Today I found out that the Syracuse Crunch of Syracuse, NY are pretty awesome. Not only is it fun to imagine they’re called the Crunch because they love Taco Bell, but on February 23rd, The Syracuse Crunch announced the details of “Taco Bell Night at the Crunch” to take place on February 28th. Now obviously that has already happened, but its pretty cool if you’re into hockey.

On February 28th, fans of the Syracuse Crunch hockey team could walk into any participating Taco Bell and get one coupon good for $12 off of a Syracuse Crunch hockey game. There wasn’t any other requirement than to go into Taco Bell, but while you were there picking up your free coupon, you might as well enjoy some Taco Bell.

According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers. Reports are sparse on what was actually eaten at the Last Supper, but we like to think that it was a Taco Bell Grilled Stuft Burrito. The Grilled Stuft Burrito is one of Taco Bell’s flagship items and being one of the largest and most flavorful, it is definitely last meal material.

After the Grilled Stuft Burrito’s debut, we here at BlogOutsideTheBun have been on a quest to find the perfect Grilled Stuft Burrito. When ordered from the menu, it consists of the meat of your choice, beans, seasoned rice, a three-cheese blend, Pepper Jack Sauce and Fiesta Salsa. That’s all fine and good, but the thing that separates this burrito from the others is the warmth and crunch that comes from pressing it the same way you would press a Quesadilla.

Typically, items on the Taco Bell menu can be made better. Sometimes it helps to add one thing or switch out another, but for a while we thought the Grilled Stuft Burrito was perfect. Fascinated, we put the item through rigorous trial and error. Adding Nacho Cheese changes the dynamic too much, while adding extra Baja Sauce was just a bit too overpowering.

The answer suddenly became clear when we decided to try something completely unprecedented. Taco Bell’s low-fat Sour Cream is cool and creamy and their Jalapeno Sauce has a quite a kick to it. Alone, these flavors were too much, but together they have the power to bring what was once dead back to life. This combination, coupled with its pre-existing taste, makes this Grilled Stuft Burrito worth dying for.

The Crunchy Taco is an important part of a balanced Taco Bell experience, just like french fries, breadsticks or other items that come along with the rest of your meal. The Crunchy Taco is a corn taco filled with beef, shredded lettuce, cheddar cheese and you can add sour cream and diced tomatoes by making it supreme.

The Crunchy Taco is good, but it is important to note that the it is nothing more than a side item. You eat Crunchy Tacos with the rest of your meal. You eat crunchy tacos between Chalupas, Gorditas and Meximelts. Crunchy Tacos are not meals in themselves, no matter how many you eat, despite what Taco Bell might lead you to believe. The Crunchy Taco is a gateway food, leading you to try other taco-shaped items, but shouldn’t really be considered anything else.

Verdict: The Crunchy Taco is a construction of the basic ingredients in many Taco Bell menu items. Its as simple as it gets without omitting anything important, but it is by no means a meal.