Taco Bell Is Set To Re-Release Classic Menu Items From Across The Decades

While every fast food chain has a list of items fans hate to see disappear, Taco Bell is particularly famous for discontinuing popular creations. Everything from the 7-Layer Burrito to the Double Decker Taco has been dropped from its menu, and the chain seems to know how much people miss them, having teased fans with the potential of their long-lost favorites coming back for years now. Case in point: The company permanently brought back the Mexican Pizza in 2022, only two years after dropping it, and has even let fans vote to bring back their favorite items for limited-time runs. So far these resurrections have been brief and usually come one item at a time, but now Taco Bell is cooking up something a little bigger, as it plans to re-release a whole menu of classic items from past decades, starting in a few test locations.

Five items will be returning, according to a press release shared with Tasting Table, allowing fans to re-experience the Tostada, Green Burrito, Meximelt, Beef Gordita Supreme, and Caramel Apple Empanada. The promotion starts on August 15, and will only be available at three California stores. The first is in Fullerton on Orangethorpe Avenue until August 19. Two stores will offer the menu until August 21, one on Imperial Highway in Brea, and the second on Barranca Parkway in Irvine. Items will only be available while supplies last, however, Taco Bell has teased that a nationwide release will follow later this year.

The Taco Bell promotion is organized by decade, with the five returning items representing the 1960s through the 2000s. The '60s item is the Tostada, which was one of the original menu items at the first location in 1962; it features refried beans, red sauce, lettuce, and cheese, and will sell for $2.19. Repping the '70s is the Green Burrito for $2.49, with a bean and cheese filling, onions, and a green salsa made from green chili, tomatillos, and jalapeños.

The biggest name may be the Meximelt, which launched in the '80s and was only discontinued in 2019. It consists of a folded flour tortilla with ground beef, pico de gallo, and a melty three-cheese mix of mozzarella, cheddar, and Monterey jack for $2.99. The '90s comeback is the Beef Gordita Supreme, also $2.99, which uses that same three-cheese blend, lettuce, diced tomatoes, and reduced-fat sour cream on top of seasoned beef in a flatbread. Those who are craving something sweet won't be left out; the aughts will be highlighted by the Caramel Apple Empanada with a crispy exterior and a warm filling of apples with caramel flavor for $2.99.

While you might be thrilled for these returns, like previous Taco Bell comebacks, these items will only be back for a limited time while supplies last. Keep an eye on your local stores, because when this promotion goes wide, it's probably going to go fast too.