Is Salt & Straw Going To Make The Next Choco Taco?
If you haven't heard yet, we are sorry to ruin your day with the news that Klondike has stopped making the beloved Choco Taco (via NPR). We have lost a lot of restaurants and signature menu items to the pandemic, but losing this nostalgic treat especially stings. "I wasn't convinced that we were on the darkest timeline imaginable until I saw that the Choco Taco is being discontinue [sp] by Klondike," tweeted one Choco Taco fan. A representative of Klondike told NPR that the treat is being discontinued due to "an unprecedented spike in demand across our portfolio," for the past couple years and suggests that there are plenty of other treats to enjoy.
However, superfans of the dessert like Andrew Zimmern think that it should have been the last Klondike product to go. "Look at the Klondike portfolio and tell me you would discontinue what is arguably the best quiescently frozen dessert treat ever???" Zimmern tweeted. "Get rid of the Cone Zone or the Cookies n' Cream sandwich instead!" The internet is taking this loss hard, but luckily Portland-based ice cream shop Salt & Straw is stepping up to the plate to bring back this childhood treat (via Twitter).
The Choco Tacolate is making a comeback on October 4
Salt & Straw is known for its unique flavors, like Avocado Toast Supreme and Duck Crackling with Cherry Preserves, which now reside in its flavor vault. In 2016, the brand opened a space where it could continue to experiment with new flavors, but with soft serve. Wiz Bang Bar (now closed) was a 10-seat soft serve bar with flavors that changed daily, ice cream sandwiches, and experimental plated desserts (via PDX Monthly). It was here that the chain's take on a chocolate and ice cream taco offering first came to life. The ice cream shop's version of the dessert, called a Chocolate Tacolate, is slightly elevated and features cinnamon ancho ice cream dipped in single-origin chocolate, with flaky salt on top (via a statement shared with Mashed).
After seeing how the internet is in mourning over the Choco Taco news, the company announced that it was bringing its version of the nostalgic dessert back. Fans of the crunchy treat will have to be a little patient, though, because Salt & Straw announced on Twitter that it will be available on October 4 for National Taco Day. Regardless of the wait, fans are ecstatic. "Not all heroes wear capes," replied one user. "@saltandstraw to the rescue," tweeted Andrew Zimmern.