The Taco Bell Archives: A Guide to Discontinued Menu Items

Taco Bell has discontinued menu items before. We’ve said farewell to potatoes, Nachos Supreme, and Loaded Grillers… and Mexican Pizza. Ergo, it’s time to revisit the Taco Bell menu item archives and prepare to file away some old food friends.

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With more than two billion customers annually at more than 7,000 restaurants around the world, nearly everyone has a favorite (or at least favored) item at Taco Bell — but what is a taco lover to do when their go-to item gets discontinued? While their menu hasn’t had too many changes over the years, some of them have still caused waves. (Just think back to September 2019, when a whopping nine items at once got the chop, including the Double Decker Taco, Fiery Doritos Locos Tacos, and Cool Ranch Tacos.)

Then on August 13, 2020 they got rid of all of the following:

• 7-Layer Burrito*
• Beefy Fritos Burrito®
• Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes
• Chips & Dips
• Grilled Steak Soft Taco
• Loaded Grillers (Cheesy Potato, Beefy Nacho)
• Mini Skillet Bowl
• Nachos Supreme
• Spicy Potato Soft Taco
• Spicy Tostada
• Triple Layer Nachos

*Thanks to customization options, you can still technically order the 7-Layer Burrito, and the Quesarito (though it’s no longer on the menu either).

And now we know Mexican Pizza will be gone come November 5, 2020. So will pico de gallo and shredded chicken.

The August 2020 announcement was initially made by a Taco Bell employee on Reddit and sent social media into a tizzy. Taco Bell confirmed the rumors in a press release shortly after, stating that, “we will be simplifying our menu. This evolved menu approach comes after months of analyzing the new way we are running our restaurants. We want to ensure an easy and fast ordering experience for our guests and team members, while simultaneously opening up opportunities for even more innovation.”

The release also noted that, “…while change is hard, a simplified menu and innovation process will leave room for new fan favorites, continued progress in categories such as plant-based diets, and even opportunities for the return of some classics on a limited time basis.”

The most recent September announcement confirming the demise of Mexican Pizza quotes Mike Grams, Taco Bell President, Global COO: “We’re constantly evaluating ways to provide a more efficient restaurant experience, and have already begun to see progress from streamlining our menu. While we know fans may be understandably sad to see some of their favorites go, this evolution of our menu truly paves the way for fresh new ideas. The creativity and innovation in our kitchen hasn’t slowed down at all, and we look forward to rolling out new fan favorites.”

To that end, these new menu items will be available beginning November 5, 2020 (because, to paraphrase, as Taco Bell taketh, Taco Bell also giveth):

• Chicken Chipotle Melt
• Dragonfruit Freeze
• Green Sauce (in select markets)
• Quesalupa (testing in Knoxville, TN)

Former Taco Bell employee Shaun Quinn describes the process as a cycle. “It’s the circle of life. The popular items stay around and the underperforming items get retired,” said Quinn, who worked at the restaurant as shift lead throughout high school and college.

Whatever the reason for their removal, despite many of these items’ ends definitely being for the best, a few of them to get the axe — now and in the past — were considered beloved favorites.

In this list, we’re going to reminisce (and cringe) over those nixed items — exploring and discussing the good, the bad, and the beefy.

Double Decker Taco

This is, as Taco Bell puts it, “like the bunk bed of tacos.” If we were to go with a bedding analogy, we would liken it to a pillow-top mattress instead: the firm foundation of crispy taco shell holding the all-important stuffing (ground beef, cheese, and lettuce), with the plush outer layer (i.e., the memory foam equivalent) providing delightful comfort, in the form of a warm, soft tortilla welded to the structurally important taco shell with melted cheese and mashed beans. A dream, in short. But this one was carted off to the virtual dump all too soon (luckily, it’s easy to recreate at home).

Mexican Pizza

While it’s not gone quite yet, it will be a distant memory all too soon. Luckily, this layered creation of beef, beans, crispy tortillas, cheese, red sauce, and sour cream is even easier to make at home. Try this Taco Bell Mexican Pizza recipe when your craving hits after November.

