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Fast food menus are always changing, but some burgers vanished before fans were ready to say goodbye. Join us as we count down the most memorable drive-thru sandwiches that disappeared from major chains, from McDonald’s experiments to Wendy’s loaded creations and Burger King’s bold limited-time offerings. Which long-lost burger do you miss most? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00Have you heard? There's a delicious addition to McDonald's menu. New McLean Deluxe. Of course
00:05you did. It's written all over your face. Welcome to Ms. Mojo. And today we'll be counting down
00:10our picks for those drive-thru burgers that have gone the way of the dodo in most regions of the
00:14world. And now a word from Michael Jordan. Mmm. This month's McDonald's Burger of the Month is
00:19the McJordan Special. Like I said. Mmm. Number 20. Turkey Burger. Burger King. Burger King is
00:27offering a turkey burger for the first time. And along with McDonald's recent decision to offer a
00:32low-calorie McMuffin with only egg whites, this qualifies as a trend now. Are you one of those
00:38fast food fans that occasionally choose a healthy, better-for-you option? If so, then you might have
00:43been a fan of Burger King's Turkey Burger. This was a limited-run item that showed up on BK menus
00:48back
00:48in 2013 in response to market trends that saw the company's competitors offering similarly styled fare.
00:54As fast food gets incrementally healthier, the Burger King offering is on its seasonal menu for spring,
01:00but it'll stay if it's popular. These trends, predictably, tend to fluctuate. And it wouldn't be long
01:06before Burger King leaned back into the flame-broiled taste that made their flagship sandwich, the Whopper,
01:11so beloved by its consumer base. Mexican street corn Whopper, which feature street corn spread,
01:17southwest season tortilla crisps, and Mexican spicy queso. Details on the availability of these sandwiches.
01:23Number 19. Big and Tasty. McDonald's.
01:26I like that. Got it, Brock? You're in luck, because you can get a delicious beefy Big and Tasty
01:32or a McChicken sandwich for just a dollar every day at McDonald's.
01:36The fast food world is in a constant state of flux with regards to both menu and availability.
01:41The Big and Tasty Burger, as a result, is largely no longer available in most U.S.-based McDonald's
01:46restaurants. That said, certain variants on this competitor to BK's Whopper can still be found in
01:51countries like Mexico and Argentina, where it's known simply as the Big Tasty.
02:03Elsewhere, the OG Big and Tasty can also still be found on American shores within certain army
02:08bases, but the general public is no longer privy to this admittedly delicious Mickey D's experiment.
02:13Well, if they let me out, maybe I'd get them each a new Big and Tasty sandwich from McDonald's.
02:18A quarter pound hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and onion for just 99 cents.
02:22Or I'd even get them an extra value meal for just $2.99.
02:25Number 18. Pretzel Bacon Pub Burger.
02:28Wendy's.
02:28Now a specially crafted cheeseburger is closer than you think.
02:31Wendy's new pretzel bacon cheeseburger with melted cheddar and smoky honey mustard,
02:35all on a warm, soft pretzel bun.
02:37It isn't unusual for major fast food chains to remove beloved items from their menus,
02:41only to bring them back for a limited time. Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Pub Burger was reportedly
02:46a hit with fans when it was released back in 2020, a quicker alternative to indulgent,
02:50executive burger fare from sit-down restaurants. Then, without warning, it was gone.
02:55Wendy's did announce the Pretzel Bacon Pub Burger's return in 2022,
02:59only for it to disappear from chain menus shortly after the media blitz had ended.
03:02Don't touch my burger. Yes, sir. Y'all can't take this one away from me.
03:07We haven't told him it's back for a limited time.
03:10Only time will tell if this fan-favorite beast will return to our go-to Wendy's orders anytime soon.
03:15Not worthy to even look at it.
03:17And now, my fellow gods and demigods, we feast!
03:23Number 17. Cheddar Melt. McDonald's.
03:26It's one of those retro McDonald's food items that still retains a rabid fan following today.
03:31Mickey D's partially debuted their take on a cheddar melt all the way back in 1985
03:36at certain stores located within the American Midwest.
03:39McDonald's Cheddar Melt.
03:41It's beef from McDonald's, a quarter pound on a toasted rye bun, but it won't stay around.
03:46McDonald's Cheddar Melt.
