21 Once-Popular Menu Items That Vanished From Fast Food Restaurants in Florida

If you grew up grabbing lunch from a drive-thru in Florida, you probably remember some wild menu items like seafood subs and bubblegum-flavored drinks.

And just like that, they were gone.

So, let’s dust off the old wrappers and remember the fast food favorites that were here one day and gone the next.

The McDLT: Hot Side Hot, Cool Side Cool

The McDLT was McDonald’s attempt to keep lettuce and tomato crisp while the burger stayed hot. It came in a two-compartment styrofoam container. Ingenious and wasteful.

People liked the flavor of it. The packaging? Not so much.

Environmental concerns and growing backlash over excess plastic led to its downfall.

The McDLT was gone by the early ’90s, but many still remember its oddball charm.

Taco Bell’s Enchirito: The Burrito That Needed a Fork

The Enchirito was Taco Bell’s cheesy, saucy blend of enchilada and burrito. It came smothered in red sauce and melted cheese, with a three-olive garnish on top.

It first launched in the 1970s, disappeared in the ’90s, returned in 2000, and then vanished again in 2013.

It was messy. It was delicious. And it had a cult following.

Taco Bell has teased its return over the years, but it never sticks around for long.

Burger King’s Chicken Tenders: Not the Nuggets

Before nuggets ruled the menu, Burger King had crispy, golden chicken tenders. They were shaped more like strips and had a totally different flavor from their later nuggets.

Fans loved them. Some even swore they were the best fast food chicken item of all time.

They quietly disappeared in the 2000s and came back briefly, but never with the same crunch.

People still pine for that tender texture and taste.

McDonald’s Fried Apple Pie: Too Hot to Handle

Once upon a time, McDonald’s served deep-fried apple pies with blisteringly hot filling.

They were flaky, crispy, and almost always too hot to eat right away. But they had serious fans.

In the early ’90s, McDonald’s switched to a baked version for health reasons. The change wasn’t exactly popular.

Some international locations still serve the fried version. But in America, it’s just a memory.

Pizza Hut’s Priazzo: Deep Dish Overload

In the 1980s, Pizza Hut tried to go gourmet with the Priazzo—a stuffed deep-dish pizza layered like a casserole.

It was a bold move and a bit too ahead of its time.

Customers liked the taste but not the long wait times. It took forever to cook, and that just didn’t fit fast food’s speed-focused model.

The Priazzo quietly disappeared, and Pizza Hut never went that deep again.

Wendy’s Superbar: Buffet at a Burger Joint

Wendy’s once had an all-you-can-eat buffet called the Superbar. It offered pasta, salad, and Mexican-style dishes.

Kids loved it. Parents loved the price.

But the concept didn’t scale well. Keeping everything clean and fresh proved too tricky for a fast food setting.

By the late ’90s, the Superbar was gone. Today, it feels almost impossible to imagine it ever existed.

Arby’s Potato Cakes: Crunchier Than Curly Fries

Arby’s is known for curly fries now, but it used to serve crispy triangle-shaped potato cakes.

They had a texture somewhere between a hash brown and a latke. People adored them.

In 2021, Arby’s removed them to simplify the menu. Fans were not happy.

Online petitions popped up, but Arby’s didn’t budge.

McDonald’s Arch Deluxe: The Burger for Grown-Ups

This was McDonald’s attempt at making a fancy burger for adults. The Arch Deluxe came with a “secret” mustard-mayo sauce and higher-end toppings.

It launched in 1996 with a huge marketing push, and flopped hard.

Kids didn’t care. Adults didn’t bite. It was pulled from menus quickly.

Today, it’s remembered more for its ambition than its flavor.

Jack in the Box’s Frings: Can’t Decide? Have Both

Frings were a combo of fries and onion rings, served in one container.

No need to choose. You got both.

It was a brilliant idea, but it didn’t last long. Some say it was too niche, others blame inconsistent portions.

Still, fans fondly recall that glorious mix of salt and crunch.

KFC’s Double Down: No Bun, Just Chicken

The Double Down took fast food excess to a whole new level. Two fried chicken filets acted as the “bun,” holding together bacon, cheese, and sauce.

It launched in 2010 and immediately grabbed headlines.

