Fast food menus used to be different. Not just the prices — the actual items. There were things on those menus in the 70s and 80s that you can’t get anymore, no matter how much you want them. Here are the forgotten fast-food items that people still talk about.
1. The McDonald’s McDLT
A burger that came in a two-sided styrofoam container — the hot side held the burger, the cool side held the lettuce and tomato. You assembled it yourself at the table. The concept was clever. The packaging was elaborate. It disappeared when the company moved away from styrofoam.
2. McDonald’s McRib (Original Era)
The McRib has come and gone many times, but the original run in the early 1980s had a different energy. It was new, it was strange, it was a boneless pork patty shaped like ribs. People either loved it immediately or were confused by it. Most people loved it.
3. McDonald’s Onion Nuggets
Before Chicken McNuggets, there were Onion Nuggets — breaded, fried onion pieces. They were a test item in some markets. They didn’t make it to the national menu. The people who had them remember them fondly.
4. Burger King’s Yumbo
A hot ham and cheese sandwich that Burger King sold in the 1970s. Simple, warm, and good. It disappeared for decades. When it briefly returned, the people who remembered it were genuinely excited. That’s how you know something was worth remembering.
5. The Original Taco Bell Enchirito
An enchilada-burrito hybrid, covered in red sauce and cheese, served in a small tin pan. It was a menu staple for years. The version that came back later was different. The original had something the later version didn’t.
6. Pizza Hut’s Priazzo
A deep-dish pizza that Pizza Hut sold in the mid-1980s. It was thick and layered and took longer to cook than a regular pizza. It was discontinued after a few years. The people who remember it still bring it up.
7. Wendy’s Superbar
A salad bar and pasta bar and Mexican food bar all in one. You paid a flat fee and helped yourself. It was a whole experience inside a fast-food restaurant. It ran through the late 80s and early 90s before being discontinued.
8. The Original Arby’s Beef and Cheddar
Still on the menu, but the original version had a different sauce and a different feel. The cheddar sauce was different. The bun was different. The people who ate it in the 70s and 80s will tell you it was better.
9. Long John Silver’s Peg Leg
A chicken drumstick, battered and fried in the Long John Silver’s style. It was a menu item that came and went. The combination of the chicken and the fish-fry batter was specific and memorable.
10. Hardee’s Frisco Burger
A burger on sourdough bread with Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing. It was different from every other fast-food burger. It felt like something you’d get at a sit-down restaurant. People who grew up near a Hardee’s remember it clearly.
11. The Original Subway Club
Subway has changed its menu many times over the decades. The original Club sandwich had a specific combination of meats and a specific way of being made that regulars from the 80s still reference.
12. Burger King’s Specialty Chicken Sandwiches
Various iterations of chicken sandwiches came and went on the Burger King menu over the years. Some were better than others. The ones that disappeared were often the ones people liked most.
13. McDonald’s Hot Mustard Sauce
A dipping sauce that was a staple alongside McNuggets for decades. It was discontinued in 2015. The reaction was immediate and vocal. People still ask for it. It still doesn’t come back.
14. The Original Roy Rogers Menu
Roy Rogers was a fast-food chain that operated primarily on the East Coast. The roast beef was the centerpiece. The fixins bar let you customize your sandwich. When Hardee’s absorbed most of the locations, something was lost.
15. Shakey’s Pizza Parlor
Not quite fast food, but not quite sit-down either. Shakey’s was a pizza parlor chain where you could watch the pizza being made, eat in a casual atmosphere, and feel like you were somewhere special. Many locations are gone. The ones that remain have devoted regulars.
Which fast-food item do you miss the most? Which one would you bring back tomorrow if you could? Tell us in the comments.
Related reading: Foods From Childhood That Disappeared | Forgotten Candies That Deserve a Comeback | 15 Things Every 70s Kid Remembers