03:48It officially hit McDonald's menus three years later in 1988.
03:52This melty, cheesy, and oniony sandwich was ultimately too good for this world, however,
03:57and didn't even live to see 1989.
03:59We've got to be spent on the cheddar.
04:02It's a good time for the great taste of McDonald's Cheddar Melt.
04:07For a limited time.
04:08Then, in 2004, it was back.
04:10Only to disappear once more, leaving hungry McDonald's patrons desperate for this slice of burger heaven
04:16in between two rye buns.
04:18Mickey D's new bold and saucy Cheddar Melt is a big burger with a bold taste,
04:22topped with cheddar cheese sauce and grilled onions on a rye bun.
04:24Make it a meal with fries and icy soft drink.
04:27Number 16.
04:28Burger Shots.
04:29Burger King.
04:30Tiny little burgers.
04:34Adorable.
04:35How long have you had them?
04:37I just got them at Burger King.
04:39They're flame broiled, just like the big ones.
04:41Never underestimate the power of competition.
04:43The White Castle chain will seemingly always retain their monopoly on tiny, slider-sized burgers
04:48with tasty, tasty onions.
04:50Burger King has historically tried to encroach upon White Castle's dominance in this field
04:54over the years, however, as evidenced by their failed burger bundles and burger shots.
04:58New burger bundles.
05:00Only at Burger King.
05:01Even better tasting.
05:02With 50% more cheese.
05:05Get them now.
05:06Before they're gone.
05:07These short, stacked, servable BK sliders may be fondly remembered by some customers,
05:12but neither of them were able to compete within White Castle's firmly guarded market space.
05:16Both were eventually taken off of Burger King's everyday menu.
05:19BK burger shots.
05:20Tiny burgers.
05:21Big flame broiled taste.
05:22Number 15.
05:24McLean Deluxe.
05:25McDonald's.
05:26You wanted great burger taste with a lot less fat.
05:28Only McDonald's responded.
05:30New McLean Deluxe will blow you away.
05:32It's terrific.
05:33It can't be low fat.
05:35It's both.
05:36Let's face it.
05:37Nobody goes to fast food joints for healthy eating.
05:40Yet, that hasn't stopped many of the major chains from attempting to expand their culinary
05:43horizons.
05:44Introduced in 1991, the McLean Deluxe was advertised by McDonald's as a low-fat burger alternative,
05:50a place where guilt didn't exist.
05:52Actually, make that guilt and taste, because the McLean Deluxe did not test well with many
05:57of the Mickey D consumers that decided to take a gastro plunge into uncharted drive-through
06:01territory.
06:02Let's say we put it all in a toasted sesame seed bun.
06:05McDonald's calls it the new McLean Deluxe, Michael.
06:08It's 91% fat-free, 100% delicious.
06:11This fan backlash resulted in low sales and an eventual excision for McDonald's menus in
06:16favor of, you know, what customers actually want to eat at the Golden Arches.
06:19So, why 91's?
06:23And then again, why not?
06:25McLean Deluxe.
06:26Forget the fat.
06:27Remember the taste at McDonald's today.
06:29Number 15.
06:30Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger.
06:32Wendy's.
06:33Enjoy the smooth, light, and butter flavor of Gouda Cheese, drizzled with warm, melty
06:39fondue Swiss Gruyere Cheese Sauce.
06:42You gotta hand it to the Wendy's brand.
06:43They've never been afraid to go all in on menu items with a lot of moving parts that
06:47are probably expensive to produce on a mass scale.
06:50We mean items like the Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger, which delivered upon all of Wendy's reputation
06:54for freshness and quality, while retaining that elevated feel of a gastro pub burger.
06:59The new Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger and Bacon Fondue Fries.
07:03Only at Wendy's.
07:04Cheese finally has its day.
07:07In 2015, he joined the aforementioned Pretzel Bacon Pub Burger on the company's made-to-crave
07:11menu.
07:12Yet that menu's fluid style of rotating items has meant that hits like the Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger
07:17aren't always available.
07:18Who knows, though?
07:19Maybe Wendy's will watch this video and bring this bad boy back full-time.
07:23See Oliver Overbert act in the trailer for Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger, a cheesy underdog story.
07:30Number 13.
07:31McJordan.
