12 Nostalgic Fast Food Items We Miss the Most from the 60s, 70s and 80s

Taste of the past: Remembering beloved fast food creations

Mc Donald's Onion Nuggets | ©Image Credit: Mc Donald's Wiki / Alexboz97
Mc Donald's Onion Nuggets, introduced in the '70s | ©Image Credit: Mc Donald's Wiki / Alexboz97

Fast food is the one constant in our lives — conversely, it is also continually evolving, with new menu items popping up all the time to tantalize our taste buds. But sometimes, in the pursuit of the next big thing, we lose sight of the classics that captured our hearts (and stomachs) in decades past. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and reminisce about some of the most beloved fast food items from the 60s, 70s, and 80s that we wish would make a comeback.

McDonald’s Fried Apple Pie (1968-1992)

McDonald's Fried Apple Pie
©Image Credit: McDonald’s

Before the baked version took over in 1992 (perhaps because at the time, as a country we realized fried isn’t as healthy as baked), McDonald’s served up a crispy, deep-fried apple pie that was the perfect blend of tart and sweet, all wrapped up in a crunchy goldeny crust. Paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it was an unbeatable dessert that many would love to see return. But unless you live in Hawaii where the dessert is readily available, or Downey, California, which houses the only other McDonald’s location in the US that serves this deliciousness, that’s unlikely to happen.

Burger Chef’s Big Shef (1960s-1980s)

Big Chef's Big Shef
©Image Credit: Reddit / Yeeslander

In its heyday, Burger Chef gave McDonald’s a run for its money with the Big Shef — a burger featuring two flame-broiled beef patties, a tangy special tartar sauce, cheese, shredded lettuce, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun – the burger was the stuff of dreams, and it was delicious. Despite its popularity, a combination of bad choices and unfortunate incidents led to Burger Chef being acquired by Hardee’s in 1982 and the Big Shef slowly became a relic of the past. That was until Hardee’s decided to bring back the Big Shef in 2001, 2007, and 2014 for a limited time. Whether the Big Shef will make a permanent comeback is anybody’s guess.

Taco Bell’s Bell Beefer (1970s-1990s)

Taco Bell's Bell Beefer
©Image Credit: Taco Bell Wiki / RegShowPics

Imagine a sloppy Joe, but with Taco Bell’s signature seasoned ground beef, served on a bun with cheese, lettuce, and tomato — this was the Bell Beefer, a messy but delicious mashup that we’d happily get our hands dirty for again. Unfortunately, this menu favorite was discontinued in the ’90s so that Taco Bell could cement itself as a brand that sells Mexican food more than anything else. Despite all this, avid fans of the sandwich have, for years, requested that it be brought back to the menu permanently. Petitions have been filed, and Facebook pages and groups demanding its return have been making the rounds.

McDonald’s Onion Nuggets (1970s-1980s)

Mc Donald's Onion Nuggets
©Image Credit: Mc Donald’s Wiki / Alexboz97

Who would have thought that Chicken McNuggets weren’t the original nuggets? In the 1970s, McDonald’s introduced deep-fried onion bits as a tasty alternative to French fries, featuring a crispy exterior and a soft, sweet onion interior – they were the perfect sidekick to any burger or sandwich. However, as all good things must come to an end, so did the Onion Nuggets when McDonald’s decided to focus on creating a chicken-based menu item instead, and thus was born the Chicken McNugget. Although Onion Nuggets have not seen the time of day since – a legion of fans still hold out hope for the menu item’s comeback, to the point of recreating the recipe and setting up web pages petitioning for its return.

Jack in the Box’s Frings (1979-1980s)

Jack in the Box's Frings
©Image Credit: Mc Donald’s Wiki / Alexboz97

Can’t decide between fries and onion rings? Jack in the Box solved that dilemma with Frings, a genius combination of both in one convenient package. Sadly, the snack didn’t gain enough popularity to stick around for long. Fortunately for us, other restaurant chains have popularized the idea, including Harvey’s “Frings”. Burger King also allegedly sells something called “King Frings” on their secret menu according to fans, while others argue that Burger King merely takes custom orders, allowing you to have equal amounts of french fries and onion rings.

