McDonald's / Cheapism
Do you remember the McDLT, the McSalad Shakers, or the McSpaghetti?
Despite McDonald’s consistent and reliable image, it has tried and failed tons of different menu items over the years. While some of these items were popular and beloved by customers, others were bizarre and flopped miserably.
Let us take you on a tour through some of the most interesting and surprising McDonald’s menu items that you can no longer order.
McSpaghetti was a pasta dish that McDonald's introduced in the early 1970s in the United States.
It consisted of spaghetti noodles topped with tomato sauce, meatballs, and cheese.
However, it was not well received and was discontinued in most markets by 1980. Strangely, the exceptions to this were Orlando, Florida and the Phillippines were it is still available today.
The Filipino version of McSpaghetti has a sweeter sauce and feature hotdog slices. (And that's just one of McDonald's many unusual international menu items.)
McDonald's Pizza was a menu item that was introduced in the late 1980s, hoping to attract more customers during dinner time.
However, the pizza didn't fit well with the brand's image of speed and convenience, as it took too long to cook and required special equipment and ingredients.
It was also not very popular with customers who preferred other pizza options or the classic burgers and fries from McDonald's.
By the end of the 1990s, McDonald's Pizza was discontinued in almost all locations, except for a few that kept serving it until recently. Today, only one McDonald's in Orlando, Florida still offers pizza, along with other unusual items like pasta and waffles.
Grilled Chicken Flatbread was a sandwich that McDonald's introduced in 2002 as part of their 'New Tastes Menu'.
It consisted of a grilled pita-like flatbread, grilled chicken strips, pepperjack cheese, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions and a creamy herb sauce.
It was wildly popular among customer, leading the chain to advise their restaurants to remove in-store promotional items so they didn't run out.
Despite it's popularity it was removed from the menu about a year later with no explanation.
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The Hula Burger was a meatless burger that McDonald's introduced in the 1960s as an alternative for American Catholics who would not eat meat on Fridays.
It consisted of a grilled pineapple slice with cheese on a bun.
It was created by Ray Kroc, the president of McDonald's, who wanted to compete with the Filet-O-Fish, a fish sandwich invented by a Catholic franchisee.
The Hula Burger proved not to be very popular and was soon disctinuted, as most customers preferred the Filet-O-Fish over the pineapple and cheese combination.
Muffin Toppers were a line of muffins that McDonald's introduced in 2018 as part of its McCafé menu.
They were inspired by the popular Seinfeld episode where Elaine prefers the tops over the stumps of the muffins.
The McCafé Muffin Toppers came in three flavors: lemon poppy seed, blueberry, and double chocolate.
However, they didn't did sell well and were discontinued in 2019.
The English Pub Burger was a burger that McDonald's tested in some location in the United States in 2011.
It was supposed to resemble a British-style pub burger, and consisted of an Angus beef patty, bacon, cheese, grilled onions, steak sauce, and mustard sauce on an artisan roll.
However, the burger was not very authentic or appealing to customers, who found it too expensive and too different from the usual McDonald's offering.
The burger was discontinued after the testing period.
The Beef Wennington was a burger that McDonald's introduced in 1998 to honor Chicago Bulls Center Bill Wennington.
It consisted of a beef patty, cheese, onions, barbecue sauce, and a slice of Canadian bacon on a regular bun.
It was a delicious burger that was enjoyed throughout Chicago until it was discontinued in 1999.
Since then, some fans have petitioned for McDonald's to bring back the Beef Wennington, even creating an online campaign with the hashtag #BeefWennington.
The Minty Mudbath was a limit-time shake that McDonald's offered in 2007 as a cross-promotion with the movie Shrek the Third.
It was a chocolate-mint flavored shake that was supposed to resemble the mud that Shrek and his friends bathed in.
The shake was also known as the Shrek Shake or the Ogre-Load.
However, the shake was not very well-received by customers, who complained that it tasted like toothpaste and had a weird texture.
The Minty Mudbath was discontinued after the promotion ended and has not returned since.
Though if you're still craving a frosty green dessert, McDonald's does still bring back the Shamrock Shake around St. Patrick's Day.
The Double Zestaburger was a spicy burger that McDonald's offered in 1992 as a limited-time promotion.
It consisted of two beef patties, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa mayo, and a "bun with a bite" that had jalapenos baked into it.
The burger was advertised as having "twice the zest" and was aimed at fast-food customers who liked hot and zesty flavors.
However, the burger was not very successful and was discontinued after the promotion ended.
