Review: Taco Bell Cheesy Double Decker Taco

Once again Taco Bell has managed to come out with a promotional item that seems so simple and obvious, I can guarantee  people probably thought this was already on the menu. Is is really that hard Taco Bell? I mean bring back some of your old promotions. All you did was add freaking nacho cheese to a double decker taco?! I really hope this "add-sauce-BAM-new-item" thing does not become a trend. Taco Bell's ability to come up with crafty seasonal items is one of the best things about the place. Anyways, regardless of my complaining about the originality of the promotion, it is still a pretty good item.

The Cheesy Double Decker Taco is, as described by the Taco bell website, a flour tortilla filled with beans and nacho cheese sauce wrapped around a classic crunchy taco. Like I said above, it pretty unexciting. That being said, the item itself is not half bad. When I was a kid I used to love the double decker tacos. They were the best of both worlds! I got a taco and a bean burrito in one bite. Eventually they got kinda pricey and I stopped getting them. Now I think the traditional one is at around $1.50 or so. Still not a lot but  there are more exciting things on the menu for that much. Hell, the Cheesy Gordita Crunch (In my opinion Taco Bells crown jewel) is only $1.99 at my Taco Bell. This double decker however is only $.89. That is $.61 cheaper then the original, and they add cheese sauce. I hope I am not the only one who thinks this shows how cheap it really is to make the food at Taco Bell where they can afford to add something and drop the price by almost half. 

Rating 3/5 -"It's just meh"

It is good on a basic level. I mean if you like Taco Bell's tacos and like beans and cheese, you will probably enjoy it. And for $.89 cents it is a good bargain item for what is given. I think a regular taco costs the same amount actually.... Anyhow don't go out of your way to get it but next time your at The Bell you mine as well add it on to what you get to try it. 

Oh and Taco Bell, go back to the glory days of promotional items. I will list my favorite three of yesteryear below.

1. The 3,5,and 7 layer nachos

2. The Bacon Club Chalupa

3. Okay I don't remember what it is called but it was a burrito that had steak, red tortilla strips, and a bunch of other stuff and was so good. I think I went to taco bell everyday that month because of it. 

Anyways thats all for now! Does anyone else have anything they miss from Taco Bell?

Review: Double Dutch Style!

I am going to review two burgers from Dutch's today for you all so enjoy!

Hickory BBQ Bacon

Round 1: Hickory BBQ & Bacon

This burger is as simple as it sounds. It is hickory BBQ sauce, bacon, american cheese, and thousand island dressing. I got mine with lettuce and tomato because I like veggies on my burger. It makes me feel like I am eating healthier. Anyways I am a pretty big fan of BBQ sauce on burgers, but for some reason I do not really love this burger. As with every Dutch's burger, the burger and bun are both top of the line. The bacon is crispy and thick and the american cheese adds some notable richness. The problem with this burger is the sauces. The combo between the sweetness of the Thousand Island and the Hickory BBQ is too much. It is like trying to combine the Ying and the Ying. There is too much sweetness and tanginess with nothing to balance it out. Also it is just the sauce and meat, so the burger is a bit too boring. I have added fries to this before and that does a lot to help it. If they popped an onion ring on this thing it would definitely go up on my rating. Anyways if you love BBQ sauce you might like it. Plenty of my friends think this is the best one but for me it is just too sweet.

Hickory

Rating 3/5 "It's Just Meh"


















Second Burger: The Texana

Texana

The second burger reviewed here today is the Texana. It is avocado, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickle, and ranch dressing. So the staples here are all fantastic as expected from Dutch's. The thing that separates this from the others is actually the lightness of it. As far as the burgers go it is definitely the least heavy with maybe the exception of the original Dutch (which I will be reviewing soon). The avocado is noticeable and adds some great creaminess to it. If you get the burger and think there is no avocado, check the top bun, it is typically hidden under the lettuce. The ranch adds some good flavor as well. I am actually not a huge fan of the ranch at Dutch's because it is so watery but on this burger that plays to its advantage. It adds flavor while keeping it light. I will warn it is a messy burger. The avocado and ranch seem to drip everywhere so have napkins ready. Between the creaminess of the avocado and ranch and the sourness from the pickles, the flavors here blend really well. Definitely worth getting multiple times.

Rating 4/5 "It's Just Swell"

Texana

That is all for today folks. Should have a new Taco Bell review up this weekend. Word on the street is they are releasing a new item Thursday!

Music Review: Emery - We Do What We Want

I will admit, when I first heard this CD I dismissed it as not being as good as their last. I am not sure if it was high expectations or the fact their second vocalist, Devin Shelton, left but I had some preconceived notions about this album. The fact Emery could use their two singers, switch off, and harmonize without me being able to hear the difference between the two was amazing. It was honestly one of the best parts of the band for me. Needless to say, even with Devin gone, Emery carries on with style. This album, after a few listens, is as good as anything they have ever put out. It is a perfect combination of everything they have done right from their past releases. The slower tempo songs from The Question, the hard edginess from While Broken Hearts Prevail, the soaring vocals from The Weaks End, and even the quirkiness from my I'm Only a Man. Emery has done it AGAIN!

Emery- We Do What We Want

The album starts off hard with The Cheval Glass. Right from the start it is obvious the band has gone a little more hard rock with their sound. They of course pull it off. Not all the songs are like this though. A few have more of a pop-rock type sound to them, while the last two are actually much slower songs. The vocals are fantastic. Toby has stepped up his game with the screaming, delivering some of the most intense screams of any Emery album. Josh has also done a good job picking up some vocal duties. The dual layered vocals are present but they are definitely weaker then with Devin. Honestly after about three listens you forget about that and accept the new Emery. I mean hey, the vocals are still better then most bands anyways.

The guitars are good, but so long are the random quirky guitar duals that were so prevalent in While Broken Hearts Prevail. The keyboard and drums do plenty to make up anything lost with Devin's departure. The keys as always help change the moods of the songs right when they need to. The drumming is fantastic and frantic. Actually the songs are pretty frantic. Every song starts off in one direction and then changes directions....... multiple times. This makes repeat listens extremely enjoyable. Even after twenty spins I cannot predict where these songs are heading.

The lyrics as always are top notch. Emery delivers some of their most emotional and mature lyrics to date, which says a lot. Lyrics have always been a strong point for the band. With my personal favorite song, The Curse of Perfect Days, Toby sings about getting old and loosing a loved one. My girlfriend (who hates any kind of screaming in music) cried during the song. The lyrics are powerful. The last two slow songs are both bursting with emotion. The first of the two, I Never Got to See the West Coast, is about suicide, plain and simple. No metaphors, no secrets, it is about suicide. It is the best song on the subject matter sense Blink-182's Adam's Song in my opinion. The last, Fix Me, is actually one of the most spiritual songs Emery has ever written. It provided a nice surprise and I was happy to see they are fully capable of writing a pseudo-worship song.

Rating 5/5 "It's the Bee's Knees"

After I repeated listens I am in love with this album. There is not a bad song on it. Emery has now shown they can adapt to major change. It is the most diverse album musically for the band, but it is still all Emery. Devin, you will be missed but I am so excited to see where this iteration of Emery goes next.

If you have not heard any of Emery's music, do it now. They have not released a bad album to date.