What do you get when you combine the Tex-Mex knowledge and stoner sensibilities of Taco Bell with the experimental flavor leanings of Salt & Straw? Enter the Choco Taco, coming to scoop shops this summer.

It’s been a bumpy two years for chocolate taco fans. Back in 2022, Klondike stopped producing its famed Choco Taco. Outcry ensued, and Portland dessert shops created commemorative copycats: Kate’s Ice Cream whipped up a limited run of its vegan, gluten-free version; the now-shuttered Holler Treats served a chocolate cherry rendition; and Salt & Straw resurrected its Chocolate Tacolate which it had first launched in 2016.

Now, thanks in part to the new Taco Bell CEO’s ties to Oregon—Sean Tresvant was at Nike for 16 years, rising to chief marketing officer—Salt & Straw can access the fast-food giant’s deep knowledge of how to keep a taco crunchy no matter what. The two companies are already testing their recipe, and served up the Taco Bell x Salt & Straw always-crispy Ice Cream Chocolate Taco at an event in Las Vegas earlier this month. 

Fans are already warning Salt & Straw to tamper its creative impulses. “Don’t get too clever,” one Reddit user wrote. “Nobody wants a green tea and blue cheese Choco Taco.” (Pear and blue cheese is an ice cream flavor.) So far, the Choco Taco feels like a respectful tribute, combining cinnamon-ancho ice cream with a toasted brown rice topping, for a not-overly-epicurean twist to the classic treat, served alongside a litany of hot sauces—chocolate chili, mango jalapeño, and cinnamon wild berry—and a tempering cheesecake dip. 

Portlanders will have blessedly abundant access to the Choco Taco upon its arrival in Salt & Straw locations this summer. No need to book a flight, though. The Choco Taco will also be available to order online nationwide through Salt & Straw’s website, shipped on dry ice.