No fast food franchise evokes emotions quite like Taco Bell. It’s part teenage/twentysomething nostalgia for late-night bad decisions, sure. But it’s also because Taco Bell knows its place, trading on its reputation as late-night drunk and stoner food with a beautiful, self-effecting wit. And rather than trying to get people to take it seriously, Taco Bell leans hard into innovating the kinds of things people who are hungry at 2am might crave.
Its endless mission to blend convenience store snacks and Mexican food has resulted in countless mind-blowing, viral sensations. With each new menu addition comes a legion of devoted fans, who are equally as crushed when that item is discontinued in favor of some newer, crazier idea. So, as a tribute to the menu items of yesteryear, and to remind you of the good times you had with them, here’s a look at all of Taco Bell’s discontinued menu items. Plus, some suggestions for what you should indulge in instead.
Bell Beefer
Once upon a time, even taco spots felt like they needed to have a burger on the menu. Taco Bell’s version was around from the ‘60s to the ‘90s, with taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese on a bun.
Why we loved it: If you weren’t feeling tacos, it was a great option for a hamburger-obsessed kid.
Discontinued: Mid-1990s, with a brief limited-time resurgence in the 2010s.
What to order instead: Crunchwrap Supreme gets the handheld/beefy part of this long-gone favorite.
Chicken Club Burrito
Today, Taco Bell pushes the boundaries of late-night food by combining previously unimaginable flavors in one delicious taco. But in the ‘90s, it stretched its limits by trying takes on more-traditional foods, like this stab they took at the club sandwich. It didn’t last long, barely outliving its mid-90s limited-time status.
Why we loved it: Taco Bell did the classic club decent, with all the delicious chicken, bacon, and veggies we love.
Discontinued: Mid-1990s
What to order instead: Stuffed with fried chicken strips and fresh greens and tomatoes, the Avocado Ranch Crispy Chicken Burrito is a good option. Be warned: it's only available for a limited time.
Seafood Salad
Yeah, we’re as confused by this one as you probably are, because shellfish at Taco Bell just sounds like a recipe for a regrettable next morning. It was supposed to be the Bell’s answer to the Filet-o-Fish, but the combination of shrimp, whitefish, snow crab, and various veggies in a fried taco shell just never took off. It also made Taco Bells smell even weirder.
Why we loved it: Frankly, we didn’t. And neither did most people as the seafood salad never made it out of 1986
Discontinued: 1986
What to order instead: A cheese roll-up. You have no business ordering a protein at Taco Bell if you think fish is a good idea.
Texas Taco Sandwich
Cashing in on his City Slickers resurgence as a badass cowboy, the late Jack Palace rode into town on a horse to introduce Taco Bell’s short-lived Texas Taco Sandwich. The ad was great, but the sandwich—taco meat or chicken, southwest sauce, lettuce, tomato, and cheese—never really caught on.
Why we loved it: It was essentially the precursor to the gordita, a thicker-shelled, pita-like version of the taco. So while the TTS left us, its legacy lives on.
Discontinued: 1996
What to order instead: The Cheesy Gordita Crunch is better than a Texas sando any day.
Bacon Cheeseburger Burrito
If you believe a fast food brand can foreshadow, then this mid-‘90s smash was a look into the Taco Bell of the future, mixing two beloved late-night fast foods into one genius burrito. It basically took all your favorite parts of a bacon cheeseburger and threw them in a tortilla, a lower-carb innovation before low-carb was a thing.
Why we loved it: It was the sort of thing that made you stare at a drive-thru menu and say, “Wait, Taco Bell has a cheeseburger now? Oh we gotta try that.” And they totally pulled it off.
Discontinued: Mid-‘90s.
What to order instead: The pork-less Beefy 5-Layer Burrito still hits the spot when you want something meaty and cheesy.
Enchirito
If you’re a lifelong Taco Bell aficionado, you no doubt remember the Enchirito, which took the Bell’s standard burrito, cooked it enchilada style, then covered it in red sauce and cheddar. Its initial menu removal in 1993 led to massive customer upheaval, as much as Taco Bell clientele can upheave, and it made a comeback six years later.
Why we loved it: It was like a heartier take on the enchilada, an early Taco Bell effort at giving guests the best of both worlds.
Discontinued: 1993. Returned 1999-2013. Brief comeback in 2023-2024.
What to order instead: The Chicken Enchilada Burrito is the newers, handheld version, keeping everything contained.
Meximelt
Meximelt was a bona fide drive-thru stalwart, the kind of after-hours satisfier whose mere mention launched thousands of impromptu runs for the border. In essence, it was a soft taco filled with pico de gallo, heated to melt the cheese, similar to a quesadilla. Taco Bell even trademarked the name in 1988, lest anyone try to copy its genius.
