6 Taco Bell Items That Deserved To Be Cancelled & 6 We Still Miss
As a fast food junkie with an embarrassing weakness for late-night drive-thru runs, I’ve witnessed the Taco Bell menu transform more times than I’ve changed my phone background.
Some discontinued items left me shrugging, while others had me frantically signing online petitions for their return.
The fast food giant has a notorious habit of playing with our hearts (and stomachs) by introducing revolutionary creations only to snatch them away without warning.
1. Waffle Taco: Breakfast Experiment Gone Wrong
The Waffle Taco represents one of Taco Bell’s most misguided breakfast ventures. I remember eagerly ordering one when they first launched their morning menu, only to stare disappointedly at a sad, floppy waffle cradling eggs and sausage that seemed embarrassed to be there.
The concept sounded promising on paper, but the execution fell flatter than the waffle itself. The texture was all wrong – simultaneously soggy and tough – while the filling slid around like it was trying to escape.
By the time I finished eating it, my car’s cupholders were filled with greasy drippings and my morning was ruined. Some food innovations deserve a second chance, but this breakfast monstrosity rightfully earned its trip to fast food heaven.
2. Bell Beefer: The Burger That Never Belonged
Before my time, Taco Bell once committed the cardinal sin of Mexican-inspired fast food: they tried selling a hamburger. The Bell Beefer was essentially taco meat dumped onto a bun with lettuce, tomato and cheese – an identity crisis served with a side of confusion.
My dad still talks about this bizarre menu item from the 70s and 80s with a mixture of nostalgia and bewilderment. According to him, it tasted exactly like you’d expect – a taco without the shell integrity, creating a messy experience that left your hands smelling like cumin for hours.
In a world where actual burger joints existed on nearly every corner, this Frankenstein creation never found its audience. Some experiments deserve to stay in the past, and the Bell Beefer is definitely one of them.
3. Firecracker Burrito: Too Gimmicky To Survive
Remember when Taco Bell thought adding popping candy to a burrito was revolutionary? I certainly do, because I nearly choked on my first bite of the Firecracker Burrito. This strange creation came with a packet of “popping crystals” (basically spicy Pop Rocks) that you were supposed to sprinkle inside before eating.
The sensation was less culinary innovation and more like someone playing a practical joke on your mouth. Between the unexpected crackling and the confusing flavor combination, eating it felt like hosting a tiny fireworks show in my mouth – and not in a good way.
While I appreciate Taco Bell’s commitment to pushing boundaries, sometimes those boundaries exist for a reason. The Firecracker Burrito proved that not every wild idea deserves to make it past the test kitchen.
4. Naked Chicken Chalupa: Style Over Substance
The first time I saw an ad for the Naked Chicken Chalupa, I thought I was hallucinating. A taco shell made entirely of fried chicken? It sounded like something invented during a 3 AM dorm room brainstorming session.
My curiosity got the better of me, and I tried one shortly after launch. The chicken shell was impressively crispy but awkwardly shaped, making it nearly impossible to eat without wearing half of it. The novelty wore off after three bites, leaving me with greasy fingers and the realization that some food boundaries shouldn’t be crossed.
While Taco Bell occasionally brings this item back for limited runs, I’m convinced it’s more for Instagram posts than actual eating enjoyment. Sometimes traditional taco shells just make more sense.
5. Double Decker Taco: Structural Engineering Failure
The Double Decker Taco seemed like a stroke of genius on paper – a crunchy taco wrapped in a soft tortilla with a layer of beans in between. My excitement quickly faded after ordering one during a road trip with friends back in college.
What arrived was a structural disaster waiting to happen. The beans acted less like glue and more like lubricant, causing the hard shell to slide around inside the soft tortilla like a hyperactive child. By my third bite, the entire creation had collapsed, forcing me to eat the remainder with a plastic fork while my friends laughed.
For all its innovative spirit, this taco simply couldn’t deliver on its architectural promises. Some food items are discontinued not because they taste bad, but because they fail at their primary function: being edible without requiring a shower afterward.
6. XXL Chalupa: Excessive Even For Taco Bell
The XXL Chalupa represented Taco Bell at its most excessive – a grotesquely oversized chalupa that seemed designed specifically to test the limits of human jaw capacity. I ordered one during a particularly ambitious lunch break and immediately regretted my life choices.
The sheer size made it impossible to bite without dislocating my jaw like a python. Ingredients spilled everywhere with each attempt, creating a desk disaster that required multiple napkins and a change of shirt. By the time I finished wrestling with it, I felt like I’d completed an Olympic event rather than eaten lunch.
Even in the world of fast food where bigger often equals better, this chalupa crossed the line into impractical territory. Some items deserve cancellation not because they taste bad, but because they fundamentally misunderstand how human mouths work.
