Restaurants Across America Are Keeping The Choco Taco Alive

Nostalgic woe flooded the Internet this week, when Klondike announced that the Choco Taco had been discontinued. Since its debut in 1983, the handheld ice cream treat was beloved by several generations, using a taco shell-shaped cone to hold ice cream, covered in hard chocolate. But apparently enthusiasm didn’t equate to sales (and no, that cultural appropriation claim is not true), and the taco-style dessert is officially dead. Well, almost.

Ice cream trucks, grocery stores and even some restaurants still have a solid stock of their last ever shipment of Choco Tacos. In New York, Black Tap is offering the Choco Taco atop their cinnamon churro crazy shake, which costs $17. Stock is limited, but estimated to last about six weeks, according to a representative for the local restaurant chain. New York barbecue spot Pig Beach is also still vending Choco Tacos, posting a countdown on Instagram to share how many they have left.

Other restaurants are getting innovative, making their own chocolate-dipped ice cream taco creations to feed into demand, and maybe take advantage of the new gap in the market.

In Los Angeles, the Studio City restaurant Oy Bar is offering their own choco taco creation. “We heard the terrible news about the #ChocoTaco and had to do something about it,” the oyster bar posted on Instagram. “So we’re bringing back our spin on it for the next few weeks. Starting tomorrow, come mourn and toast to the best liquor store ice cream truck munchies drunchies after school hot summer day dessert. ??” And at Smorgasburg LA, Sad Girl Creamery is offering a Strawberry Shortcake Taco and a The Che Taco made with Argentinian dulce de leche ice cream, plus a brown butter Mexican vanilla waffle cone, and a dark chocolate shell.

In Atlanta, two local businesses have teamed up for their own frozen taco as well. Mexican restaurant Poco Loco and ice cream shop Butter and Cream created 100 Loco Cocoa Tacos, which will be released in batches of 30-35 each day this week. Tucson’s Monsoon Chocolate offers its own gourmet frozen treat too, made with sweet corn custard in a waffle taco shell, topped with toasted pecans, Maldon salt and corn powder.

And in Allentown, Pennsylvania, The Udder Bar offers a $5 customizable ice cream taco, in which a homemade waffle shell can be filled with two scoops of ice cream (dozens of flavors available), plus toppings and sauces.

This October, Salt & Straw will offer a limited-edition Chocolate Tacolate, featuring a handmade waffle cone as a taco shell, stuffed with cinnamon ancho ice cream, dipped in single-origin chocolate and sprinkled with flaky salt. Locations across the nation, including the the brand’s hometown of Portland, OR, plus Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami, Seattle and the Bay area will all offer the special.

The original Choco Taco may be gone, but mourning the loss with one of these innovative, and potentially more delicious options, may be just what you need.