Taco Bell Is Releasing A Street Food-Inspired Chalupa (For A Limited Time)

Calling all Taco Bell fans: A new Cheesy Street Chalupa is launching July 18, to honor the culinary creativity of neighborhood street vendors. The Cheesy Street Chalupa will include traditional street food ingredients like fresh cilantro and chopped onion, alongside premium proteins and the signature cheesy chalupa shells. In a press release sent to Daily Meal, Taco Bell said the new Cheesy Street Chalupa is "inspired by Hispanic and Latino cultural tastemakers and their unique takes on the taco."

Taco Bell has been serving chalupas since the 1990's, and unlike other 1990's Taco Bell menu items you probably forgot about, they're routinely releasing chalupa upgrades and new serving styles. The Cheesy Street Chalupa will be available for a limited time at participating locations nationwide, and the $5.49 price may vary depending on location. Designed to be a nod to street food in both in flavor and size, the plate comes with two small chalupas per serving. So for those who are wondering "what is a chalupa and what does it taste like?" — Taco Bell hopes to answer your questions with their latest version.

We've ranked Taco Bell items from best to worst in the past, and with the chalupa being such an iconic Taco Bell menu item, the new Cheesy Street Chalupa definitely brings things to the next level. The Cheesy Street Chalupa includes a choice of slow-roasted Cantina chicken or grilled, marinated steak, wrapped up in a crispy golden-brown chalupa shell stuffed with pepper jack cheese and mozzarella. But the main event taking this chalupa to street level are the fresh cilantro and diced onion toppings, finished off with Taco Bell's spicy and creamy Jalapeño Ranch sauce.

Putting their money where their menu is, Taco Bell doesn't just honor street food vendors with the Cheesy Street Chalupa. Over the past two years, they've been giving back to the food vendor community across Southern California — the home of the company — by gifting health permit-compliant food carts. In partnership with Revolution Carts, they've given away 26 so far, and aim to hit a total of 46 by end of summer.

"When it comes to supporting the communities that inspire our food innovation, we're just getting started," Luis Restrepo, Taco Bell's Vice President, Product Innovation, said in the press release sent to Daily Meal. "The 46 street-legal food cart donation is the first of a long-term commitment we have to these entrepreneurs; more to come in the years ahead."