Jack in the box breakfast bowl discontinued

What would you do if your favorite order fell onto a growing list of discontinued fast-food items? You might be devastated, but you'd also be comforted in knowing that you're not alone. Thousands of fast-food enthusiasts have lost their beloved go-to's over the years—and have protested via Change.org petitions, Twitter hashtags, Facebook groups, and more to get them back. And some pleas have been successful.

However, there are plenty of other fast-food menu items that have had their moments in the spotlight, but won't be making a comeback anytime soon. From miniature cinnamon buns to whopping, extra-extra-large tacos, here are the discontinued fast-food items fans you'll never see again… then again, never say never.

For more, don't miss these 15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback.

1

KFC's Potato Wedges

Most fast-food restaurants serve fries, but KFC was an exception, until now. KFC discontinued its potato wedges and is switching to serving fries instead. Yep, we're heartbroken too.

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2

Pizza Hut's Triple Decker Pizza

Certain things are objectively true: The sky is blue, 2+2=4, and pizza with more cheese is better. The good folks at Pizza Hut know this, which is why they stuffed as much cheese into this multi-layered pizza as they possibly could. Part of the late-'90s boom of novelty fast food items, the Triple Decker secured a permanent place in customers' hearts. Over twenty years after its launch, a Facebook fan page still pays homage to the legendary pie.

That said, there is one pizza pie that Pizza Hut just brought back after twelve long years!

3

Burger King's Chicken Tenders

Behold, the mysterious case of the retired chicken tenders that never were. A Facebook page titled "Bring Back Burger King's Chicken Tenders" has thousands of likes along with many angry fans who derided the company's attempt at replacing tenders with nuggets.

In September 2018, Burger King announced that it would be serving chicken tenders, seemingly caving to public pressure with an encore appearance. The only catch? They claim they've never served chicken tenders on the menu before, and have even created a series of commercials that play on the false memory of the retired menu item.

Want to keep the nostalgia going? These Old TV Dinners Will Make You So Nostalgic For Your Childhood.

4

Wendy's Frescata Sandwiches

Subway gained a massive market share and was at its height in the early 2000s. The story could've stopped there with a sandwich monopoly, but because spunky redheads are not known for backing down from a challenge, Wendy's instead created a line of deli-style sandwiches in response. Many people loved the Frescata sandwiches and remember them to this day. Unfortunately for those fans, Frescatas were discontinued just one year after their introduction in 2006 due to poor sales and long prep times.

Related: 18 Hidden Messages Behind Fast-Food Chains' Names

5

McDonald's Arch Deluxe

Were you alive during the 1990s? Then surely you remember the craze that was the Arch Deluxe. McDonald's threw $150 million at marketing the burger, which included a quarter-pound beef patty, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, peppered bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, on a sesame seed bun. If this sounds like a remix of the Big Mac theme song embedded in all of our brains, you're not alone.

Most people dismissed the Arch Deluxe as a more expensive Big Mac, and it proved to be one of the biggest marketing flops of all time. But others with more sensitive, refined, fast-food palettes declared the Arch Deluxe the greatest burger in history and were dismayed at its demise. Luckily, more than two decades later, they got their way (sort of) when McDonald's unveiled the Archburger in 2018.

6

Whataburger's Steak Fajitas

This Texas-based chain has hundreds of locations, mostly across the South and Southwest. As the name would suggest, the restaurant is famous for its burgers, but there's a hardcore fanbase out there who believed it should be renamed "Whatafajita," until its legendary steak fajitas were discontinued in the early 2000s. As this guy so eloquently put it via a comment on Whataburger's Facebook page, "Why did y'all stop selling the beef fajitas?"

7

Taco Bell's Cheesarito

The Cheesarito is a simple, inexpensive pleasure of cheese, scallions, and the delightfully vague "taco sauce" nestled in a soft tortilla. The South-of-the-border chain discontinued the Cheesarito but enthusiasts need not despair. As the truly sophisticated fast-food patron knows, there are no finer delicacies than those on Taco Bell's "secret menu," where you can still find the glorious Cheesarito. Though for some folks, living in the shadows of the secret menu isn't enough.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Related: Taco Bell Is Opening a Revolutionary New Restaurant

8

McDonald's Fried Apple Pie

As customers increasingly expect healthier menu choices from restaurants, even fast-food chains have jumped on the bandwagon. In response to public demand for more nutritious apple pies, McDonald's replaced its crispy, delicious, fried crust with a much blander-baked pie recipe.

Though it's slightly healthier, the difference doesn't seem substantial enough to justify the swap. The fried version reportedly has 240 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 25 grams of carbs, while the baked version has the same number of calories, 11 grams of fat, and 33 grams of carbs. A petition to make apple pie fried again puts it like this: "McDonald's, we know you're not good for us, and you never will be. You found a way to make kale salad unhealthier than a Big Mac. You managed to cram six days' worth of added sugar into your oatmeal. We know you will never succeed here."

