Taco Bell Is Coming for McDonald’s With Its Brand New Menu

It’s been a year of "más" and "más" at Taco Bell. From Cheesy Street Chalupas to Big Cheez-It Tostadas, the menu rollouts have been fast and furious. But, just when we thought they’d take a breather, Taco Bell is ending the year with another bold move that’s sure to grab attention.

Taco Bell may have started as a Tex-Mex haven, but the brand’s spirit of innovation has taken it in all sorts of directions—venturing into new territories with the Mexican Pizza, Crispy Chicken Nuggets, and even Baja Blast gelato. Just when we thought they’d done it all, Taco Bell is surprising fans once again—not with a new menu item, but with a twist on the entire Taco Bell concept.

Taco Bell Launches Live Más Café

It’s fairly common for fast food chains to have unique restaurant spin offs—Chick-fil-A has its Little Blue Menu, KFC has experimented with KFC 11, and many brands are dabbling in takeaway-only models. But Taco Bell’s latest venture takes a sharp turn away from its Tex-Mex food foundation.

Enter: the Live Más Café, the taco chain’s first drinks-focused restaurant.

If you’ve ever stopped by Taco Bell just for a Baja Blast or one of its specialty slushes, this concept is for you. In fact, Taco Bell’s beverage game has been gaining traction since it introduced Coffee Chillers and Churro Chillers last December. The coffee-centric treats proved so popular that a year later, they’re inspiring a standalone café.

The Live Más Café is Taco Bell’s ambitious entry into the world of beverage giants like Dunkin’ and Starbucks. With "Bellristas" (Taco Bell’s baristas) crafting trendy drinks, the concept takes the Taco Bell experience to a new level.

Does that sound familiar? Well, that’s because McDonald’s technically did it first. CosMc’s is McDonalds' beverage-first restaurant, serving drinks like Popping Pear Slush and Sour Cherry Energy Burst as well as some specialty food items. Since launching in late 2023, CosMc’s has five locations in operation across the country. And, almost a year to the date later, Taco Bell is following suit.

If Taco Bell aimed to really make its mark in the beverage industry, it had to go bold. So, the new menu features four flavors of Churro Chillers (Wild Strawberry, Mexican Chocolate, Caramel Café, and Cinnavanilla Coffee), Agua Frescas, Rockstar Energy Refrescas, Limonada Iced Tea, and more. The headliner? The Dirty Baja Blast—a twist on the TikTok (and "The Secret Lives of Mormon Lives")-favorite "dirty soda."

The first Live Más Café is now open in Chula Vista, California, operating daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fans on social media are already sharing their excitement. "I will fly there," one user shared, while another added, "Sounds like a great idea!"

So, who did it better, Taco Bell or McDonald’s? It’s too soon to call a winner just yet—but we will say, with Baja Blast in its corner, Taco Bell has a strong chance of coming out on top in the fast food beverage business.

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