The Ranchero Bagel was a breakfast sandwich that McDonald's introduced in 2001 as part of their 'New Tastes Menu'.
It consisted of a toasted bagel, scrambled eggs, sausage, pepperjack cheese, and a spicy ranchero sauce.
It was a favorite for customers who liked a spicy kick in the morning.
Despite some customer love for the Ranchero Bagel, it was discontinued in 2002.
McDonald's was on the hunt for a menu that appealed specifically to adults. The Arch Deluxe was the flagship of that initiative.
Despite having the largest advertising budget in fast food history at that time, it went on to be known as one of the most expensive product flops of all time (and one of the biggest fast-food flops overall). McDonald's is estimated to have spent over $300 million dollars on research, production, and marketing.
Initially tested a "Taste of the Month" burger in 1995 exclusively in Canada, and later officially released in 1996 as the Arch Deluxe.
It featured 1/4 lb beef patty, bacon, American cheese, Spanish onions, ketchup, tomato, lettuce, potato bun, and a "new secret sauce for grown-ups."
The McRib Jr. was a smaller version of the McRib sandwich that McDonald's offered in 2000 as a limited-time promotion.
It had a regular hamburger bun instead of a roll, and it was served with two pickles and a smaller pork patty.
The pork patty was still shaped like a rack of ribs and coated with barbeque sauce, but it had much less meat than the original McRib.
The McRib Jr. was meant to appeal to customers who wanted a lighter and cheaper option, but it did not sell well and was discontinued when the promotion ended.
The Chili Cheese McDouble was part of the 'New Tastes Menu' from 2001-2002.
It consisted of two beef patties, nacho cheese sauce, spicy hot sauce, jalapeno slices, a slice of cheese, and a toasted bun.
It was discontinued after the promotion ended and has not returned since.
Mozzarella Sticks were a snack item that McDonald's introduced in 2015 as part of their 'McPick 2' menu.
The were breaded, crispy sticks of cheese served with marinara dipping sauce.
They were supposed to be made of 100% mozzarella cheese, but some customers complained that they were hollow and had no cheese inside.
A class-action lawsuit was filed against McDonald's, claiming that the cheese sticks contained starch and did not meet the federal standards for mozzarella cheese.
Related: I Ranked 8 McDonald’s Dipping Sauces — Including 2 Brand New Ones
The McLobster was a seasonal sandwich that McDonald's offered in some regions of the U.S. and Canda, where lobster was abundant and cheap.
It consisted of a hot dog bun filled with lobster meat, lettuce, and a creamy sauce.
It was introduced in 1993 as an attempt to attract adult customers who wanted a more sophisticated option.
The McLobster ended up proving unsuccessful and removed from markets in 1993, only to reappear in the New England area in 2005 and 2015, and is still available in some areas.
McStuffins were a line of baked french bread sandwiches that McDonald's introduced in 1993.
They came in 4 variations: BBQ chicken, chicken teriyaki, pepperoni pizza, and Philly beef and cheese.
They were similar to Hot Pockets, but they did not sell well and were discontinued the same year.
For those of you who never got to try one of these, there's a great Youtube video on how to make your own McStuffin at home.
McDLT was a cheeseburger that McDonald's introduced in the 1980s as a response to the Whopper, but it had a secret weapon: it's container.
It was served in a two--art styrofoam container that separated the hot ingredients (beef patty, bottom bun, cheese) from the cold ingredients (lettuce, tomato, top bun, mayo), allowing customers to assemble their own burger.
The McDLT was discontinued in 1991 due to environmental concerns about the use of styrofoam.
Don't worry if you missed out on this one, the McDLT is essentially a deconstructed version of the Big and Tasty which is still on the menu.
McOnion Bits were a snack item that McDonald's introduced in 2018 as a limited-time promotion.
There were small pieces of onion coated with a crsipy batter and deep-fried.
They were similar to onion rings, but smaller and more bite-sized.
There were served with a choice of dipping sauces, such as ketchup, barbecue, and honey mustard.
Some customers complained that they were too greasy and bland.
McOnion Bits proved not to be very popular and were discontinued after the promotion ended.
McSalad Shakers were a line of salads that McDonald's introduced in 2000. They came in three varieties: Grilled Chicken Caesar, Chef, and Garden.
The salads were served in clear plastic cups with lids, and customer choose from different dressings to pour and shake inside the cups.
The ideas was to offer a portable and convenient salad option for busy lifestyles.
However, the McSalad Shakers did not sell well and were discontinued in 2003.
(Hungry for more? Check out these other discontinued fast-food items from other chains.)