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10 Discontinued Fast Food Items We’re Glad Left & 10 We Still Crave


10 Discontinued Fast Food Items We’re Glad Left & 10 We Still Crave


Who Do We Have to Call for KFC Potato Wedges?

The evolution of fast food has given rise to some classic inventions. While some earned their spot as fond memories, others are best left in the dumpster fire they came from. Here are 10 discontinued fast food items we’re happy are gone, and 10 we miss terribly.

File:KFC Double DownMichael Saechang on Wikimedia

1. McDonald’s Hula Burger

This monstrosity from the ‘60s has been gone a long time, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Originally introduced as an alternative for Catholics who forgo meat on Fridays, this so-called burger swapped a meat patty for a grilled pineapple slice. It quickly became obsolete when the Filet-O-Fish was considered the better option.

red and white concrete building near palm trees during daytimeBoshoku on Unsplash

2. Pizza Hut’s Hot Dog Stuffed Crust Pizza

Pizza Hut once tried to blend the best of both worlds with this little number. It didn’t last long. Between poor reviews from multiple publications, not to mention lackluster public opinion, this became a thing of the past pretty quickly.

pepperoni pizzaAlan Hardman on Unsplash

3. Burger King’s Bacon Sundae

Say what you want about bacon or sundaes, but the two shouldn’t be mixed. That didn’t stop BK from launching their version of a bacon sundae back in 2012, a dessert loaded with bacon bits (or strips) coated in fudge and lain atop vanilla ice cream. Hard pass.

brown and gray bread with meatWright Brand Bacon on Unsplash

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4. McDonald’s McSpagetti

It’s not totally fair to say this is discontinued as it can still be found at the largest McDonald’s location in Orlando, Florida. However, it is fair to say that this never should have seen the light of day. 

File:01347jfVito Cruz railway station San Antonio Makati Cityfvf 09.jpgJudgefloro on Wikimedia

5. Wendy’s Frescata

Wendy’s had a line of cold sandwiches back in 2006 called Frescata, and it took little more than a year before the whole thing fell apart. Originally meant to compete with places like Subway, Wendy’s cold sandwiches took way too long to make and weren’t exactly received well. They got the axe in 2007.

a sign for wendy's restaurant in a parking lotSean Lin on Unsplash

6. Burger King’s Whopperito

We deserved better. Back in 2016, BK launched their version of a burger taco hybrid that essentially stuffed a Whopper into a tortilla. You also got queso instead of the usual condiments. It didn’t take long for the fast food chain to come to its senses and pull it off the menu.

UNKs coffee shop signageIsmail Hadine on Unsplash

7. KFC’s Cheeto Sandwich

You know, it’s okay to have Cheetos on the side. Not according to KFC apparently, who launched a limited-time sandwich complete with Cheetos stuffed in alongside their chicken. As you can imagine, it was a confusing take that was also difficult to eat, and ultimately not brought back.

orange and yellow plastic pack on white tableGiorgio Trovato on Unsplash

8. Pizza Hut’s Priazzo 

Once upon a time, Pizza Hut flew too close to the sun and came crashing down along with their invention, the Priazzo. In ‘85, the pizza chain introduced a pizza that was more pie-lasagna than what we all expected. It took too long to make and people dismissed it, leading to its timely demise in the early ‘90s.

File:Pizza Hut Athens OH USA.JPGEd!(talk)(Hall of Fame) on Wikimedia

9. McDonald’s McLean Deluxe

Back before plant-based food was all the rave, McDonald’s had a rather literal take on the idea. The chain introduced the McLean Deluxe in 1991 and marketed it as a healthier option. They accomplished this with lean beef…with seaweed added in. They were discontinued not long after and we hope they’re all lying at the bottom of the ocean.

cars parked in front of UNKs restaurant during night timeShahbaz Ali on Unsplash

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10. Burger King’s Enormous Omelet Sandwich

With a name like that, we probably should have anticipated the difficulty in eating it. Sausage, bacon, egg, and cheese were all stuffed in a self-proclaimed “huge” sandwich that beat the Whopper for calories. It also clocked in just shy of 2,000 milligrams of sodium. Surprisingly, consumers weren’t huge on having this for breakfast, and it was discontinued. 

File:Burger King Sausage Croissanwich (23381873185).jpgWillis Lam on Wikimedia

Now we're onto the discontinued items we wish they'd bring back!

1. KFC’s Potato Wedges

Not everyone is fond of KFC’s french fries, but just about everyone got on board with their potato wedges. So many people miss the superior potato, in fact, that a petition circulated demanding their resurgence. 

white and red labeled boxNik on Unsplash

2. Subway’s Frito Chicken Enchilada Melt

It’s been about 10 years since Subway’s limited-time sub made waves, but we’re here to rock the boat again. This delicious sub was loaded with chicken, enchilada sauce, and Fritos, all to a catchy commercial jingle we haven’t forgotten about either.

Sasha PSasha P on Pexels

3. McDonald’s Dipped Cones

A working McDonald’s ice cream machine is hard enough to find, but even harder is their dipped cones. Back in the day, you could have their signature vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate, and it was a sweet treat we miss to this day.

File:Avenida de Horta e Costa McDonald's ice cream 19-10-2024.jpgLN9267 on Wikimedia

4. Arby’s Potato Cakes

For some godforsaken reason, Arby’s pulled potato cakes off its menu and opted to replace them with crinkle fries. We’re not over the decision, especially not after the food chain brought them back…but only for Canadians. 

File:Arby's Big Hat sign.jpgKenneth C. Zirkel on Wikimedia

5. KFC’s Double Down

It seems like not even KFC can part with the Double Down, and for that we’re grateful. However, this menu item often makes its way back for a limited time only, and we wish it was part of their regular lineup. 

File:KFC Double DownMichael Saechang from Diamond Bar, USA on Wikimedia

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6. McDonald’s Salad Shakers

2000 was a simpler time. We had beloved McDonald’s salad shakers that were not only affordable, but simple on-the-go options that offered a bit of fun. They were struck down in their prime to make room for the the chain’s premium salad line, but we still miss the good old days.

File:McDonald's Wood Fork and Salad in Japan.jpgKKPCW(kyu3) on Wikimedia

7. Sonic’s French Toaster

We don’t know what went wrong. Was it us, Sonic? Why did you only offer this menu item for a limited time? The good news is that Sonic kept a similar item on their menu with the Breakfast Toaster, but nothing quite beats french toast, not even Texas toast.

File:Sonic Drive In Restaurant, (14231135472).jpgMike Mozart from Funny YouTube, USA on Wikimedia

8. McDonald’s Fried Apple Pies

Make no mistake, we know apple pies can still be found on the McDonald’s menu—but it’s not the one we want. Back in ‘92, McDonald’s swapped their fried pies for a baked substitute, and not a day has gone by that we don’t remember the good times. Thankfully, California and Hawaii still have the fried option.

File:McDonald's Apple Pie from McDonald's Dongzhimen Store (20200402110137).jpgN509FZ on Wikimedia

9. Pizza Hut’s P’Zones

The P’Zone was a delectable calzone baked with parmesan-crusted pizza crust and loaded with pizza toppings. It first left Pizza Hut’s menu in the early 2000s and then came back in 2019, but it never stuck around for good. We wish it would.

a man riding a bike past a pizza hutParham Barati on Unsplash

10. McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce

Szechuan Sauce is kind of like the Double Down or McRib. Just when you think you’ve forgotten about it, lo and behold, it pops up again for a limited time. Well, we wish McDonald’s would just make it a staple already!

File:McDonalds Szechuan Sauce 2018.jpgRightCowLeftCoast on Wikimedia