Taco Bell bringing back two fan-favorites after they were removed from menu last year

Taco Bell is kicking off 2021 with some good news: Potatoes are coming back to menus.

The best part? They’re back for good as a permanent menu item, a representative for Taco Bell confirmed to McClatchy News.

The fast food giant announced Thursday that it’s bringing back Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and the Spicy Potato Soft Taco. They’ll arrive at participating restaurants on March 11, the company said in a news release.

“The return of our beloved potatoes is just the first step in showing our fans the strong continued commitment to vegetarian we are making this year,” Liz Matthews, food innovation officer at Taco Bell, said.

The potatoes are AVA-certified vegan and Taco Bell fans can substitute them for beans on any menu items.

The Spicy Potato Soft Taco is priced at $1 and the Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes at $1.49, but Taco Bell recommends contacting your local restaurant for prices.

The two dishes were among several the restaurant chain slashed from its menu last year in an effort to simplify its menu and create a “faster and more seamless restaurant experience” during the coronavirus pandemic.

Vegetarians and vegans were especially disappointed at the news and many took to social media to express their frustration over losing a beloved vegetarian- and vegan-friendly fast food option.

At the time, Taco Bell said it planned to continue to “innovate across all categories — including plant-based,” Business Insider reported.

Now, Taco Bell says it has teamed with Beyond Meat to develop a “new plant-based protein” that it plans to test in the next year.

The reintroduction of potatoes to Taco Bell’s menu comes less than a month after another potato-based fan-favorite temporarily returned to restaurants.

In December, Taco Bell announced that it was bringing back Nacho Fries — another menu item that got the boot in 2019 — for a limited time.

There’s been no news on the return of the Mexican Pizza, the exit of which sparked a Change.org petition to save the dish. In early October it had more than 80,000 signatures and Mexican Pizza fans are still signing — as of Thursday it has more than 156,000.

This story was originally published January 14, 2021 at 9:33 AM with the headline "Taco Bell bringing back two fan-favorites after they were removed from menu last year."