07:32McDonald's.
07:33Cause only one team can repeat.
07:35And only one town gets to eat.
07:37The McJordan Special.
07:40Fast food celebrity meals seem to be a dime a dozen these days, but that wasn't exactly
07:44the case back in the early 90s.
07:45The McJordan, as a result, was something of a big deal when it was released in local Illinois
07:50restaurants to coincide with Michael Jordan's NBA career with the Chicago Bulls.
07:54The McJordan Special is back in town.
07:58For a limited time, get this button free with a McJordan Special combo at McDonald's today.
08:03The sandwich's somewhat basic construction has enabled contemporary diners to relive their
08:07memories via menu hacks, however, where a regular old quarter pounder with cheese can be supplemented
08:13with barbecue sauce, bacon, pickles, and raw onion.
08:16Then voila, you have your very own McJordan, back from the proverbial fast food grave.
08:21Advertising not included.
08:22Quarter pound of beef with cheese, smoked bacon, and tangy barbecue sauce.
08:26The McJordan Special.
08:27Talk about a crowd pleaser.
08:29Number 12.
08:30Third Pound Burgers.
08:32McDonald's.
08:32100% Angus beef, hickory smoked bacon, red onions, Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms.
08:38Where else but McDonald's?
08:39The McDonald's Angus third pounder.
08:41These diesel burger beasts were something to behold back when the McDonald's brand first
08:45debuted them back in 2009.
08:46Tasty, towering behemoths, made from Angus beef, and featuring toppings like mushrooms,
08:52Swiss cheese, and bacon.
08:54McDonald's all-new smoky barbecue bacon Angus third pounder.
08:57100% pure Canadian Angus beef topped with bacon, onion crisps, and a smoky barbecue sauce.
09:02They were meant to go big into customers' wallets, effectively replacing the established
09:06quarter pounder line with burgers that were designed to fill stomachs and satisfy tastes.
09:11This experiment officially ended in 2013, however, with Mickey D's opting to return back
09:15to marketing normal-sized burgers for normal-sized appetites.
09:18Juicy, 100% Angus beef.
09:21There, you've found a point of entry.
09:23The bacon beckons like a springboard to paradise.
09:26One small bite for man, etc, etc.
09:29So, while the chain does occasionally choose to bring back bigger burgers for a special limited
09:33time, the OG third pounders aren't available at the time of this writing.
09:37100% North American sirloin.
09:39100% limited.
09:40Try all three sirloin third pound burgers at McDonald's.
09:43Number 11.
09:44Angry Whopper.
09:45Burger King.
09:46The Angry Whopper sandwich.
09:47Flame grilled beef, jalapenos, and angry onions.
09:50It only tastes angry.
09:52Who knows why fast food chains decide to bring back certain niche menu items solely to a certain,
09:57perhaps equally specific area or location.
09:59The Angry Whopper was designed to cater to the palates of heat lovers, a spicy sandwich
10:03with a fiery reputation.
10:05The hot-tasting sauce, angry onions, and pepper jack cheese made the Angry Whopper beloved
10:10by heat seekers everywhere, but not everyone desires this kind of experience.
10:18Angry onions, jalapenos, and pepper jack cheese make the Angry Whopper bite you back.
10:24So, the Angry Whopper returned to the flame, and is only occasionally brought back from the
10:28inferno in markets like Columbus, Ohio, where it briefly returned in 2023.
10:32The Burger King.
10:33Angry Whopper!
10:34True beef taste, now flaming hot!
10:37Woo!
10:38Number 10.
10:39Chop House Cheddar Burger, Whataburger.
10:41Whataburger is a beloved fast food restaurant in the South, especially in Texas.
10:45In 2009, they introduced the Chop House Cheddar Burger.
10:49The Chop House Cheddar Burger is my all-time favorite.
10:51This thing was a beast, with not one, but two beef patties, grilled onions, shredded cheddar
10:56cheese, two slices of bacon, and steak sauce, all on a five-inch bun.
11:01The burger dropped in early August, and by September, it was gone.
11:04Although, that wasn't because people didn't like it.
11:06It was always meant to be a limited-time run, and even returned for a short time in 2010.
11:10As soon as you bite into it, you're like, yep, that's what I've been missing.
11:13In fact, the company called the burger a hit.