Why we loved it: It was spicy, Mexican comfort food at its best, the warm, gooey cheese reminding us of mom’s makeshift quesadillas of childhood.
Discontinued: 2019, though it made a comeback during the 2024 Decades Menu campaign.
What to order instead: We'll take a Mexican Pizza over a Meximelt any day.
Spicy Tostada
Though it was never on the top of anyone’s Taco Bell order, this OG menu item held strong from Taco Bell’s founding in 1962. Its beauty was in its simplicity—red sauce, refried beans, lettuce, and cheese atop a crispy taco shell—never blowing your mind but never disappointing either.
Why we loved it: It was a fun change of pace when you were tired of getting straight tacos, but didn’t want to venture into bigger stuff like burritos and Meximelts.
Discontinued: 2020. Returned on 2024’s Decades Menu.
What to order instead: The Spicy Potato Soft Taco satisfies the craving for innovation with a spicy kick.
Grilled Stuft Nacho
As handhelds go, it was hard to beat the Grilled Stuft Nacho. The easy-to-grasp right triangle was packed with beef, cheese sauce, red sauce, and tortilla strips, pressed together so it rarely fell apart. It was part of the same family that gave us the Grilled Stuft Burrito, an equally lamented menu loss.
Why we loved it: It was crunch, cream, and the soft give of a flour tortilla all in one perfect bite, and was the rare Taco Bell item you could eat while driving. Not that we ever tried, that would be dangerous.
Discontinued: 2014. Returned briefly in 2015.
What to order instead: Nachos BellGrande forever—period.
7-Layer Burrito
Much like Blockbuster and BlackBerry, the 7-Layer Burrito serves as a reminder that nothing is too big to fail. Or, at least be discontinued because of poor profit margins. This novel burrito was released to great fanfare in 1993, touting its variety of ingredients: Beans (black or refried), rice, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, and guac. It was an immediate smash among vegetarians, offering one of the first fast-food items they could enjoy as a meal.
Why we loved it: The 7-Layer was a straight-up deal, costing less than a buck when it was introduced. It was the poster child for broke kids trying to stretch their money, and is remembered with the same kind of nostalgia reserved for sleeping on a twin mattress.
Discontinued: 2020
What to order instead: Who needs 7 layers when the 5-Layer Burrito is just as satisfying?
Loaded Grillers
Promoted as “roll ups,” the Loaded Grillers were more like mini grilled burritos, packed with hearty fillings like beef and potato, nacho beef, and buffalo chicken. They passed for a light snack if you were dining at Taco Bell and didn’t want to gorge yourself, and at a dollar a piece they were also a bargain.
Why we loved them: They satisfied that “I need Taco Bell and I can’t explain why” craving without weighing you down.
Discontinued: 2020
What to order instead: The Cheesy Roll Ups do the trick and are just as snackable.
Cinnamon Crispas
We’re all familiar with Taco Bell’s beloved Cinnamon Twists, an airier churro that’s become Taco Bell’s de facto dessert. But did you know it was preceded by the Cinnamon Crispas? Yep. The original was more like a flour tortilla chip deep fried and covered in cinnamon and sugar, and when the Twists replaced them, many loyalists were not so pleased.
Why we loved them: Not gonna lie, these predated pretty much everyone we know in terms of Taco Bell eating. But from what we’ve read, they were richer and sweeter than the current cinnamon offerings, the cane sugar soda of the fast food dessert world.
Discontinued: 1988
What to order instead: Cinnamon Twists, a tried and true classic.
Fiesta Taco Salad
Not that anyone would describe the bulk of Taco Bell’s menu as “healthy,” but this standby taco salad at least made you think you were eating well. Then you realized it came served in a deep-fried taco shell, and was filled with beef, refried beans, cheese, sour cream, and a couple of vegetables. But it was still technically a salad, and who goes to Taco Bell to argue semantics?
Why we loved it: It really did feel like a healthy move when you ordered one, and you could look down your nose at all your gluttonous friends feeding on burritos. Until someone pulled up the nutrition facts.
Discontinued: 2017
What to order instead: Order your bean burrito "Fresco Style" for a pseudo-healthy substitute.
Green Burrito
Taco Bell’s foray into tomatillo salsa was mostly confined to the 1970s. The Green Burrito was a basic bean burrito, but rather than the usual red sauce, it offered salsa verde. Much like avocado-colored appliances, it didn’t survive the decade.
Why we loved it: When it reappeared on the 2024 Decades Menu, it was an intriguing novelty compared to Taco Bell’s wealth of red sauces.
Discontinued: 1970s, returned on 2024 Decades Menu.
What to order instead: Green sauce lovers, you're kind of on your own here.
Gordita Supreme
The abundance of the 1990s was perfectly symbolized in this massive flatbread taco, a bigger, doughier take on the Taco Supreme. That meant beef, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and lettuce, but more of it.
