Review: Taco Bell's Old-School Y2K Menu Misses Big But Hits Bigger

Every so often, we all want to go back in time. Back to when life seemed simpler. For some of us, that's the '40s and '50s. For others, it's the '70s or '80s. But for Taco Bell, it's the '90s and early 2000s. Back when Eminem was blaring out of radio stations everywhere, Sunday night was appointment television thanks to "The Sopranos," and velour track suits were all the rage (also thanks to "The Sopranos").

Since everything old is new again, Taco Bell decided to embrace the nostalgia and is bringing back five of its most popular items with its new Y2K Menu: the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos, the 7-Layer Burrito, the Double Decker Taco, the Chili Cheese Burrito, and, because no menu is complete without dessert, the Caramel Apple Empanada.

While these items won't be available at Taco Bells until September 9, 2025, I was lucky enough to get a preview and taste each one of these five items. It's true that all five were fan favorites back in the day, but only a couple of them really excited me. Read on to find out which ones you should "make a run to the border for" and which ones you should run far, far away from.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

When it comes to Mexican food, I've never been a burrito fan. I just don't like beans and rice mixed with my proteins, lettuce, and tomatoes. But I have always been a fan of the potluck appetizer, the 7-layer dip. So, I was intrigued about this classic Taco Bell item. I wasn't sure you could stuff refried beans, Mexican rice, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, and shredded cheese into a flour tortilla, but somehow, Taco Bell did it. And it really shouldn't have.

See, as a dip, you have the chance to take your favorite tortilla chip and dig deep to get a little bit of each layer stacked on that chip. But when everything is wrapped up in a burrito, it just doesn't work. All I tasted was refried beans and guac. I didn't taste any rice or cheese, and I'm not even sure there was sour cream. Yes, I could see it all in there, but not one of those flavors came through. It was just a bland mess that had a strange consistency. After a couple of bites, all I wanted was some chips and the classic dip. At least then, I'd be able to actually taste each layer.

I love a good taco and the sides that tend to come with it, namely those rich and creamy refried beans and delicious Mexican rice. Imagine how excited I was when I heard that Taco Bell was rereleasing its Double Decker Taco – a ground beef taco that's wrapped in refried beans and a flour tortilla. 

This isn't the first time Taco Bell has released the classic taco. In late 2022, the chain had fans vote between the Enchirito and the Double Decker Taco to see which the restaurant would rerelease. Much to the dismay of many a taco-lover, the Taco Bell Enchirito won, but Taco Bell took note, and the Double Decker made its triumphant return in 2023 and again in 2024. Well, it's back again as part of the Y2K menu for a limited time. 

I liked that you get the side of refried beans without needing a fork or spoon, since the outside of the corn shell is slathered with those creamy beans. While the corn shell was stuffed with savory ground beef, shredded cheese, and lettuce, the refried beans were lacking. I'm sure they would have been great, but the tacos I had were skimpy there. I expected those refried beans to cover every inch of that corn tortilla so you'd get those savory beans with every bite. But they only seemed to cover a third of the taco. So, sometimes I got beans and sometimes I didn't. It wasn't bad, just a bit of a disappointment.

If you're like me, when it comes to Doritos flavors, you just can't get enough of the Cool Ranch. If that royal blue bag is on a grocery store shelf, I'm grabbing it. So, naturally, I was super excited that Taco Bell brought back its Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos. This isn't just a taco, it's a taco whose shell is literally one giant Cool Ranch Dorito. Yes, please!

The filling is Taco Bell's classic taco filling of seasoned ground beef, shredded cheese, and lettuce, while the outside is, like I said, a giant Cool Ranch Dorito. The combination of Taco Bell's seasoned ground beef and Cool Ranch Doritos works well together; the spices of both ingredients mingle to create a flavor that tickles the tongue and brings delight with every bite. It was so good I would have gone back for seconds if it weren't for the sogginess. 

I don't know if the shell is thinner to simulate the chip or if the tacos had been sitting for a while. But unfortunately, the ground beef filling seeped through the shell, making it melt rather than crunch — and if there's one thing I love about Doritos and hard shell tacos, it's that crunch. Maybe if these are made to order at the restaurant, they'll be better, but prepared for the taco to fall apart if they're made ahead of time. 

While the rest of the Y2K menu won't be available until September 9, you can pick up the Caramel Apple Empanada if you're a Taco Bell Rewards member with the Taco Bell app starting September 2. Trust me, you want to grab this little pocket of decadence. 

The deep-fried shell isn't greasy at all, but nice and crispy, with a delightful flakiness that crunches with every bite. While I would eat that crust all by itself, I'm all about apple pie, and this empanada delivers. Inside that golden brown shell is a gooey apple and caramel filling. The chunks of apple are coated in a sweet sauce that's full of cinnamon and spice. I suspect the sauce was supposed to be made up of both apple and caramel, but I didn't get any caramel in my empanada. My cohort, on the other hand, told me all she got was caramel. 

So, even though there seems to be a bit of inconsistency between empanadas, I would not pass up this dessert. It was everything my inner child craved and took me right back to those early days of deep-fried pockets of heaven and apple pie dripping from my fingers and lips. 

The Chili Cheese Burrito was the biggest surprise for me. Whenever I see "chili" listed as part of an item on a menu, I'm afraid it's going to be an overpowering spice bomb that I won't be able to stomach. But this delectable burrito wasn't that at all. Instead, it was a savory, slightly spicy, rich filling of ground beef, chili, and gooey melted cheese all wrapped up in a flour tortilla, and it was amazing!

The chili added just the right amount of heat, elevating this burrito into something really special. If the burrito happened to get a bit hot, the melted cheddar cheese in every bite tempered any spiciness my tongue may have had issues with. I'm not kidding when I say I devoured this burrito. 

I know chili is a comfort food you usually make at home during cold, winter months, but if you don't have the time, this burrito will easily fill that void. It was like a warm hug. I enjoyed it so much, I went back for seconds. And unlike some of the other items on the Y2K menu, which seemed to have consistency issues, the second burrito was just as good as the first. Seriously, run to Taco Bell for this because they won't be around long, and you do not want to miss out.