PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Salt & Straw’s limited-edition Chocolate Tacolate went on sale Tuesday morning, but sold out almost faster than you can say National Taco Day.
In July, when Chaco Taco fans were crushed after Klondike announced it would discontinue the sweet, frozen treat, Salt & Straw gave them something to look forward to.
The Portland-based ice cream company promised it would release limited quantities of its version of the taco-shaped ice cream dessert on National Taco Day, October 4, 2022.
“When one freezer door closes, another one opens,” Salt & Straw wrote in an Instagram post on July 26.
Well, the door did in fact open at 8 a.m. Pacific Time Tuesday. Customers could place their orders online for the Chocolate Tacolate. The cost was $65, including shipping, for five tacos.
They sold out in 3 minutes.
In the comments of an Instagram post Salt & Straw published Tuesday announcing when the Chocolate Tacolate sale went live, customers expressed their displeasure with the limited quantity available and how quickly they sold out.
“I was on the website before 8am and kept refreshing. By the time I consulted IG and read that you must type taco in the search bar they were sold out,” one person wrote.
“Honestly they should have been featured on the homepage of the website for easy access,” another person wrote. “I had to search to find the right link and then sold out at 8:04 PDT??? This just made me mad at the brand.”
A third person simply said, “Most wack drop of 2022.”
Tyler Malek, head ice cream maker at Salt & Straw, followed up with another Instagram post that shared a statement in response to the sale.
“Whoa, sold out! We were so excited to celebrate National Taco Day with the return of our Chocolate Tacolate. We’ve spent weeks hand making each of these tacos in our kitchen. Needless to say, they were a labor of love. For those of you that got in, I hope you ADORE them. For those who were unable to get them, we hear you. Gotta hit the drawing board to figure out how we might bring these limited time offerings to more of you, stay tuned,” he wrote.
The Chocolate Tacolate is handmade over a four-day process.
First, Salt & Straw said it hand presses homemade waffle cone batter into taco shells.
On the second day, the ice cream makers pipe fresh cinnamon ancho ice cream topped with candied pecans into the shells.
Then, on day three, the stuffed shells are dipped in single origin dark chocolate and sprinkled with flaky sea salt.
Finally, on the fourth day, they’re hand sealed and packed with care.
Salt & Straw said Chocolate Tacolates are an ode to the childhood treat so many people know and love.