11:16Okay, Whataburger, so bring it back already!
11:19Number 9.
11:20Mini Sirloin Burgers, Jack in the Box.
11:22Small hamburgers and sliders were all the rage back in the late 2000s.
11:26Jack in the Box dipped their toes into that yummy water with their mini sirloin burgers.
11:31Whoop-y-yay, mini sirloin burgers!
11:34These sliders were straightforward burgers with American cheese, grilled onions, and ketchup,
11:39and you got three of them per order.
11:40In 2009, along with the new burgers, Jack in the Box did what they do best,
11:44made a really funny commercial.
11:46Yippee-yay, mini sirloin burgers!
11:50The Little Eats got a fair amount of hype, and seemed to be a hit with customers.
11:53But when the company did a menu board revamp in 2011,
11:56the mini sirloin burgers didn't make the cut.
11:59Number 8.
11:59Bacon and Blue Burger, Wendy's.
12:01Maybe you thought putting blue cheese on your hamburger was something they only did at fancy restaurants.
12:06Is that the Wendy's Bacon and Blue?
12:08Yep.
12:09I'll love me some blue cheese.
12:10Well, do you consider Wendy's fancy?
12:12Because back in 2010, the company introduced its customers to the Bacon and Blue Burger,
12:17which had bacon, sauteed onions, steak sauce, and yep, crumbled blue cheese.
12:21And don't forget the brioche bun as well.
12:23Wendy's new Bacon and Blue on brioche.
12:25100% fresh beef, Wisconsin blue cheese, and apple with smoked bacon.
12:29What could be better than that?
12:31It attracted a loyal following of Blue Leaven diners.
12:34However, it was also a little complicated to prepare, and very messy to eat,
12:38which isn't ideal for those of us who'd like to eat our fast food burgers in the car.
12:41Perhaps that's what led to its demise.
12:43Get your hands on one.
12:46Before somebody else does.
12:48Number 7.
12:50McDLT, McDonald's.
12:51Speaking of fancy, what could be more fancy than a hamburger served in a two-part container
12:56with the warm ingredients on one side and the cool ingredients on the other?
12:59Wouldn't it be great if every lettuce and tomato burger came with an oven to keep the burger hot
13:05and a refrigerator to keep the lettuce and tomato cool and crisp?
13:08Sure, there was a little assembly required,
13:10but it was worth it to keep the hot and cold separate until the last possible moment prior to consumption.
13:15They're kept apart until I put them together.
13:18That's why the McDLT tastes so good and fresh.
13:22Or at least, that was the theory.
13:23Did it really make for a better burger experience?
13:26Maybe?
13:26Was it worth all the extra styrofoam needed to produce the containers?
13:30Nope.
13:31And when McDonald's switched to a more eco-friendly packaging, that was it for the McDLT.
13:36The beef stays hot, the cool stays crisp.
13:38Put it together, you can't resist it!
13:41Number 6.
13:41Beyond Famous Star with Cheese, Carl's Jr.
13:44In 2019, Carl's Jr. was one of the very first fast food chains to dive into the plant-based meat
13:49market
13:50and seemed like a good move at the time.
13:51Into the next iconic burger from Carl's Jr., the Beyond Famous Star with Cheese.
13:55The plant-based meat craze was hitting its stride, and soon many other restaurants and fast food outlets would get
14:01in on the game as well.
14:02All the legendary flavor.
14:04None of the meat.
14:06We assume sales of the Beyond Famous Star with Cheese were decent, given that it lasted for a solid four
14:11years on the menu.
14:12However, as of April 2024, the plant-based burger had been taken off menus at most Carl's Jr. locations.
14:17The new Beyond Famous Star with Cheese, only at Carl's Jr., where the food is the star.
14:23Number 5.
14:24Bell Beefer, Taco Bell
14:25Taco Bell has made it their mission to think outside the bun for decades.
14:29To get the club with a twist, think outside the bun.
14:33But back in the early 1960s, when entrepreneur Glenn Bell began his Taco Bell adventures,
14:37he thought right inside the bun for one of the restaurant's menu items, a chili burger.
14:41More akin to a Sloppy Joe than a standard burger, it was ground beef between two buns topped with lettuce
14:46and onions.
