Unusual Fast-Food Sandwiches from the ’70s That Disappeared

The ’70s were weird, fearless times. Fast-food chains were riding that same “why the hell not” wave and made some questionable menu decisions — ones that would raise more than a few eyebrows today. Slapping ham on burger buns? Sure. Pineapple as a meat substitute? Yes please. Some of it worked, most of it didn’t. Many of these sandwiches quietly disappeared without a big sendoff. 

 Here are the ones that came and went, never to return. 

In 1963, McDonald’s tried to win over meat-abstaining Catholics during the Lenten season with the Hula Burger, which was literally a grilled slice of pineapple with a piece of cheese on a bun. Conveniently, around the same time, a franchised location came up with its own meatless item — something a little less exotic: a breaded fish fillet. Management agreed to see which meatless contender would get more orders. Customers overwhelmingly chose the newly introduced Filet-O-Fish, and the Hula Burger was quietly buried. Which was for the better, really — one pineapple-based abomination (looking at you, Hawaiian pizza) is enough. 

Long before Baja Blast and Doritos shells, Taco Bell had a burger on the menu — and it stuck around for about two decades. Originally called the Chili Burger when Taco Bell opened in 1962, it was one of the chain’s five original items (alongside frijoles, tostados, tacos, and red or green burritos), all priced at a cool 19 cents. By the early ’70s, it was renamed to Bell Burger, and by 1977, it became the Bell Beefer: a sloppy joe-style sandwich with seasoned ground beef, lettuce, diced onions, and mild sauce crammed into a soft hamburger bun. 

Taco Bell quietly phased it out by the mid-’90s, but the now obscure item managed to lure in a cult following among Taco Bell fans. 

Burger King launched the Yumbo in 1971 — a hot ham and cheese situation with lettuce and mayo on a sesame seed hoagie, but pulled it in 1974. In 2014, they tried to bring it back, but the comeback didn’t last. For those who grew up with it, the Yumbo was peak ham-sandwich nostalgia. 

McDonald’s stab at “adulting” its menu was launched in 1979 and gone by 1980. The Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich featured an oblong sirloin patty on a French roll, loaded with slivered onions and steak sauce. It was only served after 4 PM —  McDonald’s version of “after-hours fine dining.” It was rich, savory, and apparently too fancy for its own good.

Born in the 1960s, Big Shef was a double-decker cheeseburger that came with two patties, cheese, pickles, and a “secret sauce” that tasted suspiciously familiar to Big Mac. It was a big deal when Burger Chef had over 1,000 locations. But by the mid-’80s, the burger chain was sold off and the Shef vanished. Hardee’s has brought it back now and then, but nothing compares to that original Big Shef wrapped in wax paper galore.

Back in 1968, KFC’s founders thought, “Why not roast beef?” and opened a spin-off chain called Kentucky Roast Beef & Ham. The signature sandwich was thick-sliced roast beef on a bun, smothered in brown gravy or sauce. But the cost of beef, plus the lack of Colonel-style mojo, sunk the whole operation. By 1970, all locations had closed.