20 years on, Crunchwrap still a boon for Detroit chefs
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Street Beet's take on the Crunchwrap. Photos: Courtesy of Street Beet
Picture a Crunchwrap Supreme from Taco Bell, oozing warm cheese sauce and cold sour cream against a crispy tostada shell. Now picture that same wrap stuffed with whatever ingredients you imagine: Hot Cheetos, shawarma meat, egg frittata.
Why it matters: Taco Bell is celebrating the Crunchwrap's 20th anniversary this year. Since its debut, it has become a novelty and inspiration for chefs riffing on the basic concept to create tasty new varieties — including in Detroit.
State of play: The Crunchwrap started as a special item in June 2005 and became insanely popular, selling better than any other item on the menu, per the New York Times.
- It uses ground beef, nacho cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream, separated with a crunchy tostada shell in the middle. All of that is wrapped into a giant toasted flour tortilla parcel.
Between the lines: Likely hundreds of chefs across the U.S. create their takes on the Crunchwrap with Mexican, Thai, Middle Eastern and many other flavors. But it's so tough to patent recipes that there's little issue with co-opting the concept, the New York Times reported.
In the Crunchwrap's honor, we've listed where to try local takes on the dish — should we call it a burrito? A snack? A sandwich? — in and near Detroit.
Street Beet: The popular vegan pop-up with nostalgic food ended its run at Third Street in Midtown and is working on opening a permanent restaurant in Corktown.
- Among its most beloved menu items is the Crunchywrap with walnut chorizo and dairy-free nacho cheese.
- "It's the ultimate fast food comfort item — nostalgic, familiar and fun — but in our case, made entirely from plants," chef and owner Meghan Shaw tells Axios in an email. "It quickly became one of our most popular items, and people are genuinely obsessed with it."
Frontera Grill: This spot just outside Detroit, in Grosse Pointe Park, sells a traditional Crunchwrap with refried beans, ground beef and all the fixings.
Folk: Of course, we need a brunch Crunchwrap. Folk's version uses an attractive green tortilla, wrapping up an egg frittata, tostada, pickled red onion, spicy Jack cheese and spicy aioli, with salsa on the side.
El Loco Panda: This take-out restaurant in a gas station building on the east side features a sombrero-wearing panda on its sign. It offers chicken shawarma Crunchwraps, plus meat shawarma, carne asada, chicken and birria.
The Spot: This highly Instagrammable food truck in Detroit and Dearborn offers birria ramen, birria pizza and loaded fries — plus a Crunchwrap stuffed with Hot Cheetos.
Plus, Marrow, the butcher shop and upscale restaurant in West Village, has published a bacon burger Crunchwrap recipe using its bacon burger meat and locally made Aunt Nee's tortilla chips.