• by Todd Wasserman , March 17, 2023

Taco Bell is planning the return of the Volcano Menu this summer.

The Volcano Menu was established in 1995, but hasn’t been available since 2013. Taco Bell will bring back the menu on June 29, but Taco Bell Rewards members will get exclusive access to it on June 27, two days before.

In a press release, Taco Bell acknowledged that the Volcano Menu “developed a cult-like following who have relentlessly championed its return.”

The Volcano Menu consists of the Volcano Taco, the Volcano Burrito, and the option to add Lava Sauce on any item. The Volcano Taco is a crunchy red shell stuffed with lettuce, ground beef, Lava Sauce and a spicy nacho cheese sauce. In ads at the time, Taco Bell promoted the Volcano Taco as possibly “the spiciest taco ever.”

The return of the Volcano Menu had been the subject of a Change.org petition asking Taco Bell to bring it back.

Among the reasons for the movement was a craving for the Lava Sauce. “They literally only have to bring back the sauce,” said one commenter on Reddit.

A copycat recipe site concludes that the sauce is made with mayonnaise, sugar and paprika, among other ingredients.

The relaunch comes as Taco Bell is doing well. In February, the Yum Brands unit reported that it saw solid demand as high-income consumers traded down to Taco Bell. Among Taco Bell’s recent hits is Mexican Pizza. Taco Bell sold 45 million Mexican Pizzas in 2022, the chain said.