Our Prayers Have Been Answered — Taco Bell Is Bringing Back Potatoes

Recently, Taco Bell took a lot of flack for a series of menu changes (subtractions, really) that made living mas more difficult for the Mexican fast food chain's vegetarian fans. In fact, some went so far as to picket Taco Bell to express their displeasure.

Thankfully, it looks like it's "new year, new me(nu)" at Taco Bell, as the brand's recently announced a series of changes meant to win back some of the disillusioned vegetarians and vegans who jumped ship in 2020 with the return of a conspicuously absent ingredient.

That's right: potatoes are back on the menu. Starting March 11, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and the Spicy Potato Soft Taco will make their triumphant return to Taco Bells across the country. These AVA-certified vegan potatoes will resume their place alongside black beans to broaden the selection available on the Veggie Cravings menu.

Based on how they're framing the potato news, it sounds like Taco Bell knows they needed to issue some kind of mea culpa to the meat avoidant, given that the anti-potato backlash resulted in a Change.org petition signed by more than 5,000.

"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," Taco Bell Global Chief Food Innovation Officer Liz Matthews said in a press release. "We have long been a leader in the vegetarian space, but this year, we have more meatless options in store that vegetarians, veggie-curious and even meat-eaters will love."

The next step in that commitment will likely come in the form of plant-based protein. Taco Bell also revealed that they're working with Beyond meat "to create an innovative new plant-based protein that will be tested in the next year." Details beyond that are scarce, but some sort of Beyond alternative to ground beef could make perfect sense in a Chalupa or Gordita.

It's too early to tell if the reintroduction of two potato-based fan favorites will win back disillusioned vegetarians. But given that both retail for $1.49 or less at participating locations, there's no harm in giving Taco Bell a second chance.