There are plenty of items that have disappeared from Taco Bell's menu throughout the years.
Some return while others are gone forever. Curious to see how your
favorite past Taco Bell menu item measures up?
As much as you might love Taco Bell, there's no denying their Seafood Salad was probably their
worst menu item ever. It was introduced in the '80s, reportedly to help the establishment compete
with McDonald's Filet-o-Fish, but it just didn't cut it. The salad doesn't sound too bad when
looking at the ingredients: an edible taco shell bowl filled with lettuce and other vegetables,
all topped with white fish, snow crab, and shrimp. But when you think about getting
seafood from Taco Bell? Yeah, that just doesn't sound appealing at all.
Obviously, the Seafood Salad didn't stay on the Taco Bell menu for too long, but it's
still interesting to watch old ads and see how hard the chain was pushing the new menu item.
In a clear reference to McDonald's fish sandwich, one commercial boasted,
"A refreshing change from anything on a bun."
But clearly, consumers were smart enough to avoid this item,
so it was soon discontinued. And let's just say,
no one is running to their nearest Taco Bell to demand they bring back their Seafood Salad.
These days, one of Taco Bell's most popular items is without a doubt the Crunchwrap Supreme.
It features ground beef, nacho cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and a
crispy tostada shell all wrapped up in a flour tortilla and grilled to perfection. But in 2006,
Taco Bell decided to change things up and offer a new version of the Crunchwrap Supreme:
the Spicy Chicken Crunchwrap Supreme. Unfortunately, it was a total miss.
It might seem smart to offer a chicken alternative to the standard Crunchwrap Supreme, but this menu
item just wasn't as good as the original. After all, there's a reason why most Taco Bell offerings
are made with ground beef: It's just more flavorful. So, once the Spicy Chicken Crunchwrap
Supreme was discontinued, it wasn't missed at all. As they say, why fix what isn't broken?
In 2013, Taco Bell added a new menu item called the Grilled Stuft Nacho. Well, sort of new. Anyone
who tried it probably recognized that it was very similar to the Crunchwrap Supreme. The Grilled
Stuft Nacho featured ground beef, nacho cheese, sauce, sour cream, and crispy tortilla chips all
wrapped in a flour tortilla folded into a triangle and then grilled. Again, it was basically just a
smaller version of the Crunchwrap Supreme. And overall, the Grilled Stuft Nacho wasn't as good,
since it lacked a lot of the crunchy texture that makes the Crunchwrap so special.
The item was discontinued, though it returned for a limited time in
2015 before it was once again stricken from the menu. And while there's no such
thing as too many Crunchwrap Supremes, the Grilled Stuft Nacho was just unnecessary.
Sure, the Black Jack Taco was good, but it wasn't great — and it was kind of overrated.
This taco was originally introduced in 2008 as a special edition Halloween item
before making a limited-time return in 2009.
One of the commercials for the Black Jack Taco was pretty entertaining, as the chain tried to
equate it with high-end fashion and luxury living. Apparently, in the 2009 advertisement, Taco Bell
wanted people to think the Black Jack Taco was chic, but really, it was just ... a taco. Sure, it
featured a special sauce that's not on a regular crunchy taco from the fast-food chain, but that's
about all that made it special. The black crunchy shell didn't actually add new flavor to the mix,
which is probably why it was discontinued. And no one has really missed it since.
One of Taco Bell's biggest fan-favorite discontinued menu items would definitely be the
Enchirito. It was introduced in the '70s and was basically the chain's version of an enchilada. The
original Enchirito featured a corn tortilla filled with ground beef, beans, and onions, then topped
with a red chili sauce, olives, and cheese. Many fans of Mexican fast food would be happy to get an
enchilada at a drive-through instead of a sit-down restaurant. Regardless, the item was removed in
1993. It did come back with a few tweaks, though it was permanently taken off the menu in 2013.
For anyone who was able to get an Enchirito at Taco Bell before it was discontinued,
it might have just been their most beloved menu item. Perhaps the changes were what
led to its inevitable downfall. Still, you might be able to order an Enchirito
if you know what to ask for because all the ingredients are still there.
In 2008, Taco Bell debuted a few "volcano"-themed items.
One of the most popular and delicious offerings was the Volcano Taco, which
was basically just an extra spicy crunchy taco. One Taco Bell commercial claimed,
"With spicy lava sauce, it could be the spiciest taco ever!"
And honestly, it was spicier than your typical Taco Bell taco.
