Bottom Line: While the Jack in the Box taco may be pure junk food, it is a drive thru classic and the Monster Taco is the same only bigger.
There are certain classics available from the drive thru that have been around for years and that people will continue to seek out for many more to come. The McDonald’s Big Mac and Fries, the Burger King Whopper, the Wendy’s Double with Cheese and Frosty have all etched themselves into food history as well as our very culture. And while some of these might be classics, their nutritional value is certainly dubious and they truly stand out as the epitome of junk food. The Big Mac is one good example of that and another is the Jack in the Box taco.
The taco first appeared at that establishment in the ‘50s and they have not changed much if at all since I remember eating them all the way back in the ‘70s. They consist of a taco shell filled with meat and American cheese which is then deep-fried with lettuce and salsa added before serving. The edges of that taco shell are crispy whereas the middle with the meat and cheese is rather soggy. While that may be off-putting to some, it is just part of the experience and those who grew up eating them love these tacos from the first bite to the last. (As a plus, this isn’t one of those tacos where you take one bite and the whole thing falls apart!)
There is just something about the experience of eating these that transcends their junk food nature. There is a good beefiness to the meat and cheesiness to the cheese with the richness and tang of the salsa (pure industrial stuff, definitely no small batches here) and the crunch of the lettuce that has to be there for it all to work.
And whatever you do, don’t ask what is in the meat! There are certain mysteries in life that we just do not need the answers to.
The Jack in the Box taco is a quintessential fast food delight, and when you are eating them (two at a time of course) you know it is pure indulgence. They are not particularly spicy (though very well-seasoned), but if you ask for a few packets of their hot salsa, that brings a bit of a zing. And for a limited time, the Monster taco is available at Jack in the Box again.
What’s the difference between it and the regular taco?
The Monster taco is bigger. Was that a trick question?
Basically, they have just more of the same as the regular taco, and they are just as good but in a bigger package. Jack took these off the regular menu some time around the COVID-crunch when fast food places across the country were stream-lining menus. But he brings them back around Halloween time each year because . . . monster . . . spooky . . . Trick or Treat . . . you get it, right?
Hey Jack, put these back on the regular menu because you know people will buy them!
Nutrition-wise, these come in at 270 calories per taco vs. 170 for the regular. That means that they are not terrible if you get two plus a small order of fries. But if you pull into that drive thru hungry, you know you’ll be tempted to upsize that to a medium or large curly fries, so be careful lest you will be shopping for the next size up in pants.
For the limited-time-only deal, the Monster tacos are two for three bucks (told you that you eat them two at a time). These will probably disappear shortly after Trick or Treat, so get them now otherwise . . . you’ll have to settle for the regular taco. Not a bad consolation at all, but I still would like to have the option of the bigger taco when my appetite demands it.
Tale of the Tape
Serving Size: One Taco
Calories: 270
Fat: 17g (6g Sat/0.5g Trans)
Protein: 9g
Carbs: 19g
Sodium: 630mg