Why we loved it: Like all the Gorditas, it was great because it filled you up with the big, bready “tortillas,” so you only had to order, like, two to feel full.
Discontinued: 2019. Returned on the 2024 Decades Menu.
What to order instead: This one stings, luckily, the Cheesy Gordita Crunch still exists and you can always add your own sour cream at home.
Volcano Taco (and Volcano Menu)
Around 2008, Taco Bell decided to get into the “How Spicy can you handle it?” game with an entire menu meant to evoke villagers running from a lava-spewing mountain. The tacos were red, the “hot” sauce was a creamy orange cheese sauce that muted the spice, and while the name was cool it never really delivered on its promises of extreme heat.
Why we loved it: For a brief moment, it kept us from having to stockpile Fire sauce in the car.
Discontinued: 2012-13, returned briefly in 2023.
What to order instead: Extra spicy sauce, you masochist.
Black Jack Taco
A short-lived Halloween promotion in 2009, the Black Jack taco was a regular taco with a black shell, doused with a little pepper jack cheese sauce.
Why we loved it: The Black Jack was actually fairly polarizing, some saying it was an unnecessary promotion, others welcoming the novelty. For our part, the pepper jack cheese was a highly underrated addition.
Discontinued: 2009.
What to order instead: Keep an eye out for limited-time items that fit the bill.
Double Decker Taco
When it was first released in 1995, the Double Decker Taco was billed as the menu item for the indecisive. Those who couldn’t pick between soft and hard shells could opt for this beauty, where the hard shell was stuck to a soft tortilla via a refried bean adhesive.
Why we loved it: The Double Decker was a true two-for-one, giving you a bean taco and a regular hard taco in one paper-wrapped slice of heaven.
Discontinued: 2019. Limited time comeback in 2023.
What to order instead: The Double Stacked Taco is an obvious, solid choice.
Grilled Steak Soft Taco
If you were pulling up to the Taco Bell Drive Thru and feeling a little fancy, you didn’t ask for Grey Poupon. Instead, you ordered grilled steak instead of the usual ground beef, and its most glorious presentation was the steak soft taco. It came topped with a creamy lime sauce, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese, and it somehow felt too good to be served in a fast-food window.
Why we loved it: The steak was actually decent. Not steakhouse quality, but it tasted like grilled beef and was arguably the best meat Taco Bell’s ever served.
Discontinued: 2020
What to order instead: Steak is a tough one to come by at Taco Bell, but the ground beef taco is always an option.
Beefy Crunch Burrito
Putting Fritos inside a burrito dates all the way to the early 2010s and this adaptation of the classic beef burrito. It was one of Taco Bell’s top sellers for over a year until one day it just vanished, leaving late-night diners both sad and confused.
Why we loved it: The idea of stuffing Flaming Hot Fritos inside a burrito was the kind of thing we were surprised we’d never thought of. Thank god Taco Bell did.
Discontinued: 2011, then returned in 2023.
What to order instead: Try the BBQ Chicken Topped Fries for something just as wacky.
Smothered Burrito
In an attempt to get back the fans it lost when it discontinued the Enchirito, Taco Bell introduced this even-bigger burrito, which also came covered in red sauce and sour cream. Fans weren’t buying it, and the item didn’t last a year.
Why we loved it: This thing was so big and covered in so much sauce, it felt like something you’d get at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant.
Discontinued: 2013
What to order instead: The 3 Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt with a crap-load of sauce, if that's your thing.
Caramel Apple Empanada
Refusing to let the golden arches have a monopoly on the fast-food head-held apple pie game, Taco Bell introduced these deep-fried desserts filled with apples and caramel sauce. They didn’t blend with the rest of the Mexican-inspired menu, but no one who ordered one ever cared.
Why we loved it: It gave those of us with a sweet tooth something other than cinnamon twists and Mountain Dew Blast to finish off the meal.
Discontinued: 2019
What to order instead: The Dulce de Leche Cinnamon Delights are—dare I say it—so much better.
The Boss Wrap
If a Crunchwrap Supreme just wasn’t enough to satisfy your Taco Bell urges, there was The Boss Wrap. It came with double portions of everything, and though it was a limited-time offering on the menu, its time in your stomach felt like an eternity.
Why we loved it: You only needed one, and sometimes it lasted two meals.
Discontinued: 2015
What to order instead: The Crunchwrap Supreme—you don't need all that food.
Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadillas
Some may recall that for the first two decades of this century, Taco Bell offered braised, shredded chicken that was substantially heartier than its grilled counterpart. Its best dish was these mini quesadillas, pressed together with a three-cheese blend and spicy sauce.
Why we loved it: The flavors blended perfectly, as the braised juices from the chicken ran into the cheese and creamy sauce.
Discontinued: 2020
What to order instead: The Cheese Roll Ups for a two-bite cheesy snack.