I went to Taco Bell for the first time. I thought it would be cheaper.

Fast food chains have been ramping up value meals recently to compete for customers.

The CEO of its parent company, Yum! Brands, said in its most recent earnings call that Taco Bell's sales growth during the quarter was partly due to its value meals, which keep it competitive.

There were posters on the storefront windows, and promotions were the first thing you saw on the menu.

This wouldn't be new to British fast-food chains. What I did find was this screen was a little slow to react, and the other one was actually out of use.

Overall, it was a pretty seamless system of ordering and waiting for your number to be called before collecting your tray from a staff member.

Taco Bell overhauled its Cravings Value Menu earlier this year, adding six new "meal-sized" items for under $3.

The Veggie Deluxe Box consisted of a seven-layer burrito, a double cheesy black bean burrito, seasoned fries, churros with a caramel dip, and a Pepsi Max.

All in all, I paid £12.97 ($16.50). It wasn't cheap, but it was a lot of food — enough for two.

If someone else were to try Taco Bell for the first time, I would recommend going for one of the deluxe boxes. My vegetarian box cost £9.99 ($12.80), so it's not the most affordable option out there, but you do get to eat a variation of popular dishes.

A Cheeseburger Saver Meal from McDonalds, which includes a cheeseburger, fries, and a soda, costs £3.99 ($5) in a nearby location. But this meal doesn't include a dessert or an extra side.

This didn't really meet my expectations. I found it too sweet and felt it could benefit from more cheese. The burrito was helped by the seasoned fries, which created a nice balance between the salty and the slight sugary aftertaste.

There is absolutely nothing I would change about those fries, I didn't even need to dip them in anything.

On its own from the Cravings menu, this item costs £1.99 ($2.55). It's not substantial enough to be a main meal but if you're just looking for a snack, this is a good bet.

I ate the veggie 7-layer burrito. Its fillings were black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, seasoned rice, a 3-cheese blend, guacamole and sour cream. Between the softness of the wrap, the crunchiness of the lettuce, and the chewiness of the black beans, this burrito had a fun texture.

I thought it was a generous size and one would be enough for lunch. This was probably one of the best value for money dishes on the menu.

I was excited to bite into one of these as soon as I collected my tray. I was worried they might be greasy or oily, but was pleasantly proved wrong.

For me, the churros didn't actually need a sauce, and the caramel dip they did come with was too sweet for me.

To buy alone, these cost £2.69 ($3.45). There were only two in a bag so I felt this price was a bit high.

The cheesy roll-up from its Cravings menu was literally that — a wrap with melted cheese. I'm a big fan of cheese, so it wasn't bad.

If you find yourself feeling peckish but not ready for a full meal, I thought this was good value for a snack.

My meal from Taco Bell was only okay. I felt the portions were more than fair, but the food didn't taste all that great to me. And it wasn't as cheap as I hoped.