Midnight Mexican meal fixes are offered almost exclusively by Taco Bell. But, the international fast-food chain, which was founded in Downey, Calif. during the spring of 1962 and has more than 6,500 locations, is launching a posh version of itself, entitled U.S. Taco Co. and Urban Taproom -- and apparently, it's pretty awesome.

Nation's Restaurant News reported that the upscale joint, U.S. Taco Co. and Urban Taproom, will feature a menu of 10 premium tacos, craft beer, wine, and thick-cut fries. The Winner Winner, a southern-style fried chicken breast, which rests beneath Border gravy, roasted corn, pico de gallo, jalapenos and cilantro in a flour tortilla is one of the main attractions. As well as the One-Percenter, which is lobster, garlic butter, pico de gallo and red slaw on crispy fry bread. The Brotherly Love is a carne asada steak taco, that's topped with peppers, onions, roasted poblano queso and cotija cheese. And, the Smokey & The Bandito is a taco that's packed with Texas smoked beef brisket and topped with salsa and melted Oaxacan cheese.

The habanero dusted French fries have a series of serious dipping sauces, which include "ghost chile ketchup" and "roasted poblano crema." And, the "Mexican Car Bomb," a delicious-sounding concoction, involving vanilla ice cream, tequila caramel sauce, chocolate flakes, and Guinness, is just one of the tempting, beer-spiked shakes that's been unveiled. The tacos are priced around $4 each, and complete meals -- with drinks, are likely to average $12.

The restaurant will not sell burritos, beans, rice or tortilla chips, as it is the U.S. takes on Mexican food, embracing the multi-costal culinary features that the U.S. has to offer. Creed said, "Taco Bell is Mexican-inspired, and U.S. Taco is American-inspired" and that U.S. Taco is not a "Chipotle walk-along."

"Most dishes will be prepared in-house, in glass-enclosed kitchens that allow guests to see meat grilling or tacos in the works -- though a few ingredients will come from outside suppliers, like the Texas smoked brisket or Southern pulled pork," NRN reported.

No, customers won't be able to customize dishes like they can at Chipotle, but they will be able to witness the creation of meals inside of a glass-enclosed area, beside the ordering counter. The high-end, upscale effort is an attempted to earn the favor of high-income, trendy individuals who are unlikely to enter or eat at a Taco Bell.

"We could spend time and money trying to get these people interested in Taco Bell," but they would probably never become regular customers, Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed told Ad Age. "We thought, maybe there's a new brand we can create to address this opportunity."

Set to premiere at The Strand, a hipster-ridden coastal center in downtown Huntington Beach, Calif. this summer, details on expansion plans have yet to be disclosed, as Taco Bell has opted to keep it lips sealed while looking to part the lips of those hungry for trendy Mexican food.

Business Insider has posted images of menu items and renderings of what the restaurant will look like once it's brought into fruition. Dia de los muertos-inspired candy skulls will be painted on walls; and flirty bright yellows, blues and reds will surround wooden tabletops and floors; subway tile accents and contemporary lighting will coincide.

Jeff Davis, president of the food-service consulting firm Sandelman & Associates, stated that it was "highly risky" to launch a chain from scratch, but he believes that Taco Bell has expertise in the area where they are looking to grow a business. Jezebel accuses the Taco Bell franchise of hipster-chasing, and doubts U.S. Tacos' quality and proper execution. One Jezebel writer remarked, "I love the earnestness with which Taco Bell thinks this is a good idea; it's like watching a puppy try to jump over a fence where you just KNOW it can't make the leap, but it's going to be really funny to watch it try."

In the past, Taco Bell has teamed up with Frito Lay and Seattle Best Coffee, and replaced 20-year sponsor McDonald's as the fast food partner of the NBA in 2009, has $1.9 billion (2009) in revenue. Founded by businessman Glen Bell, Taco bell tested a new, upscale "Cantina Menu" in 2012 in Kentucky and California restaurants, created by celebrity chef Lorena Garcia, which has yielded somewhat successful results.

Last fall, Taco Bell made the decision to introduce limited breakfast items to their menu in early 2012, and further developed those plans during March of this year by introducing the waffle tacos and a whole line up of breakfast options nationwide-scale. The official move into the breakfast domain involved a campaign that used twenty-five men by the name of Ronald McDonald to endorse the new breakfast items.

Yet another advertisement meant to provoke longtime rival McDonalds was one where a man is consuming a waffle taco, while he sings, "I've been eating Egg McMuffins since 1984, but when I saw Taco Bell made a Waffle Taco, I figured I would get with the times." The man sings the song to the tune of Old MacDonald Had a Farm.

Taco Bell launched its morning menu in an effort to grab a slice of the fast-food breakfast industry, which racks in $31.7 billion in U.S. sales, and McDonalds claims $10 billion of that.

McDonald's responded to Taco Bell's unveiling with a free coffee promotion, and reassurance from the McDonald's CEO Don Thompson, who insists that they crack fresh eggs and prepare fresh food fast. The Associated Press reports that Taco Bell thaws and cooks frozen eggs in the morning. Beyond breakfast, however, McDonalds is struggling, suffering due to stiff competition, flailing economy, internal missteps and escalating food costs.

U.S. Taco Co. and Urban Taproom demonstrates Taco Bell's desire to be a true contender on all fronts. Creed has said that he hopes to see 1,000 of the U.S. Tacos one day, and reiterates that the new restaurant is not a "spin-off" of Taco Bell. Taco Bell, so far, has devoted $500,000 to developing the high-end, low-key startup.

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