Those who are brave enough to risk Jack-In-The-Boxs twice-a-decade major food poisoning special events may be familiar with the Two Tacos, a weird American duo, seemingly sold only in pairs, of spiceless but unique food items for the bargain taco hunter. Perhaps Del Taco, secure in the knowledge that its tacos top those of Taco Bell, felt the heat, for their Del Shredder can only be a phenomenon created to out-America these Jack-In-The-Box... things.
The chief trait of the Jack-In-The-Box taco is sealant. The shell is not crispy, but a thin chewy tortilla sealed together with the grease of the meat, that orange ground-beef grease popularized by school cafeterias and perfected by Taco Bell.
Del Taco ground beef tends not to use the orange grease - how, then, to seal the taco properly? Perhaps they are buying the grease separately, for they crimp the taco and seal it tight.
It is the contents of the Del Shredder (~$1.29, contingent upon local advertised specials) that make J-I-t-Bs look Communist by comparison. Ground beef flavoring, chili powder, is vaguely Mexican - substitute a piece of Steak-Umm - That sauce has some residual heat if you eat enough packets - create a new sauce with the consistency and mildness of ketchup. Cheddar cheese, while not authentically Mexican, is used on the more Mexican dishes available, and so to set this new taco off, there can be only one type of cheese to fit the equation. Im not even going to say it.
Rating: D- (Tightly sealed)
Reviewed by Matthew Abrams