[[{“value”:”Fast-food chains have always been willing to throw new things at the wall and see what sticks. And in the 1970s and ’80s, they came up with some pretty interesting ideas using new ingredients, unusual combinations, and items outside their norm. Whether they were too complicated or too expensive to prepare, many of those menu items disappeared — but nostalgia keeps customers hoping for a comeback.
McDonald’s Onion Nuggets
Before McDonald’s had Chicken McNuggets, it tried onion nuggets. For just two years in the late 1970s, you could get bite-sized chunks of onion, battered and deep-fried and served with dipping sauces. McDonald’s found the demand wasn’t high enough and the quality was inconsistent, so they scrapped them, but the deep-frying technique paved the way for McNuggets in 1981.
Burger King Yumbo
From 1968 to 1974, Burger King served a hot deli sandwich called the Yumbo: thin-sliced ham and melted American cheese on a toasted sesame seed roll, wrapped up in foil. It was one of the few non-burger options on BK’s early-70s menu. As the chain streamlined to focus on flame-broiled burgers and chicken, the Yumbo got the axe.
Jack in the Box Frings
If you’ve ever debated over choosing French fries or onion rings, you might’ve been a fan of Jack in the Box’s Frings. Served from 1979 and into the ’80s, Frings were a half-and-half combination of fries and onion rings in the same package. Portion consistency suffered during peak times like the daily lunch rush, so Jack in the Box pulled Frings from the menu.
McDonald’s Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich
McDonald’s tried to appeal to higher-end dinner customers during the 1980s with its Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich, which was served in a black or silver styrofoam box meant to feel more upscale. The sandwich featured an elongated, quarter-pound chopped beef patty topped with steak sauce and grilled onions on a toasted French-style steak roll. It wasn’t profitable, though, since it required more prep time and costlier ingredients, and McDonald’s discontinued the item.
A&W Papa, Mama, Teen, and Baby Burger Family
In the 1960s and ’70s, A&W presented its burger lineup as a literal family: the Papa Burger (two patties), Mama Burger (one patty), Teen Burger (bacon and special sauce), and Baby Burger (a smaller slider for kids). In the U.S., the family structure was phased out in the ’80s until nostalgia brought back the Papa Burger for good in 2004. A&W Canada split from the U.S. company in 1972 and still serves Papa, Mama, Teen, and Baby Burgers.
Wendy’s SuperBar
In the late ’80s, Wendy’s introduced its SuperBar, a mega salad bar that had three stations: the Garden Spot for salads (and chocolate, vanilla, or swirled pudding); the Pasta Pasta area serving spaghetti, fettucini, and garlic bread; and the Mexican Fiesta station with tacos, burritos, and nachos. But keeping the bar stocked, not to mention clean and sanitary, was an operational nightmare, spelling the end of the Superbar in the ’90s.
Jack in the Box Super Taco
Jack in the Box introduced deep fried tacos to their menu in 1954 and they’re still a core staple today. But in 1975, Jack in the Box tried a Super Taco: a double-sized version of their classic fried taco featuring a large corn tortilla packed with ground beef, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and a salsa-style sauce, then deep-fried. Jack in the Box phased out the Super Taco during streamlining in the late ’80s, officially replacing it with the Monster Taco in 1992, which is similar but uses a slice of cheese instead of shredded, has no tomatoes, and has a smooth taco sauce. The Monster Taco used to be a permanent item but now only returns seasonally.
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