Discontinued McDonald’s Menu Items Most People Forgot Existed

McDonald’s is well known and loved for its classics: the Big Mac, McNuggets, McChickens, McFlurries, and even the Filet-O-Fish. But Golden Arches has tested several unique menu items since it started operating in 1940. Here are the discontinued McDonald’s menu items you may have completely forgotten existed.

Onion Nuggets

Onion nuggets were a fan favorite item among vegetarians who couldn’t enjoy the infamous McNuggets. They were essentially onion rings that looked like nuggets. Unfortunately, they were ultimately discontinued as the company focused on more chicken products.

McPizza

McDonald’s even tried to get into the Italian game for a brief period of time. They released the McPizza with different sauce and toppings choices but it was quickly discontinued due to the chain’s inability to make them efficiently enough.

McSpaghetti

In another failed Italian venture in the late 1970s, the chain released McSpaghetti, which included marinara sauce and meatballs with cheese. In 1980, it was discontinued in the U.S.

Arch Deluxe

The Arch Deluxe was marketed as an upgraded version of McDonald’s regular hamburgers in 1996. It was a quarter-pounder served on a potato sesame bun, topped with peppered bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions, ketchup, and a secret sauce.

Hula Burger

The Hula Burger was created as a meatless option for Catholics who did not eat meat on Fridays. Instead of meat, the sandwich featured a pineapple patty and two slices of American cheese. However, replacing meat with a pineapple was not very popular among customers and it was discontinued in 1960.

Chicken Fajitas

McDonald’s version of chicken fajitas wasn’t exactly what you would call traditional. Their version consisted of crispy chicken strips wrapped in a tortilla wrap and covered in salsa, pepper jack cheese, red onions, jalapeño slices, and lettuce. The items was removed from the menu due to poor sales.

Chicken Tenders

While it would seem chicken tenders would be an obvious menu item choice for the chain that was made famous by its nuggets, tenders never performed as well as the McNuggets and while they have resurfaced for limited times throughout the years, they have not remained a permanent fixture of the menu.

Cheddar Melt

The cheddar melt was a quarter-pounder with a thick layer of cheddar cheese topping and grilled onions drenched in teriyaki sauce. It was first discontinued in 1988 and then returned briefly in 2004.

Sweet Chili Sauce

There are even some sauces that have not remained on the menu. One popular one was the sweet chili sauce, which was released with the BTS collaboration meal. It is unclear why it was ultimately discontinued.

Big N Tasty

The Big N Tasty was added to the menu in 2002 to compete with Burger King’s Whoppers. The burger was eventually replaced by the regular McDonald’s Big Mac. However, some fans hope the chain will bring back this beloved burger again.

Eggs Benedict McMuffin

The Eggs Benedict McMuffin has been described by customers as simply an open-faced McMuffin with hollandaise sauce on top. Because the menu items didn’t include a poached egg (an imperative ingredient for a proper Benedict), it didn’t survive.

McHotDog

The McHotDog was available in the late ’90s and then returned in the summer of 2002 as a seasonal item. However, Ray Kroc, who is responsible for growing McDonald’s to become the fast food giant that it is, didn’t like the hot dog and so it was discontinued.

McWrap

The snack wrap became so popular that the chain tried to make a larger version called the McWrap. While the menu item actually grew to be pretty popular in Europe, it didn’t quite grab American audiences and was eventually discontinued.

McSoup

McSoup was introduced to the menu in an effort to provide some healthier options. It was made from the popular Campbell’s chicken noodle but was ultimately discontinued for being lackluster.

Mighty Wings

McDonald’s experimented with several different chicken items in the ’90s. One of which was the Mighty Wings, but the wings ended up being more expensive than they were worth to make, especially when the McNuggets were so cheap to produce and popular among customers.

Strawberry Shortcake McFlurries

McFlurries are one of McDonald’s most popular sweet menu items (aside from the apple pie), but the strawberry shortcake version did not survive competition with other popular flavors like M&M and Oreo. This was vanilla soft serve mixed with vanilla cookies and strawberry topping. Yum!

McSalad Shakers

McSalad Shakers were convenient salad ingredients in a cup, making it easy to add dressing and eat on the go. They came in three varieties: garden, chef, and frilled chicken Caesar. While they were popular, they were eventually replaced with regular salad bowls.

McLobster

McDonald’s even tried to get in on the lobster game way back in 1903. However, while it initially drummed up excitement, customers ultimately didn’t love the menu item and lobster was too difficult to source as the chain grew rapidly, so it was discontinued.

McJordan

The McJordan was a collaboration between the fast food joint and the famed Michael Jordan. The McJordan was everything Michael Jordan loved: a quarter-pounder patty with American cheese, pickles, and bacon served with mustard onions, and a special BBQ sauce.