7. Mexican Pizza: The Fast Food Icon We Need Back
The day Taco Bell announced the Mexican Pizza’s demise, my group chat exploded with messages of disbelief and heartbreak. This beloved creation – crispy tortillas layered with beans, seasoned beef, tomatoes and melted cheese – was more than just a menu item; it was a cultural touchstone.
I can still remember the distinctive crunch of that first bite, the perfect balance of textures and flavors that somehow improved even further as leftovers the next morning. Nothing else on the menu came close to replicating its unique appeal.
Despite its brief comeback in 2022 after fan outcry (including a musical featuring Dolly Parton!), the Mexican Pizza remains inconsistently available. Its absence leaves a flat, circular hole in both the menu and my fast-food loving heart that no amount of Crunchwraps can fill.
8. Volcano Taco: Spice Level We’ll Never Forget
Late one night during my college finals week, a Volcano Taco saved my sanity. The distinctive red shell housed a legitimately spicy taco that actually delivered on its fiery promises – a rarity in fast food where “spicy” often means “slightly more pepper than usual.”
The Volcano Taco’s lava sauce had actual heat that built gradually with each bite, providing both flavor and the endorphin rush that only genuine spice can deliver. It wasn’t just marketing gimmickry; this taco brought serious heat in a way that respected spice lovers rather than pandering to them.
Years later, I still find myself scanning the menu board hopefully whenever I visit Taco Bell, looking for that red shell to make its triumphant return. In a fast food landscape now overflowing with half-hearted “spicy” options, the Volcano Taco remains the genuine article we desperately need back.
9. Caramel Apple Empanada: Dessert Perfection Lost
My Taco Bell order wasn’t complete without a Caramel Apple Empanada for dessert. This pocket of warm, cinnamon-spiced apple filling wrapped in a crispy pastry shell was the perfect sweet ending to a fast food feast.
Unlike most fast food desserts that taste factory-made and forgettable, these empanadas had character. The contrast between the flaky exterior and the molten apple filling created a dessert experience that punched far above its modest price tag. I’d often order extras to enjoy the next morning with coffee.
When Taco Bell quietly removed it from menus in 2019, they left a dessert void that the cinnamon twists simply cannot fill. The current dessert options lack the satisfying, almost-homemade quality that made these empanadas special. Some discontinued items are merely disappointing, but losing this one felt like a personal betrayal.
10. Grilled Stuft Nacho: Triangle Of Deliciousness
The Grilled Stuft Nacho was the perfect drunk food I never appreciated enough until it vanished. This triangle-shaped wonder combined seasoned beef, nacho cheese, sour cream, and crunchy red strips all wrapped in a grilled tortilla – essentially delivering an entire nacho experience in portable form.
During my post-college years, this became my go-to late night order. The genius was in its construction – the triangular shape meant every bite contained the perfect ratio of ingredients, and the grilled exterior kept everything contained without drips or structural collapse.
What makes its discontinuation particularly painful is that nothing similar has taken its place. The Grilled Stuft Nacho occupied a unique position between a burrito and nachos, hitting a specific craving that now goes eternally unsatisfied. Sometimes I still describe it to newer Taco Bell employees, hoping they might secretly know how to make one.
11. Chili Cheese Burrito: Regional Legend We All Deserve
During a road trip through Ohio, I discovered the mythical Chili Cheese Burrito still existed on select Taco Bell menus. This simple yet perfect creation – just chili and cheese wrapped in a tortilla – sent me into a nostalgic spiral that lasted for days.
Unlike most Taco Bell items that pile on ingredients, the Chili Cheese Burrito (once called the Chilito) embraced minimalism. The smooth, slightly spicy chili paired with melted cheese created a comfort food experience that felt like something your friend’s cool mom would make after school.
The cruelest part is that this item still exists, but only in certain regions, creating a fast food lottery where only the lucky get to enjoy this classic. I’ve literally changed road trip routes to visit locations rumored to still serve it. A menu item that inspires that level of dedication deserves nationwide resurrection.
12. Enchirito: The OG Menu Classic
My grandfather introduced me to the Enchirito when I was just ten years old, calling it “the only thing worth ordering at Taco Bell.” This enchilada-burrito hybrid – a soft tortilla filled with beef, beans and onions, then topped with red sauce and melted cheese – was a menu staple for decades before its heartbreaking removal.
What made the Enchirito special was its presentation and eating experience. Served in an oval dish and requiring a fork, it felt more like restaurant food than typical fast food fare. The sauce-soaked tortilla achieved that perfect consistency between firm and soft that made each bite satisfying.
Though briefly resurrected through a fan vote in 2022, the Enchirito deserves permanent menu status. It represents Taco Bell’s history and proves the chain once cared about creating distinctive offerings rather than just rearranging the same ingredients into different shapes.