KFC Double-Down Takes On Bay Area Organic, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian Fare

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Four years after its celebrated and criticized debut, the famous - or infamous - Double-Down bacon "sandwich" from KFC was back, and then gone, as the special menu promotion ended May 25th.  Or so you thought.

For 34 glorious, greasy, calorie-filled days, the embodiment of the Colonel's "bread is dead" philosophy was available in the U.S.

While KFC ended the national promotion Sunday, select Bay Area restaurants will still serve it, including the Taco Bell-KFC dual restaurant in San Francisco's Balboa Park neighborhood (2040 Ocean Avenue).

When CBS SF called anonymously, they admitted they'll still be clandestinely cooking them up for another two weeks.

The Double Down packs bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, and sauce in between two breasts of chicken, and has no need for bread, except maybe to sop up the grease.  It has 36 grams of fat, and 600 calories, but the folks buying this are probably not too concerned about those numbers.

Fast food fanatics loved it.

Health food fanatics decried it as everything that's wrong with America's eating habits.

"THE FAST FOODIE" REVIEW: KFC Double Down

Still, restaurants eschewing the healthier trend are finding success with monster menu items that fly in the face of  calorie counters.

Domino's, for example, recently launched its "Specialty Chicken"-- essentially Buffalo Wings covered with cheese as if they were dough in a pizza.

KFC sold 10 million Double Downs when it debuted in 2010, and the trend is expanding like America's waistlines.  KFC launched the product in Japan, the Philippines, South Africa, and Australia.

The marketing is clear on the KFC website: "Try one today. We dare you. And then brag about it to the whole world: #HowDoYouKFC".