Taco Bell Is Bringing Back the Volcano Menu - Food & Wine

Several years ago, a capsaicin-loving Taco Bell customer named Ashley posted a Change.org petition begging for the return of some of the chain's hottest items.

"Once upon a glorious time, we had the Volcano Menu at Taco Bell. Delicious Volcano tacos, burritos, nachos, the $5 Volcano box, all served with a perfect lava sauce," she wrote. "I'm making this petition to show Taco Bell how many of us are dying to have the Volcano Menu back in our lives." 

More than 1,800 people signed in agreement, and we venture to guess all of them are absolutely buzzing to hear that the Volcano Menu is returning to Taco Bell later this year.

Last week, the California-based chain announced that the Volcano Burrito, Volcano Taco, and the hot-and-creamy Lava Sauce will be available beginning Thursday, June 29. (Taco Bell Rewards members can get their hands on that spicy trio on Tuesday, June 27.) 

According to the always informative Taco Bell Wiki, the Volcano Burrito originally debuted in 1995 as a promotional tie-in with the film Congo. (If you missed it, it was vaguely like Jurassic Park but with gorillas.) The Volcano Taco followed in 2008, and although it wasn't spicy, it was served in a bright red taco shell. The Volcano Menu was discontinued in 2012. 

"The menu, famous for its fiery flavors, has developed a cult-like following who have relentlessly championed its return," the company said in a statement. "From petitions to recreating their own DIY alternatives from home, Taco Bell fans took to social advocating for the return. Taco Bell heard and is making this summer hotter than ever." 

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Taco Bell has a couple more upcoming menu shakeups. It recently resurrected the Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito and also brought back the Bacon Club Chalupa for a limited time. The former is filled with two servings of grilled steak, rice, chipotle sauce, sour cream, fiesta strips, and a three-cheese blend. The latter involves filling a standard chalupa shell with grilled chicken, bacon, lettuce and tomato, avocado ranch sauce, and a three-cheese blend. It also expanded its Freeze offerings, adding the Raspberry Breeze and Wild Cherry Breeze flavors. 

The chain is also testing a Cheesy Chicken Crispanada in Knoxville, Tennessee. This empanada-adjacent item is a fried pastry filled with shredded chicken and cheese, and it's served with a side of spicy ranch sauce. 

Taco Bell isn't the only chain digging around in its "discontinued" files. Earlier this month, KFC announced the return of its iconic Double Down — the sandwich that uses two Extra Crispy filets instead of a bun. "After nearly a decade of people begging for its return, we're embracing the chaos, bringing back our most iconic sandwich ever for just four weeks," Nick Chavez, the chief marketing officer for KFC U.S., said in a statement. 

We know everyone is glad to have some of these combos back, but that means it's just going to sting even more when they're ultimately shelved again.

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