Flavorful Nolan Ryan Beef, creamy chile con queso and a spicy kick of Cholula chipotle ranch make up for the disproportionate ratio of flour tortilla to patty in Taco Bueno’s tasty new Quesadilla Burrrger.
Flavorful Nolan Ryan Beef, creamy chile con queso and a spicy kick of Cholula chipotle ranch make up for the disproportionate ratio of flour tortilla to patty in Taco Bueno’s tasty new Quesadilla Burrrger.
Here’s the pitch: Taco Bueno has teamed up with Nolan Ryan for its newest item, the Quesadilla Burrrger. And while the addition of Cholula brings the heat in this culinary mashup, the undersized patty, unfortunately, leaves the flour tortillas crowding the plate.
It’s that Nolan Ryan Beef patty, nonetheless, that’s truly the star of the show.
Taco Bueno calls the beef “fresh ground,” which I have no need to doubt given the chain’s commitment to using only the freshest ingredients. But it still tasted frozen to me. Logistically, it’s hard for me to imagine them having fresh Nolan Ryan Beef patties trucked in each day.
But whether it’s fresh or frozen, this beef packs some serious flavor.
More and more restaurants — including fast food joints — are stepping up their meat game, with Wagyu burgers making appearances on the menu at Red Lobster and Arby’s. Nolan Ryan Beef has previously teamed up with James Coney Island Grill, Texas Burger and Chapps Burgers.
So it’s a real treat for us to sample this delicious product at our local Taco Bueno. Just don’t expect it to be as ample as Applebee’s Quesadilla Burger.
And unlike Applebee’s version, in which the burger is placed in the middle of a quesadilla, Taco Bueno’s version sandwiches the patty around two entire cheese quesadillas. That sounds like a whole lot of carbs. The good news is these are extremely thin quesadillas. The bad news is there’s very little cheese inside them. Luckily, that’s offset by the addition of a fair amount of chile con queso and the aforementioned Cholula chipotle ranch.
The chipotle ranch lends a nice kick of heat to the burger, while the homemade pico de gallo adds a vibrant punch. The shredded lettuce and guacamole kind of get lost in the whole affair, but it’s surprisingly not as messy as one would expect. That may be due in part to the fact that there is at least double the amount of flour tortillas needed to encapsulate the patty.
I think these would be much more satisfying if the restaurant used smaller tortillas closer to the size of the patty or, better yet, increased the size of the burger. But that would likely send it to a price point most of us wouldn’t care to pay in a drive-thru. At $7.57 including tax, this burger is a bargain given the quality of the beef.
The most perplexing issue to me is Taco Bueno’s decision to spell “Burrrger” with three Rs. It’s not a cold item, nor is it currently cold outside. Maybe the weather’s so unbearably hot that customers will be subliminally drawn to any item with “burrr” in the name.
I would order this again but ask for extra cheese and a side of queso to dunk it in. Fans may want to try one Tuesday, when the “Facing Nolan” documentary hits digital platforms — sounds like a winning combination to me.
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