Nacho Crunch Grilled Stuft Burrito

Taco Bell’s limited-run Nacho Crunch Grilled Stuft Burrito was introduced in 2005 and lasted only a year. It consisted of two portions of beef or chicken, nacho cheese, beans, green onions, tomatoes, sour cream, and crunchy red tortilla chip strips. If you’re like me, you don’t remember the burrito itself, but instead recall this hilarious advertisement for the item starring Dave the “fun guy.”

Nacho Fries

Only just introduced in January 2018, Taco Bell’s Nacho Fries with their zesty seasoning and cup of warm nacho goo for dipping were taken away all too quickly—but, in a move very much modeled on the McRib, they returned in January 2019! Then they were gone again, then came back in June—and (shocker) were whisked away once more. Talk about playing with our emotions. The cycle shall certainly repeat, but only time will tell exactly when. (Update: Now that all potato items are gone from the menu, we may be wrong about the fries…but we’ll hold out hope; like nacho cheese, it springs eternal.)

Verde Sauce

Perhaps one of the most controversial Taco Bell cancellations was Verde Sauce. Its delicious absence remains a touchy subject to many people and even Taco Bell has admitted to missing it. “It honestly surprised me when Verde Sauce was removed from the menu,” Quinn said. “It wasn’t the most popular, but it definitely had a following.” The sauce was pulled from the menu in 2016, but actually remains available for purchase on Amazon and (sometimes) at Walmart. For some, it must lack authenticity (or at least novelty), as individual packets of the sauce still run for multiple dollars on eBay. Fingers crossed you’ll be in one of the lucky regional markets that see green sauce return to the menu in November!

Bell Beefer

The beloved Bell Beefer was available for about two decades into the mid-’90s. Often regarded as Taco Bell’s effort to break into the hamburger chain market, the sandwich was essentially just a sloppy Joe covered in taco toppings. Served on a bun, the Bell Beefer boasted taco meat, lettuce, diced onions, and Taco Bell’s mild sauce. A “Supreme” version of the burger was also available, adding diced tomatoes and their three-cheese blend. Despite the item’s popularity decreasing in the ‘80s, the Bell Beefer still has a fanbase requesting its return—however, Quinn believes it doesn’t belong on the menu. “It just seems wrong,” he said.

Doritos Locos Tacos & Cool Ranch Tacos

Both Fiery Doritos Locos Tacos and Cool Ranch Doritos Tacos were removed from the menu last September, but the wound still feels fresh. It might still be possible to request a Double Decker on the DL, secret menu style, but the Doritos shells are long gone (…fingers crossed they also come back à la the McRib at some point; if not, get creative and make your own Cool Ranch Doritos taco shells).

Fully Loaded Nachos

Many of you probably remember the Fully Loaded Nachos, circa 2008 and 2009. Served in a tortilla-chip bowl, this “Fully Loaded” item was known for its large servings. “These were huge,” Quinn said. “I think people often bought them for their value in that respect.” Extra chips, double ground beef, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, red tortilla chip strips, refried beans, their three-cheese blend, and Taco Bell’s nacho cheese sauce were all piled on top on one another for this hearty snack—complete with a chip bowl at the bottom that effectively caught and collected all of the delicious nacho debris.

Black Jack Taco

This discontinued taco was available briefly in 2009 as a Halloween promotion. Aptly named for its black shell, the Black Jack Taco quickly made headlines for its color qualities not at the table, but on the toilet. Let’s just say the if this taco was a combo, it would be a number two. Other than its color, this beef taco was pretty basic, with just lettuce, Baja sauce, and Taco Bell’s famous three-cheese blend.

Cinnamon Crispas

Taco Bell/Chowhound

Those who have been loyal to Taco Bell for more than three decades might remember the item that preceded Cinnamon Twists—none other than Cinnamon Crispas. Consisting of lightly fried tortilla with a heavy dusting of cinnamon and sugar, Crispas cost only 39 cents. Despite their removal from the menu in the late ‘80s, the sweet snack was popular enough that many cooks have posted their own recipes for it online.

