If not for Taco Bell’s new Loaded TRUFF Nacho Fries, I don’t think I would’ve made any effort to try TRUFF’s Original Hot Sauce. Sure, it’s one of Oprah’s Favorite Things, but spending $18 for a six-ounce bottle of black truffle-infused hot sauce that may or may not be worth $18 is a bet my wallet is not willing to open its bifold for.
Other than the sauce, you’ve probably had all the other ingredients together in a burrito or on fries because this is Taco Bell’s Steak Nacho Fries, except the chipotle sauce has been replaced with pricey hot sauce. But if you’re unfamiliar with this combination, it’s Taco Bell’s-could-be-permanent-but-will-never-be Nacho Fries with marinated steak, nacho cheese, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, reduced-fat sour cream, and of course, TRUFF Hot Sauce.
As I drove this home from the second closest Taco Bell location, it filled my car with the aroma of tomatoes. The smell made me wonder if the headlining ingredient had a bit of tomato-ness to it or if I’m going to be surprised by a tray of nothing but diced tomatoes. Thankfully, it was neither.
The hot sauce, which reminds me of claymation movie blood, is not that hot. Well, at least to me. The TRUFF website claims the condiment is between 2,500-3,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), which is how spicy Tapatio is. But I found it to be as tame as Taco Bell’s Mild Sauce. Maybe the nacho cheese and sour cream take it down several hundred SHUs, or maybe there was not a lot of it on my order because it’s $18 for a bottle of the stuff, and Taco Bell employees can’t be generous with it like they sometimes are with hot sauce packets or ice in beverages.
Thankfully, the lack of heat allowed the light truffle flavor to come through, even with all the other ingredients. The sauce also has a slight sweetness, and the peppers and spices in it make it flavorful beyond just the truffles. Overall, it’s a tasty condiment on these loaded fries.
Is the sauce good enough to convince me to buy an $18 bottle of it? No, but I would be happy if Santa put a bottle in my stocking. Is it good enough that I would order Taco Bell Loaded TRUFF Nacho Fries again? Yes.
Purchased Price: $6.99*
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 500 calories, 31 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 1250 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar (including 1 gram of added sugar), and 15 grams of protein.
*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.
They’ve had small bottles of Truff for 4.99 at Grocery outlet for a couple months now, they don’t seem to be selling well.
@BigBelly, I think cause the hot sauce market is pretty saturated. The truffles are a nice “fancy” addition to the ingredients. Otherwise, it’s not outstanding enough to warrant such a high cost when Franks Red Hot, Tapatio, and Tabasco already have their unique formulas. They’re just putting a ton of money into their labeling and advertising to try and sell a “luxury” hot sauce at a higher price. Yet, 99% of customer reviews/pictures feature its use on food is basic pasta, ramen, pizza, etc. Step one is understanding your target customer. If I’m eating poor man’s ramen and pasta and have to add hot sauce to make it more palatable, I’d rather have twice as much pasta and ramen with a 50% cheaper hot sauce condiment. Just my thoughts.
I tried these at Taco Bell to see if I could taste the truffle. I did taste something a little different with it, almost like it was a bit “pastier”, closer to ketchup than most hot sauces. It was quite tasty, but it was not really spicy. I used the remaining Fire sauce from having finished my Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito. It was actually spicier than what the Truffle had to offer. Truffle tasted sweeter than I anticipated. A quick google search revealed it’s made using both organic sugar and organic agave nectar. I think I could come to like it as much as Oprah if it wasn’t for the price.
Low res photos make it hard to see the product.
I had these the other day and just could not stomach finishing them. I handed the rest off to my husband. First, it was too much of the Truff sauce. Second, the sauce had a very nasty taste that I just couldn’t get over. Maybe their sauce was bad at this restaurant? IDK. But, something was definitely amiss with it. Not something I recommend. Now, bring back the salsa verde and make some salsa verde nacho fries and I will be there every day!
I’m with you. They smelled and tasted like dirty socks. I guess I don’t like Truff.
I had these the other day, and thoroughly enjoyed them. I showed your review to a friend who works at Taco Bell, and I was told immediately that it doesn’t appear your Truff fries were even made correctly according to how they were instructed to make them by Taco Bell. He said immediately that it appeared you didn’t even have ANY Truff sauce on your order pic, and they are told to put the Truff sauce on last which layers ON TOP of the sour cream and cheese, and is VERY visible . The Truff sauce I had was delicious when mixed with the sour cream & nacho cheese. It worked very well, and left my mouth with a nice heat.
I agree with Dab. Your Truffle Nacho Fries look wrong, Marvo. They don’t look like the order I received. Using your favorite Internet Search Engine, do an image search for “Truff Nacho Fries” and compare the pics from other reviewers to yours. Big difference.
I did go during the afterschool rush at the mall, so maybe my order was rushed. It does make sense that the sauce should be on top when it’s the headlining ingredient. Thanks for sharing!
The only hot sauce I like is the Louisiana brand. I’ll stick with it. I turn my nose up at any mushroom things.