Taco Bell's newest menu item beat out Doritos Locos Tacos to become the most successful launch in the chain's history — here's the secret to its success (YUM)

The fries were the most successful launch in
We taste-tested the fries and found they were like nothing else fast-food chains are serving right now.

Taco Bell is finally serving fries — and customers can't get enough.

In late January, the fast-food chain added $1 nacho fries to the menu for a limited time. Instead of taking the classic fast-food route, Taco Bell tops its fries with a spicy seasoning and serves them with a side of nacho cheese.

On Tuesday, Taco Bell announced that the nacho fries were the most successful launch in the chain's history, with more than 53 million orders over the the last month and a half. According to the company, more than one in three Taco Bell orders since late January have included fries.

Following the intense customer demand, Taco Bell announced plans to keep nacho fries on the menu until early April.

To see how Taco Bell's new fries measure up to the competition, we tried them for ourselves. Here's why they're like nothing else in the fast-food industry.

For $1, customers can get a handful of fries and a cup of nacho cheese sauce for dipping — the first sign that Taco Bell isn't trying to imitate competitors' fried offerings.

Taco Bell's emphasis is on the cheese rather than the ketchup. It's the right decision.

While the nacho cheese isn't by any means gourmet, it provides a rich and gloopy satisfaction and immediately sets the fries apart from their ketchup-dipped rivals.

The fries also differ from fast-food norms with an impressive mix of spicy seasoning instead of the typical salt bomb. They taste exactly how french fries from Taco Bell — and only Taco Bell — should taste.

Taco Bell's fries are fairly hefty and a bit floppy — certainly less crisp than offerings at chains like McDonald's.

Had the fries been classically seasoned with salt, this would have been a major misstep. But the thicker cut is a smart move for Taco Bell, as it guarantees the potato can balance out the spices and rich nacho cheese.

The nacho-fied fries are a mess — but a highly rewarding one, especially for $2.49. While you can dip each fry in the nacho cheese, you'll end up shoveling the "supreme" fries into your mouth with a fork.

It's a quintessential Taco Bell creation — a bunch of delicious and semi-embarrassing ingredients mixed in a bizarre way that you're going to end up craving at 2 a.m.

Overall, Taco Bell's fries have the potential to be a huge win for the chain. They're like no other fries in the industry, swapping ketchup for cheese and salt for spice.