What is the Most Popular Taco Bell Item by State?
We all have our favorite donut flavor, Starbucks drink, and most of all, fast-food restaurant. Here in America, spots like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell are true staples for quick and cheap grub at all hours of the day or night. While many fast-food choices are burger joints, Taco Bell has carved out its own niche in American-Mexican fast food.
In fact, every U.S. state is teeming with Taco Bell locations, giving the vast majority of Americans access to quick and satisfying American-Mexican fare. As of December 2021, there are 7,565 Taco Bell locations spanning 3,250 American cities—including three in Arlington, Virginia alone.
This got us thinking: What are the most popular items at Taco Bell in every U.S. state? We wanted to find out.
Methodology
To satiate our curiosity, we looked at Google Trends data from October 2020 to October 2021 for 30 Taco Bell menu items and took most-searched to mean most popular. Note that Wyoming and Vermont were excluded due to a lack of sufficient search data. Sink your teeth into our results, below!
The Most Popular Taco Bell Menu Item in Every U.S. State
Outside of the relative dominance of the Crunchwrap Supreme and Quesarito, there was a wide variety among many U.S. states. Eleven states had unique favorite menu items that no other state chose, like Michigan and the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, or Mississippi and Cinnamon Twists. Others include Georgia and the Nachos BellGrande, Florida and the steak quesadilla, Oregon and the Burrito Supreme, and California and the Power Menu Bowl.
Here in Virginia, the previously mentioned Crunchwrap Supreme reigned supreme, and our state wasn’t alone in that tasty choice…Outside of the relative dominance of the Crunchwrap Supreme and Quesarito, there was a wide variety among many U.S. states. Eleven states had unique favorite menu items that no other state chose, like Michigan and the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, or Mississippi and Cinnamon Twists. Others include Georgia and the Nachos BellGrande, Florida and the steak quesadilla, Oregon and the Burrito Supreme, and California and the Power Menu Bowl. Here in Virginia, the previously mentioned Crunchwrap Supreme reigned supreme, and our state wasn’t alone in that tasty choice…
The Most Popular Item at Taco Bell in Every U.S. Region
The majority of the western and northeastern U.S. also enjoyed the Crunchwrap Supreme, as it was the most-searched Taco Bell menu item in Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Utah, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, and Idaho. Meanwhile, the Mdwest’s North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska enjoyed the other heavyweight contender, the Quesarito, and the south was torn between the Quesarito (South Carolina, Alabama) soft taco (Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky), and chicken quesadilla (Arkansas, Louisiana).
Taco Bell’s Most Popular Items Overall
In the clash of the titans, there was really no contest, as the 2005 runaway hit Crunchwrap Supreme won 70% more states than the second place Quesarito. After that, there’s another big drop to third place, where there are a few items that captured more than one state, then from seventh place to the end of the list is where we see that unique food free-for-all we talked about earlier.
Of the multi-state winners, two are long-time staples of the restaurant that first hit the scene in the 1960s: the soft taco and the bean burrito. This doesn’t exactly prove that you can’t beat the classics though, as the Crunchwrap Supreme and chicken quesadilla were both introduced in the early 2000s and the Cinnabon Delights and Quesarito in the 2010s.
Closing Thoughts
If you consider yourself a creature of the night and always want that fourth meal within reach, Arlington, VA has ample fast-food (yes, this includes Taco Bell), diners, and other 24/7 fare, along with a highly-rated and varied restaurant scene to try when it isn’t two in the morning. If you’re looking to move in rather than just visit, consider scheduling a tour of The Waycroft today.
