Bottom Line: The Carolina Reaper Tacos from Dairy Queen deliver some darn good fast food tacos that also bring the heat.
Dairy Queen is one of the oldest fast food chains around, and they are known for their hamburgers and soft serve ice cream, both of which are quite good. But DQ has more to its menu like chicken strips, steak fingers, chicken-fried steak sandwiches, and more. And one of the things they have long had on the menu is tacos, something you don’t see in the average burger joint. Take note that they do some pretty good tacos, comparable to that place with Bell in its name. So, if you happen to be craving that Mexican-inspired delicacy, DQ is a good place to stop.
Over the years, the tacos at Dairy Queen have remained relatively unchanged, but just recently, they decided to kick them up with some heat. Throughout Texas right now, you can find the Carolina Reaper Tacos on the menu, and those should convince you to make a trip to the drive thru. They come with seasoned ground beef, lettuce, and tomatoes (like the regular tacos), but they sub out the regular shredded cheese with Reaper-infused Monterey Jack, and they are topped with a cool cilantro-lime crema sauce. They sell for $1.99 each in my area, and there are some combo options as well.
As mentioned above, DQ has always made good tacos. The shell is crispy and not over-fried. The meat is well-seasoned and not greasy. The lettuce and tomato are fresh and plentiful. The spicy cheese added to the new version (placed at the bottom) adds some sharpness, and while it doesn’t have much Carolina Reaper flavor, it definitely brings some heat. Then, that cilantro-lime crema brings a little bit of tang and some cooling creaminess. And these tacos are stuffed pretty full, so much so that I had a mini taco salad left from everything that fell out. (Be sure to ask for a fork!)
As for the heat, these are above Medium on my scale, which is pretty good for the drive thru. They won’t send you running from the room with your mouth on fire, but you will feel the burn. And if you want to kick them up a bit more, they have some packets of taco sauce that add a bit more flavor, with some peppery earthiness, and get these close to the Hot level. Basically, this kicked-up new menu item delivers a darn good fast-food taco with plenty of heat.
DQ doesn’t give the calorie breakdown for the Carolina Reaper Tacos that I can see, but their regular tacos run about 200 cals each, and I imagine these are similar. That’s not bad for the drive thru, and you can get two tacos and a side (might I recommend the Jalitos—crispy jalapeño strips—at 380 cals?) without completely breaking the calorie bank. Or get the combo with three tacos and a drink (under eight bucks in my area), and you will only be around 600 calories if you get a diet soda or the unsweet tea.
One thing that I will say about Dairy Queen is that it can be very good, if not excellent, when you find a well-run store, but it can also be very bad if you happen upon a poorly-run location. DQ franchises many of its stores, and the quality can vary notably. If you find a good one, remember it and go to that one, even if you have to drive a bit further. If you don’t know if it is a good store, check the online reviews before heading to the drive thru. Also, note that some of the franchises do not always carry some of the special items available in the company stores.
Carolina Reaper Tacos appear to be only available in Texas at the moment, and they are on loan from Limited-Time-Only-Ville. I don’t know if these will expand nationally at some point, but if you are in Texas, I advise checking them out while they are still on the menu.