Del Taco's New All-American Burgertaco Is More Tex Than Mex, But I'm All In

Del Taco has plenty of popular menu items to select from, and I quite like the quality and sheer range of the options. At first glance, it may seem strange that a fast-food chain can not only serve burgers but also tacos under one roof. Surprisingly, the chain has sold the two items (and others) ever since its 1964 founding in Yermo, California, so it has certainly mastered the art of being a jack-of-all-trades. 

When I heard it launched another shocker of an item, I had to taste it for myself: The All-American Burgertaco combines its titular items into a Frankenstein's monster-like creation with two beef patties, two American cheese slices, tomato, burger sauce, lettuce, and onion, all served on the toasted flatbread. The ingredients sound fine, nothing too eccentric or bizarre. The burgers are criminally underrated, sure, but I wanted to know whether that translates to this new format. So the biggest question is: Does this combination work, or should you just stick to the classics? I'll give you all the details as a Del Taco fan.

I am quite close to a Del Taco, so I ordered the Burgertaco and brought it home to taste test. I ate it immediately and didn't add any accoutrements like ketchup. I based my opinions on the overall success of the flavors and advertised ingredients. I was looking for something that was interesting and tasty, without feeling too novel. It should be appetizing enough that you want to eat it multiple times while it's available, not something that's a one-and-done dish. In theory, the ingredients didn't seem out of the ordinary, so my criterion was simple: it needed to taste good.

At first glance, the All-American Burgertaco looks similar to the beef koobideh kabob wrap I get from the Persian restaurant. The flavor, however, is nothing of the sort. It merely tastes like a cheeseburger. The taco concept is interesting, but it works. The flatbread is pliable so it doesn't tear easily, and it's the perfect thickness to withstand the moisture of the burger sauce without getting too soggy. However, it doesn't feel too bready, either. Sometimes burger buns feel like they out-ratio the burger patty itself, but the fillings are dominant here. You can see that the flatbread is about as thick as the burger.

The burger sauce is creamy and savory, ensuring that no bite goes without that added complex pop of flavor. They didn't skimp on adding it to my Burgertaco, either. And the two burger patties are delicious, simple, and beefy. I caught one small piece of gristle but nothing that would scare me off from buying it again. The cheese, tomato, and lettuce make it creamy and fresh, respectively. I really like the flatbread format and will attempt to recreate this at home expeditiously, particularly if/when Del Taco inevitably removes it from the menu.

This is basically your average double cheeseburger, but with a thin flatbread in place of the bun. It isn't so revolutionary when I think of it like that. So yes, everything works and tastes the same, save for a slightly different bread experience. It's thin and soft, but easy to bite into. The taco-like shape means the fillings are more spread out lengthwise, rather than stacked on top of each other as in a burger. It wouldn't be all that wacky to put a cheeseburger on toast, a waffle, or another similar vehicle; it still yields similar results and flavors.

Now, is this a taco? Certainly not in the traditional sense of the word, but sure, it is taco-shaped. It is also wrap-shaped, particularly if you merely roll it a bit. I'm usually a food critic, but even I have to say this final product is good. I mean, it's just a burger, so it's not all that odd. And I already know I like the Double Del Cheeseburger — I ranked it third out of eight fast food cheeseburgers – so everything still delivers in Burgertaco form. The standard bun isn't a knockout to me anyway, so I might even prefer the flatbread format since it feels soft and fresh. This is worth buying if you have a Del Taco nearby.

The All-American Burgertaco costs $5.99 (not including taxes) at the Del Taco I visited in the San Diego, California area. You can also get the meal version, which comes with the coveted crinkle fries and a drink. It was released on August 6 and is available for a limited time. How long that will be is unknown to me, but if you're interested in trying it, you should probably head to Del Taco shortly. According to the website product page, Del Taco's All-American Burgertaco has 690 calories, 49 grams of fat, 32 grams of carbohydrates, and 31 grams of protein per serving.