Food & Beverage

Taco Bell launches 2016 Decades Menu with fan-favorite items

Photo: Taco Bell

August 18, 2026

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Taco Bell is taking customers back to 2016 with the return of four fan-favorite menu items and several retro brand collaborations, according to a press release.

Beginning Aug. 20, the chain will bring back the Naked Chicken Chalupa, Meximelt, Beefy Crunch Burrito and Caramel Apple Empanada for a limited time as part of the third chapter of its Decades Menu. Taco Bell Rewards members can access the Beefy Crunch Burrito early through the restaurant's app starting Tuesday.

"For decades, Taco Bell has been woven into the lives of our fans, and there's something special about revisiting the moments and experiences that made 2016 distinctly memorable," Luis Restrepo, chief marketing officer for Taco Bell North America, said in the release. "Whether you remember 2016 or another era of Taco Bell, the Decades Menu is about reconnecting with the flavor and feelings that fans loved the first time around, while giving a new generation the chance to discover it for themselves."

The returning items include:

Naked Chicken Chalupa ($5.99): Features a crispy shell made from marinated all-white-meat chicken, filled with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and avocado ranch sauce.
Beefy Crunch Burrito ($2.79): Includes seasoned beef, Flamin' Hot Fritos, seasoned rice, reduced-fat sour cream and nacho cheese sauce.
Meximelt ($2.99): Seasoned beef, pico de gallo and a three-cheese blend wrapped in a soft flour tortilla.
Caramel Apple Empanada ($2.99): A crispy pastry filled with warm apple pieces and caramel.

Beyond the menu, Taco Bell is partnering with brands that capture the mid-2010s culture, including the streetwear brand Anti Social Social Club, the screen-free digital camera brand Camp Snap, and Divine, a new six-second looping video app inspired by Vine.

Starting Tuesday, fans can download Divine and use the code TACO-BELL to access the platform before its public launch on Aug. 20.

"This is much more than a collaboration about nostalgia. It sets the standard for how we want brands to show up in Divine — in ways that are joyful, creative and a natural extension of the community, not an interruption to it," Alice Chan, chief marketing officer for Divine, said in the release. "Taco Bell shares that spirit, making it a natural partner, and we can't wait to welcome its passionate fan community into Divine."

The campaign also includes an in-app scavenger hunt starting Aug. 25 and limited-edition merchandise drops for rewards members featuring Camp Snap and Anti Social Social Club items.