rolling new food laboratory inventions for american chain restaurants thread

I ate one of those for lunch

I was sure the thread bump would be for this

Taco Bell is launching a new upscale taco chain.

The restaurant, called U.S. Taco Co. and Urban Taproom, will feature a menu of 10 premium tacos, thick-cut fries, milkshakes, craft beer, and wine, according to Nation's Restaurant News, an industry publication.

The first location is set to open in Huntington Beach, Calif., this summer. Taco Bell declined to elaborate on expansion plans.

Here are some of the menu items, according to NRN.

Winner Winner: Southern-style fried chicken breast with South of the Border gravy, roasted corn, pico de gallo, jalapenos, and cilantro in a flour tortilla.

One-Percenter: Lobster, garlic butter, red cabbage slaw, and pico de gallo on crispy fry bread.

Brotherly Love: Carne asada steak, grilled peppers and onions, roasted poblano queso, and cotija cheese in a flour tortilla.

The side of fries comes with dipping sauces including "ghost chile ketchup" and "roasted poblano crema." One of the beer-spiked milkshakes on the menu, called the "Mexican Car Bomb," has vanilla ice cream, tequila caramel sauce, chocolate flakes, and Guinness.

Tacos will be priced at about $4 each, and the average check size is expected to be roughly $12 with a drink.

Customers won't be able to customize their tacos like at Chipotle, but they will be able to watch their food being made.

"Most dishes will be prepared in-house, in glass-enclosed kitchens that allow guests to see meat grilling or tacos in the works — though a few ingredients will come from outside suppliers, like the Texas smoked brisket or Southern pulled pork," NRN reports.

The new concept is meant to attract a demographic of higher-income edgy foodies who would never step foot inside a Taco Bell.

"We could spend time and money trying to get these people interested in Taco Bell," but they would probably never become regular customers, Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed told Ad Age. "We thought, maybe there's a new brand we can create to address this opportunity."

http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5359229e6da811e622aaa86f-547-410/us-taco-logo.png

@ the least theyll be able to sell tshirts w/ that logo to the ed hardy set

that logo is terrible in its desperation to announce WE'RE AMERICAN

the name "One-Percenter" is dumber than any of Guy Fieri's crimes

http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/535948a36bb3f72033632c11-1200-750/ustaco_int1.jpg

did they make that in Second Life

Sounds kind of like Torchy's Tacos, which is a popular and tasty taco chain here in Austin

"Most dishes will be prepared in-house, in glass-enclosed kitchens that allow guests to see meat grilling or tacos in the works — though a few ingredients will come from outside suppliers, like the Texas smoked brisket or Southern pulled pork," NRN reports.

Nice work.

higher-income edgy foodies

is this the code for low-T dads who have burned their tastebuds out with hot sauce and cut the sleeves off of their Hardy gear.

shout out for giving drinks the name of things that violently and tragically kill ppl, always a success

lol crut otm

http://kpho.images.worldnow.com/images/23715261_SA.jpg

Just learned that Mountain Dew Baja Blast, until now available only at a Taco Bell near you, is now to be available at retail outlets!

I look forward to putting this even more oddly-colored liquid into my body in the comfortable confines of home and office.

I know someone that swears by baja blast. I've never had it.

more food labs innovation history from the mad men thred!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burger_Chef

Burger Chef was popular and spread across both the West Coast and the East Coast, eventually becoming second only to McDonald's in terms of number of locations. They offered a signature double-burger called the Big Shef, and later the quarter-pound hamburger Super Shef. Subsequently, they pioneered the "Works Bar", where customers could dress their hamburgers with condiments and vegetables exactly as they wanted. The "Works Bar" required that customers now order their hamburgers "with" or "without". "With" hamburgers were dressed by the kitchen staff and "without" were dressed by the customer.

god help me, I feel hungry for another flamin' hot cheetos burrito

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvYrG5ny6vM

!

delicious food in a happy place

incrediburgible

^^^ beat me to it, i am very fond of this slogan

Wait, the place is called 'Burger Chef', but their burgers are called '<something> Shef'. Do they think their clientelle is that unworldly that they can't pronounce "chef"? Do they pronounce their business name with a hard 'ch' sound?

the flatizza is the saddest thing i've ever eaten

i was at subway a few days ago and was in line behind someone getting tuna salad on their flatizza.

another guy got a philly cheesesteak and put cucumbers on it.

what is this world coming to?

cats lying down with dogs, etc.

can anyone eat a goddamn sandwich anymore

good title for a future ILE sandwich meetup thread

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/08/mcdonalds-french-fries-fast-food-restaurants/8857099/

There's one older lady in my office who brings in the flatizzas. We comment on it in the lunchroom every time. She insists they're a great deal.

Has anyone tried those ice-cream-flavored Coolattas at Dunkin Donuts? Not like anyone on this thread, but anyone ever

I will try virtually anything at Dunkin Donuts, so I'll give it a shot

The seasonings: Garlic Parmesan, Zesty Ranch and Spicy Buffalo. But here's the rub: You don't buy the fries pre-seasoned. Instead, they come with special packets of seasoning that consumers are advised to open, pour and shake into a specially made mixing bag. Imprinted on the bags: "Seasoned fries. Shake your taste buds."

^^^ I could imagine this making them have better taste/texture but man does that sound like a pain (plus extra wasteful packaging - a mixing bag?).

I've had those before they're okay

http://i.imgur.com/apAipw2.jpg

sign me up

woah, not american at all...

http://www.exberliner.com/food/spit-takes/

In case the McDonald's menu offerings weren't terrifying enough: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/19/mcdonalds-secret-menu-items-wow-elaborate_n_5326332.html

my roomate who works at starbucks was bemoaning customers who are hip to the starbucks "secret menu"

Is it really a "secret menu" item if you're just ordering a bunch of shit off the regular menu and swapping the meat patties around?

shhhh

people who think there's actually a "secret menu" at in-n-out drive me crazy.

yes, you ordered your fries with all of the condiments mixed together + some onions slapped on top. you are a true patron of the secret good restaurant in-n-out burger.

the two cheeseburger meal is on the menu at every mcdonald's i've ever been to?

yeah it's a value meal option

Not in Toronto :( Two cheeseburgers sounds so much more delicious than one. Mmm

http://gawker.com/arbys-to-air-thirteen-hour-commercial-in-duluth-minnes-1581041418

advertorial innervortion

How is buying a bunch of different shit and assembling it yourself a 'secret' menu item? Like, I've thought about putting a quarter pounder inside a whopper, is that a secret McD's/HJ's(BK's) menu item that?

Anyway, more interested in some of the things here. Apparently the "iconic" restaurants of each state.

https://www.ijreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/iconic-restaurants-thrilllist.jpg

First of all, wtf is 'Space Aliens'?!

https://www.ijreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/iconic-restaurants-thrilllist.jpg

?

Also I thought 'whataburger' was made up for Infinite Jest

for fucks sake

https://www.ijreview.com/2014/05/142401-ever-wondered-iconic-restaurant-chain-associated-state/

proud to be an ammuricun

Whataburger is quite a big deal here in TX

tell me about 'Space Aliens'!

And the Alaska Pizza Co.

http://i59.tinypic.com/adm1xd.jpg