Taco Bell Testing Nostalgia Menu Featuring Food Favorites Through the Decades: A Look at the Items
Everyone loves a bit of nostalgia, and that includes food! If you’ve ever found yourself longing for a discontinued dish at your favorite fast- food chain, you may be in luck if you are a Taco Bell fan. The Tex-Mex company recently announced it is looking to bring back its most coveted offerings from decades of business. Below you’ll find more information on what five Taco Bell favorite items are about to be tested as part of its new nostalgic menu.
Why is Taco Bell trying this new menu?
Though every national fast- food chain has had its share of failed product launches, some items have actually had the opposite effect. An offering may be so popular that it actually leaves customers quite upset when it later gets pulled from the menu.
Taco Bell has been no exception to this, and over the years they have made adjustments to their menu to appease fans. In fact, a widely circulated petition on Change.org in 2022 led to the previously discontinued Mexican Pizza returning to restaurants, to the delight of groups of fans everywhere.
Nacho fries are another item that continue to attract customers. The seasoned spuds first debuted in 2018 as a limited-time promotion. Though they aren’t permanently on the menu, the fact that they’re the company’s most successful product launch means they regularly re-appear.
Taco Bell’s latest endeavor to bring back discontinued favorites involves five items that were once big hits at their time. Fans “are in for a nostalgic treat as the brand tests a curated nostalgic menu featuring products that haven’t been available in years,” the company shares on their website. “The returning items are part of a menu test looking back and celebrating the most mouth-watering, iconic hits through the decades.”
Keep reading to find out what once-popular items will be up for tasting again.
What items are in Taco Bell’s nostalgia menu?
1. Tostada (1960’s)
This dish, which slightly resembles the Mexican pizza, was one of the original items included on the menu when the first Taco Bell location opened in 1962. A crispy corn tostada shell is topped with refried beans, lettuce, shredded cheese and the chain’s tangy red sauce. According to All Recipes, it was discontinued in 2020.
See a 1980’s TV commercial for the tostada below:
2. Green Burrito (1970’s)
This beloved burrito joins the chain’s other Tex Mex wraps and is loaded with ingredients. It’s filled with onions, refried beans and shredded cheddar cheese. But it wouldn’t be complete without the element that made it so iconic: the green sauce. This special concoction is made with tomatillos, green chili, jalapeno peppers and spices.
Though advertisements for the original green burrito appear scarce, you can still get a hit of nostalgia with this 70’s Taco Bell commercial (which also features the aforementioned tostada):
3. Meximelt (1980’s)
The option, which left the menu in 2019, is said to be best described as a mix of a quesadillas and a taco. It is made with fresh pico de gallo and seasoned beef. The “melt” comes in the form of a three-cheese blend of cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey jack.
See a 1988 commercial for the item below:
4. Beef Gordita Supreme (1990’s)
In this specialty item, warm flatbread is filled with beef, sour cream, lettuce, and diced tomatoes. The same three-cheese blend rounds out the dish for extra flavor.
Check out a 90’s commercial for the gordita below:
5. Caramel Apple Empanada (2000’s)
The only dessert to be included in the nostalgia menu, this treat left the chain in 2019. It’s made of crispy fried dough coated in cinnamon sugar and filled with apple chunks and a creamy caramel filling. (Love savory empanadas? Try our chicken recipe!)
Catch a glimpse of the empanada in this throwback commercial:
Where can I find this Taco Bell menu?
If you’re excited to get your hands on one of these favorite dishes again, you may have to wait. As of now, the products are only being tested at three locations in southern California. They will be available (while supplies last) at the Barranca and Brea restaurants from August 15 – August 21 and the Fullerton restaurant from August 15 to August 19.
However, the company shared that they are looking to bring the menu items to locations nationwide later this year. But the nostalgia menu will be for a limited time, so don’t wait!
In the meantime, you can celebrate the 20th anniversary of the chain’s famous Baja Blast when they offer a special gelato in September. Click through to find out more!
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