Taco Bell's Baja Blast Gelato Is Getting Mixed Reviews

Sometimes, you can have too much of a good thing. Or a middle-of-the-road thing, in this case. The anticipation for Taco Bell's new Baja Blast Gelato was prescient over the summer, with fans buzzing about the summer dessert flavored like the chain's famous frozen drink. Unfortunately, with its debut on September 3, it became clear that gelato and neon green caffeinated slushies don't seem to meld, at least according to some.

Taco Bell Reddit is abuzz with critiques of the new dessert, which costs $3.99 (or more) for a 3.6-ounce container and is only available at select locations.

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"Ain't no way they are charging 3.99 for this…" posted one Redditor, sharing a photo of the Mountain Dew-flavored dessert. "I have been excited for this since I first heard about it months ago but now I'm just disappointed… They should have called it italian ice. It honestly doesn't really taste much like Baja Blast just lime. Unless you have sever [sic] FOMO like me don't waste your money."

Others on the subreddit critiquing the gelato aren't pleased with the size or the flavor, which allegedly only tastes faintly like a Baja Blast.

With similar-sized containers or scoops of ice cream priced similarly at grocery stores, and plenty of full-size meal deals priced under $5 this summer (like McDonald's $5 Meal Deal, Burger King's $5 value meal, Wendy's $1 breakfast sandwiches, etc.), customers appear quite miffed at the price of this small dessert – Especially when Taco Bell's Luxe Cravings Box offers a ton of food for $7.

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"Well, that was the worst $4 i ever spent at taco bell…" posted Phantom345. "Not only is it extremely small, it just tastes… off. Like a hint of baja blast, but also just weird. I feel ripped off…"

Another consensus across the internet: This isn't gelato, it's more like Italian ice or sherbert.

"The issue is they called it 'gelato.' It's not gelato. It's sherbet," posted another Redditor. "I expected it to be sherbet because when you get a drink and attempt to turn it into an "ice cream-like" dessert, you get sherbet. Not smooth and creamy gelato. You get more icy sherbet."

Taco Bell's marketing for the new frozen dessert certainly created some hype, making the limited-edition menu item exclusively available to Taco Bell Reward members ordering via the app. A limit of four gelatos per order is enforced, and it's unavailable for delivery, just drive-through or pick-up.

The new gelato was created to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Baja Blast, but fans may want to just stick to the original, especially if they're price-conscious.

Every day, Taco Bell offers a Happier Hour from 2 to 5 p.m., when medium beverages and freezes are just $1, including the Mountain Dew Baja Blast—that's 20 ounces of the treat for a buck. Taco Bell also offers free refills for diners at the restaurant, so if you camp out all afternoon, take advantage of the free Wifi, Taco Bell can easily become your remote office for a very low price.