KANSAS CITY — Restaurant-goers are looking for bigger, bolder flavors, so restaurants are hiking up the heat in their new menu items to deliver the punchy piquancy customers are pining for.

Taco Bell is riling up the risk-takers in its audience with its new Dare Devil Loaded Grillers, featuring three levels of heat. Each griller offers a grilled burrito stuffed with seasoned beef, red tortillas chips, nacho cheese and one of three spices: Mild Chipotle, Hot Habanero, and Fiery Ghost Pepper.

Burger King has spiced up its menu with two new heat-featuring items: the Extra Long Jalapeño Cheeseburger and Fiery Chicken Fries. The Extra Long Jalapeño Cheeseburger, served on a toasted hoagie roll, includes two flame-grilled beef patties, marinated jalapenos, mayonnaise, American cheese, lettuce, ketchup, and white onions. The new spicy sidekick, Fiery Chicken Fries, are a variant of BK’s original Chicken Fries that feature heat from a marinade of cayenne and black pepper.

Applebee’s is bringing the blaze by offering the Blazin’ Texan burger. Featuring a patty seared in onions and jalapeños, the burger is topped with shredded BBQ brisket, jalapeños, white cheddar and Applebee’s’ signature grill sauce.

The fiery flavors don’t stop there. Sbarro is now offering a Sweet & Spicy BBQ Chicken Pizza, Quaker Steak & Lube is serving Stadium Jalapeño Pretzels, McAlister’s Deli is introducing spicy Barbecue Pulled Pork Nachos, Arby’s has added a Jalapeño Roast Beef slider to its menu, and Chili’s is releasing four flaming flavors of burritos.

Click for a slideshow of more new menu items.