It featured a spicy red shell, seasoned ground beef, lettuce,
and cheese. But the spicy lava sauce was key to making the Volcano Taco such a hit. Even today,
there are certain ordering hacks that can help you recreate something close to the Volcano Taco,
though it's definitely not the same. For spice lovers, the Taco Bell Volcano Taco
was a pretty great option and has definitely been missed since it was discontinued. While
it might not be the most popular item that's no longer on the menu, it's pretty darn beloved.
Any time Taco Bell has tried to venture outside of their typical Mexican-inspired offerings,
it hasn't really done too well. But in 2003, the company launched some new
items that were a shift from their regular fare. One of those items was interesting,
even if it wasn't the best. The Chicken Caesar Grilled Stuft Burrito was basically
just a chicken caesar wrap with a slight Taco Bell twist. Namely, crispy red tortilla strips.
First of all, at $2.99, the burrito was pretty expensive for 2003 Taco Bell food.
As the company's Chief Marketing Officer Greg Creed explained to the Los Angeles Times,
Taco Bell was, quote, "repositioning the brand," and the Chicken Caesar Grilled
Stuft Burrito was just one way they went about doing so. While the burrito was good,
it wasn't that different from any other Caesar wrap, which is probably why it's gone.
Taco Bell might be known for tacos, burritos,
and nachos, but they also have some treats to satisfy your sweet tooth. Unfortunately,
one of those items was discontinued in 2019 to the disappointment of fans everywhere.
The Caramel Apple Empanada was a delicious dessert that was basically caramel apple pie
filling inside a deep-fried crispy shell. Yeah, if it sounds delicious that's because it was.
When Brand Eating reached out to Taco Bell about the Caramel Apple Empanada,
the restaurant didn't seem eager to bring it back. According to a spokesperson,
"Those were a big hit but exited menus earlier this year,
while the Cinnamon Twists and Cinnabon Delights [...] remain!"
It's pretty disappointing that Taco Bell took away one of their most delicious sweet treats,
especially because the current dessert menu only has two items. Honestly, part of what made
a late-night Taco Bell run so amazing was the Caramel Apple Empanada. It's definitely missed.
As far as things on the Taco Bell menu go, the Cheesarito is probably the simplest
creation out there. It's quite literally just a flour tortilla with melted cheese,
their Mexican pizza sauce, and scallions all rolled up. It's small,
especially compared to other Taco Bell offerings, but people loved it. Honestly,
when you wanted a middle-of-the-night snack from Taco Bell, the Cheesarito was a perfect choice.
The Cheesarito is so cherished that customers have come up with hacks to
continue ordering it. And while the chain no longer carries the Mexican pizza sauce,
it works well with hot sauce, too. So, if you missed the Cheesarito and are craving a
cheesy snack the next time you head to Taco Bell, try ordering it from the secret menu.
In the '90s, Taco Bell introduced the "Sizzlin' Bacon Menu," which featured
three new items to go along with the theme.
There was a Bacon Cheeseburger Burrito, Chicken Club Burrito, and a BLT Taco.
While all of them sound intriguing, it was the BLT Taco that really reigned supreme. Like the
name would imply, it was a soft taco with bacon, lettuce, and tomato, topped with cheese and a
special club sauce. Basically, it was a BLT wrap with a little special Taco Bell flair, and it was
absolutely delicious. Even though it had bacon it didn't seem too heavy, making it a great lunch
option from Taco Bell. Sadly, it was discontinued in the two-thousands and never seen again.
The Bell Beefer just might be Taco Bell's most popular discontinued item. Imagine a sloppy joe,
but with Mexican spices. Or, you could also look at the Bell Beefer
as a regular ground beef taco, but on a hamburger bun. It featured ground beef,
lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sauce all in between two hamburger buns.
The sandwich was first introduced in 1975 and was super popular for a while.
The Bell Beefer left the menu in the '90s before making a sort of comeback in 2010.
Sadly, it was permanently discontinued in 2012. It makes sense that Taco Bell would
get rid of the Bell Beefer, considering it was essentially a taco on a bun,
and one of their later slogans was to "Think Outside the Bun." But,
fans of the Bell Beefer were still upset. After all, a taco on a bun sounds pretty delicious.
Fortunately, there are plenty of recipes out there to recreate the iconic sandwich.
The Bell Beefer might be gone from Taco Bell's menu, but it will probably never be forgotten.
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