14:47And, if you upgraded, cheese and tomatoes.
14:49It went by many names, but will always be remembered by fans as the Bell Beefer.
14:53The beefer stuck around for decades, but by the middle of the 90s, it was no more.
14:57We don't know what the actual packaging looked like, so this is all artistic speculation.
15:02Number 4.
15:03Wagyu Deluxe Steakhouse Burger, Arby's
15:05While Arby's has always had the meat, one thing they never had, until 2022, was a hamburger.
15:11Too many bad burgers are served in drive-thrus every day.
15:14Arby's couldn't take it anymore, so Arby's made a new burger.
15:18But when they finally got into the burger game, they didn't mess around with sliders or wimpy patties.
15:23They went with Wagyu beef, well, 52% Wagyu beef, and a burger-cooked sous-vide style that, they claimed,
15:29was 50% larger than a quarter-pounder from McDonald's.
15:33We checked out some reviews from the time, and people seemed to really enjoy it.
15:36Its popularity was also seen in the fact that the chain sold out of the item faster than expected.
15:41Behold! It's Arby's Wagyu Steakhouse Burger!
15:45They did bring it back soon after, but it appears that the burger was always meant as a limited-time
15:49offer, and not a permanent menu item.
15:51Number 3. Loaded Steakhouse, Burger King.
15:54In press releases back in 2008, Burger King touted Steakhouse Burgers as offering the indulgence of an entire steak dinner
16:00at a fraction of the cost.
16:02Is that the steakhouse from Burger King? What'd you do to earn that?
16:06Listen to this. An Angus patty, topped with mashed potatoes, crispy fried onions, and A1 steak sauce. Boom!
16:13We don't know why it only lasted about a year, but now we kind of wish we had a time
16:16machine to go back to 2008 and try it.
16:18The Loaded Steakhouse from Burger King, that's the one with baked potato topping. How'd you earn it?
16:23Burger King does have a Steakhouse Burger on some locations' menus today, but without the mashed potatoes, it sounds like
16:28an unloaded disappointment.
16:29And while we're talking BK, let us also mention the discontinued Crown Jewels line of chicken-based and beef-based
16:35sandwiches,
16:35which were launched at New Zealand locations in 2005.
16:38The new Crown Jewels range is now at Burger King, with fancy ingredients like mango-lime sauce.
16:45They're flesh, but not too flesh. Only at Burger King. It just tastes better.
16:50Number 2. Big Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger, Wendy's.
16:54Few fast food chains have made bacon a priority like Wendy's. We're looking at you, Baconator.
16:58Come try a Wendy's Baconator, now with six strips of new Applewood smoked bacon.
17:03Never once to rest on their pork laurels, Wendy's introduced the Big Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger in 2021,
17:09calling it a cheesy bacon-lover dream come true.
17:12But those dreams turned into nightmares in 2022, when the Big Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger was discontinued.
17:17Floated with more of that Wendy's bacon you love, and more of the cheese you've always wanted.
17:21Why, you ask? Well, the truth is, as part of the Made to Crave line, it was never meant to
17:25be a permanent menu item,
17:27and thus, it was reportedly removed in order to make way for the Pretzel Bacon Pub Burger.
17:31Once you lock eyes on the pretzel bun, beer cheese, and Applewood smoked bacon, nothing will distract you.
17:39That's the circle of fast food life, it seems.
17:42Number 1. Arch Deluxe, McDonald's.
17:45McDonald's launched the Arch Deluxe in 1996, with an eye toward a specific target audience.
17:50Introducing the burger with the grown-up taste, McDonald's Arch Deluxe.
17:54This was a burger for grown-ups, or at least, that is what the most expensive fast food marketing campaign
17:59ever at the time told us.
18:01What made it so adult? Was it the split-top potato flour sesame seed bun, the circular peppered bacon, or
18:06the Dijonais?
18:07The best ingredients are just the start of a great burger.
18:10Whatever it was, it wasn't what grown-ups wanted, or at least, not enough grown-ups wanted it to make
18:15it a profitable venture for the company.
18:17And by 2000, the Golden Arches no longer sold the Arch Deluxe.
18:20McDonald's Arch Deluxe. If it were any more grown-up, we'd need to check your ID.
18:25What's your most missed burger of all time? Let us know in the comments.
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