At this point, it has gone way past being a trend and has now turned into a full-blown movement. Fast-food chains across the board have spent the start of 2026 rolling out cheaper menus, slashing prices, and scrambling to prove they haven’t priced out the average customer.
Denny’s recently made waves with 10 different value meals priced at $5.99 each, and now Taco Bell’s taking it a step further with a menu where nothing breaks the $3 mark.
The Mexican fast-food chain is introducing a new, low-priced menu later this month, featuring 10 items that will all sell for under $3.
Five New, Five Familiar
The Luxe Value Menu goes live on January 22 and includes five new items and five returning favorites.
New additions include Salted Caramel Churros, a Mini Taco Salad, a Beefy Potato Loaded Griller, an Avocado Ranch Chicken Stacker, and a Chips and Nacho Supreme Dip. The Loaded Griller, which has not been a permanent menu item since the early 2000s, is also part of the launch.
The returning items include the Cheesy Roll Up, Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito, 3 Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt, and Cheesy Double Beef Burrito, all familiar staples meant to be ordered on their own or added to larger meals.
The company says the menu will rotate throughout the year rather than staying fixed. Taco Bell Rewards members will be able to order from the Luxe Value Menu early, starting Jan. 16.
This wider rollout follows an industrywide push by fast-food chains to keep entry-level prices down as customers spend more carefully on dining out, with inflation and rising food costs still squeezing household budgets.