9

Taco Bell's Waffle Taco

Do you like tacos? The answer to that question is surprisingly irrelevant to whether you'd like Taco Bell's Waffle Taco. This foray into breakfast foods is a full diner breakfast wrapped in one convenient package. It was launched in 2014 and nixed in 2015 in favor of the Biscuit Taco, your run-of-the-mill egg and sausage breakfast sandwich curved into a taco-shaped novelty biscuit. When the breakfast-savvy public realized that curving a biscuit doesn't make it any tastier, they launched a full-fledged Change.org campaign to restore the Waffle Taco to the menu.

10

Sonic's French Toaster

This sandwich included two massive slices of French toast, eggs, and bacon or sausage. The breakfast of champions was introduced in 2015 but, inexplicably, Sonic chose to replace it with the inferior Breakfast Toaster. This sandwich removes the best part—French toast—and replaces it with Texas toast, losing the sweet-savory combo that devotees loved. But don't listen to me; take it from a guy who drove 20 miles just to get one.

Related: 5 New Things You'll See at Sonic

11

McDonald's Szechuan Sauce

You may not be concerned about what sauce you eat your McNuggets with, but there are at least 45,126 people out there that think you need to get your priorities straight. That's the number of signatures on a Change.org petition devoted to bringing back the McDonald's Szechuan sauce.

12

Burger King's Cini-Minis

In the late '90s, Burger King started an unlikely turf war with Cinnabon, introducing its response to the famous pastries. Cini-Minis were delectable, miniature rolls of sugary, gooey tastiness, and they were a hit among fans of the King. One Change.org petitioner's pain is still very real: "Cini-Minis were a large part of my childhood, and Burger King chicken-stripped them away from me like the jesters they are."

13

KFC's Double Down

Let's say your job is "sandwich designer" and your job description is "person that creates new sandwiches," but you're also a Kanye-type and refuse to stifle your self-proclaimed genius, no matter what the public may say. In that case, you might replace your bread with two deep-fried chicken filets, fill it defiantly with only cheese and special sauce, then still have the nerve to advertise it as a "sandwich" knowing full-well what sandwiches look like. This is the [loosely interpreted] story of the KFC Double Down. It was the butt of many jokes when it was released, but its death was mourned by scores—so much so that it made a return for a limited time in 2014 due to popular demand, and many still carry a torch for the "sandwich" to this day.

14

McDonald's McSalad Shakers

Fast food isn't always about the taste—it's about convenience and choice. That's where the fans of McDonald's Salad Shakers come in. The novelty of the plastic cup alone led to a Facebook group of fans dedicated to bringing it back. Here's the core of their argument: "This was a revolutionary way for the fast-food giant to sell healthy, nutritious food in a convenient, portable way with almost no mess." Taste aside, they make a good point.

15

McDonald's Beef Tallow Fries

While vegetarians rejoiced when McDonald's switched from using beef fat to vegetable oil for their French fries, not everyone was pleased. As numerous sources have noted, it's not your imagination that the fries tasted better when you were a kid. The switch in the early '90s still has people riled up after all these years. The vegetable oil fries lack the savory flavor of old, but never fear—if you're committed, you can whip up a homemade batch of beef-fat-fried goodness.

Yep, it's been proven! This Is Why McDonald's Fries Are So Addictive.

16

Taco Bell's XXL Chalupas

Introduced in 2010, this is a super-sized version of a classic Taco Bell menu item, featuring a fried flatbread stuffed with ground beef, taco sauce, and a mountain of cheese. There are still fans out there demanding its return who have called the new Double Chalupa nothing more than a false prophecy.

Related: Taco Bell Just Launched These Two New Tacos

17

Burger King's Crown-Shaped Nuggets

Crown-shaped nuggets are exactly what they sound like. We don't have to like things for logical reasons, OK? But if you need to analyze it, eating crown-shaped nuggets was the socially acceptable version of wearing the Burger King crown on your birthday as a kid, and don't we all still deserve that feeling? They were available from 2006 to 2011 and are survived only by a very sincerely written petition seeking to "bring awareness" about returning these nuggets to the throne.

18

KFC's Original Popcorn Chicken

Popcorn chicken was huge in the late nineties because it cut to the core of why we love fried chicken—the fried part. Fans put pressure on KFC to bring back popcorn chicken, and KFC obliged in the form of Popcorn Nuggets, a slightly larger iteration of the original. Justice is served (at 620 calories per serving).

19

Jack in the Box's Cheesy Macaroni Bites

Cheesy Macaroni Bites were introduced to Jack in the Box's menu in 2008 with advertisements that made the odd claim that, due to their compact triangular shape, it was a safer item to eat while driving. While no one has ever thought to eat regular macaroni and cheese while driving in the entire history of cars, these delightful little salt and fat bombs didn't need decent advertising to become a cult favorite.

For more, check out these 112 Most Popular Sodas Ranked By How Toxic They Are.

Lauren Gray

Lauren Gray is a New York-based writer, editor, and consultant. Read more about Lauren

Filed Under

Burger King // Fast Food // McDonald's // Menus // Restaurant Chains // Restaurants // Taco Bell

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