Taco Bell’s Decades Y2K Menu Brings Back 5 Fan-Favorites

Everywhere you look, we’re reminded of the early 2000s: Low-slung jeans are definitely back, Lady Gaga is back on tour, and a Freaky Friday spinoff is leading at the box office. Even Taco Bell got the memo — early-2000s nostalgia is in full swing. 

The Southern California-based chain is bringing back its most popular Y2K bites with a new limited-run Decades menu, the company confirms on Thursday. Launching nationwide on September 9, this five-item menu officially restores the most beloved discontinued items from the mid-1990s onward.

Prefer a classic Crunchwrap? The $9 Discovery Luxe Box, a throwback-themed value meal offering a Crunchwrap with two tacos plus chips and a drink, is your best bet. This year marks the 20th anniversary of this signature bite — an occasion certainly worth celebrating. We’ll take it a step further: With the newest Y2K menu, Taco Bell argues that the entire decade is deserving of recognition.

“These items represent some of the most-requested and beloved menu items from the nineties and early 2000s. Fan demand and continued online buzz helped determine the final five, and we’re excited to see how fans respond to these epic comebacks,” a Taco Bell spokesperson tells Food & Wine. “The success of the first Decades Menu made it clear just how deeply connected fans are to Taco Bell’s past innovations. For fans who lived through the early 2000s, it’s a chance to revisit the memories and flavors they grew up with. And for younger generations, it’s an opportunity to tap into the iconic aesthetic and energy they’ve come to love.”

Unfortunately, the menu prices don’t exactly match those of the early aughts — but adjusting for inflation, this under-$3 menu comes pretty close. Let’s dig right in.

1990: Chili Cheese Burrito ($2.99)

The world first got to know this hearty meal through a kitschy jingle and Wild West-style commercials. Taco Bell eventually quietly changed its apparently controversial name but still considers it one of the “most passionately pursued menu items,” with a loyal following (literally). When it was first introduced in 1990, Taco Bell advertised it for just 89 cents — roughly $2.25 today. 

1993: 7-Layer Burrito ($2.99)

This stacked burrito — filled with refried beans, rice, sour cream, guac, lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded cheese — was a mainstay for Taco Bell’s early vegetarian customers. It officially rolled out in 1993, later disappearing from menus in 2020. It established the “gold standard” for customized orders, according to Taco Bell HQ. 

1995: Double Decker Taco ($2.49)

Why choose? Taco Bell officially married its soft and hard-shell tacos in 1995, serving up a limited-run Double Decker Taco with a satisfyingly complex exterior. (In the late 1990s, Taco Bell even tapped then-Orlando Magic center Shaquille O’Neal in a series of commercials.) Most remember its longer run in 2006, which solidified its status as a true Y2K-era icon. 

2012: Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos ($2.49)

When the Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco debuted in 2012, it completely revolutionized the drive-thru game. (Taco Bell has since introduced spin-offs, including the Fiery Doritos Locos Taco.) The Cool Ranch version vanished in 2019, and four years later, fans voted on whether to bring it back for another run. 

2000s: Caramel Apple Empanada ($2.99)

Finish with a delicious dessert. This Caramel Apple Empanada — which made a brief return last year — is a warm, sugary-sweet spin on a classic. Diners first got a taste of it in the early 2000s, and all those gooey nostalgic memories are flooding back to foodies.