The Taco Bell Fanatic's Hack For Ordering The Discontinued 'Double Decker'
In 2019, Taco Bell overhauled its menu, marking a dark day for many fans of the fast food brand. The company announced they were discontinuing several fan-favorite items. Taco Bell removed eight items from its menu, including the Chicken Loaded Griller, Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos, the Double Tostada, and the Double Decker Taco. The brand framed these changes as a way of "making ordering easier" for customers. "As you can see, we gave our menu a brand new look-and-feel to help make ordering easier. It's kind of like our version of decluttering a closet," they wrote in a blog post. Understandably, many fans were upset to see the items disappear, especially the beloved Double Decker Taco.
The Double Decker was first introduced by Taco Bell in 1995 as a specialty item, but a decade later, in 2006, it was added to the menu full-time — until it was unceremoniously discontinued 13 years later. There was hope for taco cravers in 2022, as Taco Bell gave fans a chance to vote to bring back either the Double Decker Taco or the Enchirito. When the votes were tallied, 62% opted for the Enchirito to come back for a limited run, per USA Today.
There are multiple hacks to employ when visiting a Taco Bell. Although the Enchirito returned briefly, you can recreate one by asking "for an enchilada stuffed with beans, beef, and cheese," per Spoon University. Plus, there is an easy hack to experience a Double Decker Taco once more.
The Double Decker Taco hack may be superior to the original
Fortunately for those still looking to nab a Double Decker Taco, there are multiple workarounds to make it possible, although they involve ordering two items. One Twitter user suggests ordering a regular Bean Burrito but request "no sauce or onions." With that, also order a Crunchy Taco. Then, unroll the burrito and wrap it around the Crunchy Taco to recreate that Double Decker goodness. A Bean Burrito costs $1.69, and so does a Crunchy Taco, so this hack will run you $3.38.
Another way to grab yourself a Double Decker Taco is to use substitutions. As one Redditor explains, "Just order a soft taco with beans instead of beef, no cheese, and no lettuce." As with the other hack, you will need to order a separate Crunchy Taco and wrap the bean-filled tortilla around the taco yourself. A Soft Taco costs $1.69, so this hack also comes out to $3.38. That inventive fast foodie also points out why these hacks may be superior to the original Double Decker Taco. "The bonus is the crunchy taco doesn't get soggy from the beans on your drive home," they write.
Creating your own Double Decker Taco also allows you to get creative with the order. One Twitter user recommends replacing the taco with a Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco to add an extra kick. There are also ways to experiment with creating this discontinued item at home.
Bringing your homemade tacos to the next level
Recently, Taco Bell held a poll, asking fans to vote to bring back either the Beefy Crunch Burrito or the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco. On April 13, the chain revealed that the Beefy Crunch Burrito won and would be available for a short time. This brought the ire of one Double Decker Taco enthusiast who pointed out that Taco Bell could still create the tortilla-wrapped taco. "Off brand crunchy strips? Sorry I'm just bitter about the double decker taco erasure ... ingredients they DEFINITELY have," they tweeted in response to the brand's announcement.
Luckily, you can get a Double Decker Taco fix without even visiting Taco Bell. On your next taco night at home, simply buy hard shells, flour tortillas, and a can of refried beans. Warm up the beans and spread them on the tortilla, then wrap them around your homemade taco to emulate that Double Decker Taco taste. You could also get creative and swap out refried beans for guacamole or queso to bring your double-decker taco to the next level.