11 classic fast food dishes removed from menus that Gen Z will unfortunately never be able to experience

Studying fast food is a pretty fascinating hobby if you delve into it. Fast food is a mix of culture, economics and flavors. In other words, it’s delicious. This also tends to be a focal point of culinary invention. Many famous dishes started as or were popularized by fast food options, including fried clam strips. Today, let’s dive into the world of fast food and some of the most delicious dishes to come out of the minds of fast food gurus.

Here are 11 fast food items removed from menus that Generation Z will never have the chance to discover:

1. Taco Bell Enchirito

Rob Wilson | Shutterstock

If you’re a Taco Bell fan, you’ve probably heard of the Enchirito. It was a cross between an enchilada (with drool-worthy sauce) and a burrito.

It was a smash hit when introduced in the 1970s and was once garnished with black olives. However, the recipe ultimately ditched the olives and transformed into a simplified, melt-in-the-mouth, delicious meal. It was interrupted after a while.

Enchiritos are still a popular secret menu item, according to Wikipedia, and for a short time the dish was brought back in 2022. Unfortunately, the powers that be at Taco Bell have decided to discontinue it since then.

2. KFC doubles down

Huu Huynh | Pixels

For a brief period, fast food companies tried to outdo each other in bizarre decadence, fatty foods, and crazy, headline-grabbing recipes. The Double Down was the king of this move.

This monstrosity of a meal involved a chicken sandwich that used breaded pieces of chicken as the “bread” between two other pieces of chicken, along with cheese and bacon.

Some people loved it. Others hated it. Regardless, it was discontinued once the hype was over. Like others on this list, the Double Down occasionally returns to mealtimes as a limited-edition treat.

3. McDonald’s Hula Burger

Monica Escalera | Pixels

The Hula Burger is perhaps one of the most famous ill-advised discontinued products to ever appear at McDonald’s. Founder Ray Kroc wanted to create a meatless burger, ideal for people who skipped meat for religious reasons.

His idea of a good meat substitute was… *drumroll* a slice of grilled pineapple topped with cheese. The meal was available for a short time, although it failed so terribly that a warning against pineapples remains.

4. McHotDog from McDonald’s

Erik Mclean | Pixels

Given the popularity of McDonald’s grilled burgers, it should come as no surprise that one of the Golden Arches’ longest-running menu items is the humble all-American hot dog.

The McHotDog was a rare and briefly available menu item added to some restaurants’ offerings during the 1990s, according to sources. The delicious dog didn’t perform as well as executives hoped.

After a brief attempt at getting it right, executives decided it just wasn’t a good fit for the brand. It has been withdrawn and now only makes occasional reissues in some stores.

5. Wendy’s classic

Summer_Wind | Shutterstock

Wendy’s isn’t immune to discontinued products, although its menu has remained a bit more stable than others. It was a mid-’80s attempt to show the world that Wendy’s could offer more meat, more flavor, and more fun at a great price.

The concept was quite simple. Rather than “piling up,” the Big Classic built itself using a slightly larger hamburger patty and an elongated Kaiser roll. It was delicious, but it never quite became the classic that its name suggests.

6. 1/3 Pound Burger from A&W and Burger King

Gonzalo Carlos Novillo Lapeyra | Pixels

Both A&W and Burger King offered burgers with 1/3 pound of meat. The idea was simple: more meat means more money. In theory, it would be wise to advertise a third book. In practice, they have forgotten how bad people are at math.

The burgers kept falling apart because people couldn’t figure out whether or not 1/3 of a pound was the same as 1/4 of a pound. It turns out people weren’t sure if it saved money.

7. Chipotle Queso

John Hanson Pye | Shutterstock

Chipotle is one of those fast-casual chains that everyone loves to hate these days, but it has its advantages. One of the chain’s biggest draws is the brand’s famous aversion to artificial ingredients.

Queso was one of those dishes that Chipotle fans kept asking for. So, Chipotle did it…but with a catch. The OG Queso recipe didn’t use too many additives, making it taste a little funky for those with sensitive taste buds.

The texture and taste were bad. And Chipotle fans hated it. The company remade the recipe with standard additives and called it Queso Blanco, with great fanfare. But the original Queso? It went with the wind.

8. Long John Silver’s Big Meal

Mikhail Nilov | Pixels

During the 2010s, two major battles took place in fast food: the battle of the craziest recipes and the battle of health-conscious consumers. For some it was better, but some just wanted a modest meal.

Long John Silver’s didn’t enter the battle for America’s largest and most extreme meal. This fast food seafood chain generally tried to keep things pretty traditional, simple and old fashioned with generous portions.

The problem: the Big Catch was a little too big. It was so high in calories and so fatty that it was dubbed the “worst restaurant meal in America” and was quickly wiped off the map.

9. McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce

ready to use | Pixels

If you are a Rick and Morty fan, you may remember the episode where Rick Sanchez goes crazy over the Szechuan sauce released by McDonald’s. Shocker: This is a real thing.

McDonald’s launched Szechuan sauce as part of a limited-time celebration for the release of the hit Disney film, Mulan. After being mentioned in Rick and Mortyhe returned for another brief period of time.

They say it was really good. Maybe it’s time for a third round?

10. McDonald’s Onion Nuggets

Luis Rosero | Pixels

Onion rings are a pretty classic American staple, and McDonald’s knows that. For a short time in the 1970s, McDonald’s experimented with using onions in its fried foods. It was a trend at the time.

They created onion nuggets: a mix of onion rings and McNuggets. They failed, but the idea of fried onion nuggets lives on in fast food tradition.

11. Wendy’s SuperBar

Connor McManus | Pixels

When you think of fast food, you don’t think of salads, do you? In the mid-’80s, Wendy’s did something that would shock most of us: they installed an all-you-can-eat salad bar stocked with fresh vegetables.

It was called the SuperBar and was intended to help even out a full meal. Today, the SuperBar would be a major draw for health-conscious consumers who accept a little less food hygiene. It was a good deal.

Unfortunately, SuperBar was not popular with fast food fans. It was eventually removed from menus, proving once again that a burger in the hand is worth two at a salad bar.

Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer whose work has been featured in Yahoo, BRIDES, Your Daily Dish, Newtheory Magazine and others.