Some thought it was a joke. Others called it genius.

It reappeared a few times over the years but never became a permanent fixture. Probably for the best.

Burger King’s Yumbo: A Hot Ham and Cheese Flashback

Originally launched in the 1970s, the Yumbo was a hot ham and cheese sandwich served on a hoagie bun.

It was simple and warm, with melty American cheese. Nothing fancy.

Burger King brought it back briefly in 2014, then dropped it again.

It’s one of those sandwiches that quietly lived… and quietly disappeared.

McDonald’s Mighty Wings: Too Spicy, Too Pricey

In 2013, McDonald’s tried selling bone-in Mighty Wings to compete with wing chains.

They were spicy, crispy, and surprisingly good. But they cost more than most people were willing to pay at a burger place.

Sales fizzled, and McDonald’s ended up with millions of pounds of leftover chicken.

They were quietly discontinued a year later.

Taco Bell’s Bell Beefer: Tacos on a Bun

Before the fast-casual burger boom, Taco Bell tried to enter sandwich territory with the Bell Beefer.

It was basically a sloppy joe made with taco meat.

It didn’t last. People go to Taco Bell for tacos, not buns.

Still, it has a weird nostalgia factor, especially for those who grew up with it in the ’70s and ’80s.

Sonic’s Pickle-O’s: Fried Pickles at a Drive-In

Sonic once offered deep-fried pickle slices called Pickle-O’s. They were crunchy, salty, and paired perfectly with ranch.

They were popular for a while but got bumped for menu simplicity.

Fans still bring them up whenever Sonic announces new sides.

Every now and then, they do make a comeback for a limited time only.

McDonald’s Cheddar Melt: The Saucy Stepchild of the Burger Line

The Cheddar Melt featured a beef patty topped with grilled onions and a rich cheddar cheese sauce on a rye-style bun.

It was marketed as a warm, melty alternative to the standard cheeseburger lineup.

Launched in the late ’80s, it had a small but loyal following.

McDonald’s tried reviving it in the early 2000s, but it didn’t stick.

Subway’s Seafood Sensation: The Cold, Creamy Mystery

This cold sandwich was filled with a mayonnaise-heavy mix of imitation crab and other “seafood.”

It was a love-it-or-hate-it kind of sub.

Though it lingered for years in select locations, most Americans never saw it after the 2000s.

It quietly slipped away, and for good reason, if you ask us.

Wendy’s Frescata Sandwiches: A Deli Dream Gone Wrong

Wendy’s launched the Frescata line in the mid-2000s to compete with places like Panera and Subway.

These deli-style sandwiches were served cold and on artisan-style bread.

But Wendy’s was built for hot food, and the concept didn’t fit. Prep times slowed everything down.

They lasted less than two years before being pulled from menus.

Dairy Queen’s Breeze: The “Healthy” Blizzard That Didn’t Fly

In the 1990s, DQ introduced the Breeze. It was basically a Blizzard made with frozen yogurt instead of ice cream.

It was aimed at health-conscious customers who still wanted dessert.

But people who go to Dairy Queen generally want the real thing.

The Breeze melted away quietly while the Blizzard lived on strong.

Hardee’s Roast Beef Sandwich: A Rival to Arby’s That Never Stuck

Hardee’s tried to go head-to-head with Arby’s by offering its own roast beef sandwich.

It contained thinly sliced meat on a soft bun, sometimes with BBQ sauce.

It wasn’t a bad-tasting meal. But the sandwich never took off the way they hoped.

Eventually, Hardee’s leaned into thick burgers instead and dropped the roast beef attempt.

Chick-fil-A’s Carrot Raisin Salad: A Sweet Side That Disappeared

Long before kale or mac and cheese showed up, Chick-fil-A had a carrot raisin salad as a signature side.

It was sweet, creamy, and very Southern.

While some loved the nostalgic flavor, younger customers didn’t connect with it.

The salad was discontinued in 2013 despite pleas from longtime fans.

A&W’s Papa Burger: The Big Dad of All Burgers

A&W’s Papa Burger was a double-patty burger with special sauce, pickles, lettuce, and cheese. It was marketed as the “father” of the burger family.

It was big, satisfying, and full of nostalgia for roadside diners.