Back in January of 2018, Taco Bell debuted its Nacho Fries. According to Taco Bell’s website, Nacho Fries are fries that have been “seasoned with bold, Mexican spices” and are “served with a side of warm nacho cheese sauce.”
These fries have made sporadic appearances on Taco Bell’s menu for years, but now, it seems that enthusiasm for the item is at an all-time high. There has been considerable discussion about Nacho Fries on social media, and recently, Taco Bell revealed a “Nacho Fries Lover’s Pass.”
Per the company’s website, the “Nacho Fries Lover’s Pass, available for $10, allows Rewards Members to enjoy a regular Nacho Fries order every day for 30 consecutive days.”
While eaters may be loving the nacho fries, that doesn’t mean everything is going smoothly for the workers, says TikTok user Caleb (@caleb_lennon).
Caleb is a Taco Bell worker who has previously sparked discussion after sharing stories of customer interactions, revealing how to save money on nachos, showcasing the difference between a large and regular nacho fry, and more.
Now, he’s taken to the platform again to say that “every time [Nacho Fries] come back, it’s when we have the most complaints of the year.”
The reason, he says, is partially due to a lack of experience.
“We always have new employees coming in and out of the store, so some of them don’t know the proper drop times or how to drain the nacho fries—or sometimes they’ll put way too much seasoning or just no seasoning at all,” he explains. “And now that we have the normal and the large fries at Taco Bell, it’s even worse.”
Caleb goes on to note that some employees fail to fill up large fry containers, leading to people seeking refunds. Caleb states that they will typically remake the customers’ fries in these situations, though he admits that they have had to process refunds in the past.
@caleb_lennon Comment what to make next! Do you like the fries?? #tacobell ♬ original sound – Caleb
That said, despite the difficulties in rollout, he says the item is incredibly popular.
“The Taco Bell nacho fries have been consistently the number one selling item at Taco Bell every time we bring them back,” he shares. “But when the nacho fries are not around, it’s usually the quesadilla that’s our top selling product—more specifically the chicken quesadilla, and the crunch wrap is also one of our top contenders.”
In the comments section, users shared their own thoughts on the Nacho Fries.
“You will NEVER catch me complaining about too much seasoning on my nacho fries,” said a commenter.
“They give you like 4 fries bro,” remarked another.
“I don’t think my fries have ever been ‘full’. That carton is mostly empty,” detailed a third. “I’ve never thought to send them back, I just don’t order them now lol.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Taco Bell via email and Caleb via Instagram direct message.
Update 3:30pm CT Dec. 20: In an Instagram DM exchange with the Daily Dot, Caleb elaborated on why the nacho fries can present issues.
“We have to fry new ones every 15 minutes so it’s hard to be consistent with them,” he writes. “They need to be fried this often in order to “stay fresh.” He then added, “Sometimes they’ll get more or less seasoning. And a different person will be doing it each time most likely.”
Caleb also suggested one way to fix this problem.
“I think retraining the staff on making them each time they come back would solve it,” he stated.