Burger King’s Yumbo (1970s)

Burger King Yumbo (Pikeland)
©Image Credit: Pikeland Wiki / BigSpinCoaster P

The Yumbo was a simple but satisfying hot ham and cheese sandwich served on a toasted hoagie bun. It’s proof that sometimes, less is more when it comes to fast food. The sandwich was discontinued in 1974 in an attempt to streamline the restaurant chain’s menu items to focus on burgers since competition was high (as it always is) with Mickey D’s. Come 2014, Burger King decided to reintroduce the Yumbo, but not in all its glory apparently, because everyone who had a taste of the original Yumbo alleged that it just didn’t have the same kick to it. Unsurprisingly, the fast food chain discontinued the Yumbo that very year.

McDonald’s McPizza (1980s-1990s)

Mc Donald's McPizza
©Image Credit: Reddit / ya666in

McDonald’s may be known for its burgers, but for a brief time in the 80s and 90s, they also served up a family-sized pizza which later became personal-sized ones in the 90s. While the McPizza wasn’t exactly gourmet, it was a fun novelty item that we wouldn’t mind seeing again. The McPizza slowly disappeared from the menu in the late 90s until it was discontinued around 2000, likely because the wait times were a nightmare for a fast-food chain that prides itself on its short wait time policy. Currently, only one Mc D’s location serves the McPizza on its menu, so if you happen to be in Orlando, Florida, you know what to get your hands on first!

Wendy’s Superbar (1988-1998)

Wendy's Super Bar Buffet
©Image Credit: Reddit / CincoDeMayoFan

The Superbar was an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring a salad section, a Mexican fare section, an Italian section, a dessert section, and more. This meant feasting on endless amounts of pasta, cheesy nachos, burritos, fruit, and vanilla/chocolate pudding, you name it! This was all enjoyed inside a beautiful sun room, of all things. It was a great value and a welcome change of pace from the usual fast food that customers were used to. Ultimately, the Superbar was too much work for employees and was by no means sustainable long-term, so here we are…

KFC’s Chicken Littles (1980s)

KFC's Chicken Littles
©Image Credit: Reddit / sellpremium2022

These mini chicken sandwiches by KFC were a hit with kids and adults alike, thanks to their cute square size (almost like a slider), crispy, flavorful chicken fillet, mayonnaise, and pickles on a soft roll for just 39 cents. They’ve since been replaced by bigger or different-tasting sandwiches (which nostalgic fans are not happy about) but we’ll always have a soft spot for the original Chicken Littles.

McDonald’s Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich (1979-1980s)

McDonald's Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich
©Image Credit: Reddit / AxlCobainVedder

This hearty, scrumptious sandwich featured a super long grilled beef topped with onions and a tangy steak sauce on a toasted French-style roll. The Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich was a more substantial option for those with a bigger appetite, and it was only available after 4 pm as part of the dinner menu. But like other experimental menu items of McDonald’s the Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich was slowly phased out, likely due to operational inefficiencies and the fact that it was super pricey – $1.20 to $1.80 in those times is no joke. Many YouTube and Reddit users who’ve had a taste of the elusive sandwich say that it’s one of the best sandwiches offered by Mc D’s.

McDonald’s Cheddar Melt (1988)

McDonald's Cheddar Melt
©Image Credit: Reddit / AxlCobainVedder

In 1988, McDonald’s introduced the Cheddar Melt for a limited time – it was a quarter-pound burger featuring a beef patty garnished with grilled onions and cheddar cheese sauce on a rye bun. The unique combination of flavors and the rye bun made it stand out from other burgers on the menu — and what do you know, folks loved it. Too bad it was never made into a permanent menu item. However, the Cheddar Melt did make a brief comeback in 2012, but that was the last we saw of the exquisite burger.

Dairy Queen’s Breeze (1990)

Dairy Queen's Breeze
©Image Credit: Reddit / dannyhogan200

The Breeze was Dairy Queen’s entry into the frozen yogurt market. It was advertised as low-fat since it was all about the “fat-free” lifestyle at the time. The refreshing dessert featured a vanilla-flavored frozen yogurt base that came in flavors like orange, cranberry, lime, and the same toppings offered with the Blizzard. It was meant to be a lighter alternative to the rich Blizzards and shakes offered by the fast food chain – perfect for a hot summer day. Sadly, Dairy Queen phased out the Breeze, citing the lack of demand for the dessert. We wonder what the fast food chain would have to say about the Change.org petition calling for the return of the Breeze.

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