If you’ve stepped into a McDonald’s recently (or ordered online), you’ve probably noticed that the menu has changed quite a bit.
They rotate menu items pretty frequently, some for a time (like the McRib)…
And some forever.
And let’s face it –
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You don’t stay on top by resting on your laurels, right?
I get that McDonald’s has to change with the times.
But man, some of these discontinued menu items really hurt.
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And I do think there’s a legitimate question of whether they’ve focused so much on rotating items that they’ve lost a step on some of their core offerings.
For example – there are several competitors whose fries are probably better than McDonald’s at this point.
And they’ve compounded this problem by getting rid of so many beloved dishes.
Like this first one, which was in my opinion just such a stumble by McDonald’s:
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Buttermilk crispy tenders were a clear step up from most chicken tenders of the time, and I think it was such a mistake for McDonald’s to get rid of them.
Because in doing so, they opened the door for lots of fried chicken places to get stood up and start competing. And let’s face it – fried chicken is so hot right now: They’re outperforming other fast food with 4.3% growth in visits (vs just 1.3% growth for other quick-service restaurants).
Buttermilk crispy tenders were McDonald’s ace in the hole. Because, sure, the chicken mcnuggets are good – but these were better.
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McSalad shakers were such a smart innovation at the time, and, speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that they were VERY popular with teenagers.
Had McDonald’s kept them (or, really, any salad) around, they might have kept a much bigger footprint among Millennials. (But then again, you never know.)
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If you’re unfamiliar with the Arch Deluxe, you could think of it as the rich man’s Big Mac.
It had the standard quarter-pound beef patty, a delicious mustard-mayo sauce, bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and onions. It was McDonald’s attempt to go upmarket, but unfortunately it never made a big enough splash and was eventually let go in 2000.
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Picture a cinnamon roll. Except it was chopped up into small doughy bites, then covered in cream cheese frosting.
THAT is a box of McDonald’s cinnamon melts, which were just as sugary and indulgent as you’d imagine. (Maybe even more so.)
But ultimately they went the way of the dinosaur.
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McDonald’s used to serve fish mcbites (I think you can guess what those were) and onion nuggets…but, perhaps unsurprisingly, neither caught on with the public.
(I really wish I had a chance to try the onion nuggets, but they’re a relic from the 1970s!)
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The McDLT (or McDeluxe as it was also called) was a pretty standard burger (lettuce, tomato, cheese, burger, bun), but with a twist:
They split the burger between two sides of a styrofoam container, with the burger and the bottom bun on one side, and the toppings and top bun on the other.
The idea was to keep the burger warm without heating up the veggies (nobody wants hot lettuce, probably not all that many people want hot tomato on a burger either).
It was ultimately discontinued in part due to changed packaging rules that reduced McDonald’s ability to insulate the ingredients from each other. (So you’d still get hot lettuce.)
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Yes, McDonald’s served spaghetti back in the 1970s (the dish was ultimately discontinued in 1980).
I don’t think it’s ever going to come back.
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The cheddar melt is another old favorite – it was first brought to the menu in 1988 and left for good back in 2004.
It was a thicker burger topped with cheese sauce and grilled onions – and the bun was rye instead of the usual sesame seed.
It was a unique taste! But unfortunately one that didn’t last.
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One of Ray Kroc’s rules while he was living was that McDonald’s should never sell a hot dog.
After he died, McDonald’s decided to give it a try, and in the late ’90s, we had the McHotDog!
It didn’t last long.
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I feel like at this point you’re getting the sense that, if anything could conceivably go on a bun, McDonald’s has tried it.
And I think that’s more or less true!
The McLobster was McDonald’s attempt to serve out a lobster roll (on a hot dog bun).
It was introduced in 1993 and discontinued not too long after.
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The hula burger, which replaced the hamburger with a thick slice of pineapple, was intended as a meatless option for Lent from McDonald’s.
It didn’t make it and was ultimately usurped by the filet-o-fish.
It looked fun though!
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Chances are good you’ve heard of McDonald’s apple pies.
Well, they also used to have cherry pies – back in the 1970s.
Sadly, they went away…which is a real shame! I love cherry way more than apple as a dessert…
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So there you have it – twelve discontinued McDonald’s menu items that are probably never coming back.
(And let’s face it – there are loads more where these came from. A chain that’s been around for more than 60 years is gonna have lots of stuff change over time!)
Which brings me to the biggest question…
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What do YOU miss most from McDonald’s menu?
Let us know in the comments!
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They used to have Raspberry Danish when I was growing up…so delicious!!
Probablly 55 years ago they had Onion Nuggets., just like onion rings. They were awesome!
Please bring back the Cheddar Melt. Truly a spectacular sandwich.