California Tortilla’s Wall of Flame is about to induct a new member, the fan-favorite Screamin’ Green hot sauce. To celebrate, the fast-casual eatery known for its house-made California-style Mexican fare is offering a new menu item built around the hot sauce, for a limited time only.

The new Screamin’ Green Burrito and Burrito Bowl was designed as the perfect complement to the spicy-cilantro-and-jalapeño-based hot sauce, featuring rice, black beans, grilled blackened chicken, Jack cheese, onion-cilantro relish, fresh avocado, spinach and of course, Screamin’ Green hot sauce, all served in a bowl or wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.

The second proprietary hot sauce created by California Tortilla, Screamin’ Green, was crafted as a complementary successor to California Tortilla’s first proprietary hot sauce, the wildly popular California Screamin’, which has been spicing up the restaurant’s tacos, burritos, quesadillas and chef’s bowls for more than 15 years.

“We are all about flavor and innovation,” says California Tortilla Director of Marketing Karen Dawit. “With Screamin’ Green, we wanted to introduce a new flavor that would work beautifully with California Screamin’ but also stand up on its own.”

And that’s exactly what Screamin’ Green does, offering a balanced kick by itself or a harmonious new flavor profile when paired with the California Screamin’ hot sauce.

Hot sauce lovers already know California Tortilla as a go-to destination for flavors and varieties that span the Scoville scale. The restaurant’s Wall of Flame offers 75 distinct hot sauces, each available to sample or purchase in-store.

So, why the additional flavor? COO and Executive Chef Keith Goldman says it was just too good to hold back.

“We’re always experimenting with new flavors in the test kitchen, and we’ve been testing out some green sauces for a while,” he says. “Once we perfected Screamin’ Green, we knew we had a hit.”

While the Screamin’ Green hot sauce has earned a permanent spot on the Wall of Flame, the Screamin’ Green Burrito and Burrito Bowl are only around for a limited time. Still, Dawit says she never knows what LTOs might make the leap to the year-round menu.

“Some of our most popular menu items started out as LTOs and then became year-round items,” she says. “We love getting feedback from our guests, and we take their comments to heart, so if they love something, we’ll keep it around. The Bacon Chicken Club Burrito, the Korean BBQ Burrito, the Blackened Fish Street Tacos — all of those started as limited-time offerings that became permanent menu items.”

Will the Screamin’ Green Burrito and Bowl join the ranks of those full-time favorites? Only if the fans demand it. The LTO will be available at every California Tortilla location featuring a Wall of Flame starting March 2. Try it soon, while it’s still around.

Menu Innovations, News, California Tortilla