows a wave of meatless fare popping up all over the fast-food world. The trend seemingly started with Burger King, which rolled out its Impossible Whopper in 2019, per The New York Times. Now the ultimate question: Will the Beyond Carne Asada match the hype for Mexican Pizza?