Taco Bell's Hottest Menu Items Are Coming Back

Generally, I'm one to avoid fast food items with words like "lava" and "volcano" in the name, but judging by the many devoted fans who have long since demanded the return of Taco Bell's spiciest menu items, I'm very much alone in this. And that long-running collective internet buzz has seemingly worked its magic yet again: Taco Bell has just announced the return of its beloved Volcano Menu, which will debut nationwide this June. "The rumblings were true," the press release notes.

For the uninitiated, Taco Bell's Volcano Menu was first released in 1995 and has made sporadic appearances ever since; a Taco Bell representative confirmed to The Takeout that its most recent revival was in 2016. The items on the Volcano Menu are a little different every time, but the theme remains the same: Taco Bell classics made extra hot and spicy.

This newest iteration of the Volcano lineup will be available to Taco Bell rewards members beginning June 27 and then to all customers nationwide starting June 29. Taco Bell has confirmed to The Takeout that the summer menu will include: 

• A Volcano Burrito ($3.99)
• A Volcano Taco ($2.49)
• The Volcano Combo ($7.49)
• The option to add Lava Sauce to anything ($1 extra)

The popularity of these spicy items has remained constant over the years, even inspiring more than 1,800 people to sign a petition to bring the menu back. In its press release, Taco Bell even makes a point to thank the Volcano Menu's "cult-like following who have relentlessly championed its return."

Since the announcement of the Volcano Menu's 2023 return, "volcano burrito" is now a trending search term on the Taco Bell fandom wiki. Taco Bell has not revealed the specific ingredients in the newest version of the Volcano Burrito, but the fandom page notes that a double beef version is currently available in the UK, describing it as "packed with meat, rice, crunchy red strips, and Lava Sauce."

As for the Volcano Taco, it was allegedly first released in the fall of 2008. That taco featured a distinctive red crunchy taco shell (much like the Flamin' Hot Doritos Locos Taco) with ground beef, lettuce, Lava Sauce, and a spicy nacho cheese sauce that was unavailable prior to the introduction of the taco. Taco Bell would not reveal what exactly its Lava Sauce is, but we can assume it'll take a similar form to its past iterations.

Since the Volcano Menu is still a ways away, Taco Bell is keeping a fairly tight lid on the volcanic action for now. A representative confirmed to The Takeout that more information can be expected leading up to the return of the menu in June.