Cinnamon-Sugar Chips

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Caramel Apple Empanadas

While these were a much newer item (debuting in 2004), they were great. They were like the McDonald’s apple pies but way better—with the addition of caramel in the filling, there was never any contest between the two desserts (the inverse of how Taco Bell’s new Pineapple Whip Freeze has nothing on OG Dole Whip). But Taco Bell’s apple offering disappeared last August. According to the company, “Even the sweetest things in life don’t last forever.” Too true, Taco Bell. Too true. At least we still have cinnamon twists.

Volcano Taco and Lava Sauce

Similar to the Black Jack Taco, the Volcano Taco is often remembered for its unique color—bright red. The taco was complete with ground beef, lettuce, and lava sauce—a controversial taco bell item with notoriety for its ability to cause indigestion. The Volcano Taco was marketed as Taco Bell’s spiciest taco ever, with help from its destructive sauce. “They were spicy,” Quinn said. “But that did not stop people from ordering them.” The sauce was discontinued in 2013, but brought back two years later due to popular demand on social media. In 2016, it was removed from the menu for a second time and hasn’t re-appeared, despite some outrage.

Enchirito

The retired Enchirito is still so popular, it has an up-to-date Wikipedia page. This borderline Frankensteinian hybrid of an enchilada and a burrito was initially introduced in the late ‘60s and was massively popular into the ‘70s and ‘80s. The product, consisting of a tortilla filled with ground beef, onions, and pinto beans; then, smothered with red sauce and cheese; and finally, topped with four or five sliced olives. It was discontinued in 1993, but many of you might remember its return to the menu in 2000—sans the olives and in a different container. It remained a menu staple until the Taco Bell released the Smothered Burrito in 2013, returning the Enchirito to the menu mausoleum for good—supposedly. “The Enchirito was one of my favorite items,” Quinn said. “It’s probably for the best that I can’t order those anymore.”

Seafood Salad

Seafood Salad was Taco Bell’s disconcerting attempt to combat other fast food restaurants’ Lent-friendly options like the Filet-O-Fish. This cringy commercial from the product’s marketing campaign’s 1986 launch gives an idea of the picture they were trying to paint. Served in a tortilla bowl, the salad was topped with shredded cheese, tomatoes, olives, shrimp, whitefish, and snow crab. “I love the smell of Taco Bell, even now after working there,” Quinn said. “That being said, I don’t like the idea of that smell combined with the smell of cooked fish. I’m glad I wasn’t around to serve these up.” Understandably, the product was met with a sense of incredulousness from customers and flopped quickly.

The Sizzlin’ Bacon Menu

In 1995, Taco Bell found itself in the middle of bacon craze—a fad that burger chains could work with easily. As a response, they launched three new bacon-based menu items as a part of their new, competitive Sizzlin’ Bacon Menu. The items, complete with traditional Taco Bell staples combined with bacon and ranch, were the Bacon Cheeseburger Burrito for $1.79, the B.L.T. Soft Taco for 79 cents, and the Chicken Club Burrito for $1.99, respectively. However, customers quickly began to complain of both undercooked and overcooked bacon, and questioned the role of ranch in a taco. Unsurprisingly, all of the products failed in the early 2000s.

No matter your background or preferences, nearly everyone has found themselves in a Taco Bell at one point. While some of us proudly have the app on our smartphone, others shamefully slip through the drive-through for an indulgent late-night snack. No matter how you want to spin it, one thing is for sure—its menu may change, but Taco Bell isn’t going anywhere. According to Quinn, even years in the Taco Bell kitchen hasn’t deterred his occasional cravings.

“I worked there for a long time and I still want their food sometimes. Not many fast food employees can say that about where they worked,” Quinn said. “It definitely has a role in American culture and a very devoted fanbase—but I think it’s well-deserved.”

For now, just be sure to enjoy your favorite items while they last because you never know when they might disappear forever. If you don’t believe me, just read this petition shamelessly begging for the return of the Verde Sauce.