Yum Brands, the parent company of the popular fast-food chain Taco Bell, has recently been making headlines in both the United States and Costa Rica with the introduction of two new breakfast menu items. How does the curious breakfast Waffle Taco in the U.S. fare against the more traditional breakfast gallopinto burrito in Costa Rica?

There is no question that Taco Bell is thinking way outside the breakfast box. The premise of the Taco Bell brand is to make faux allusions to the delicious and culturally-rich cuisine of the Southwestern U.S. Of course, no self-respecting fan of authentic Southwestern food would even consider stepping into Taco Bell, and Southwestern culinary experts in both Mexico and the U.S. bristle at the mere thought of their cuisine being appropriated and essentially dismantled by Yum Brands (which also owns KFC and Pizza Hut).

Taco Bell in Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, Taco Bell has been a huge hit for various reasons. First of all, sales figures at fast-food restaurants are evidence of the growing love affair between Ticos and established junk food brands. Second, major brands including Taco Bell know that the key to loyalty and repeat business is to appeal to the little ones in the family. The most successful fast-food restaurants in Costa Rica are those that have elaborate and attractive playgrounds. Third, the gastronomy of San Jose and the Central Valley is not exactly the most exciting or palatable, although this is beginning to change, and thus fast-food purveyors can score here more easily than they can in the provinces.

On to the new breakfast items: In Costa Rica, Taco Bell is playing it safe with the gallopinto breakfast burrito, which combines tradition with freshness and just a bit of novelty. The main items in the breakfast “Morning Bell” menu at Taco Bell in Costa Rica is a burrito that combines layers of seasoned rice and beans and scrambled eggs wrapped in a tortilla. This is essentially what thousands of Ticos already do at the breakfast table every morning, and it is pleasant enough to the palate that pays slight tribute to Southwestern culinary traditions without even trying. This breakfast burrito could be something that could be enjoyed by clerks in El Paso, construction workers in Ciudad Juarez, police officers in Brownsville, etc.

The New Breakfast Taco in the United States

In the U.S., however, the Taco Bell breakfast menu offers the bold concoction you see in the photo attached to the article herein. It’s a “Waffle Taco with Bacon,” and it is described by Joe Satran of the Huffington Post as follows:

Americans may or may not be ready for Taco Bell’s Waffle Taco. (Could we ever be ready for a breakfast sandwich of sausage and eggs [bacon, presumably, is optional] wedged into the crevice of a folded waffle, then topped off with maple syrup?) But Taco Bell thinks that the Waffle Taco is ready for America.

The new Taco Bell breakfast taco is certainly innovative and convenient. One can almost envision a Wal-Mart employee in Michigan on a frosty morning getting one of these Waffle Tacos (Twaffles? Wafcos?) at the drive-thru of the nearest Taco Bell before merging onto 8 Mile Road, whereupon he or she will proceed to enjoy breakfast while dealing with traffic jams and wondering:

“Is this what Southwestern food is like?”

There is no indication that the Waffle Taco will be made available in Costa Rica, at least not for the time being.