Between the app-only deals, celebrity meals, and self-service kiosks that sometimes feel more complicated than doing your taxes, a trip to McDonald’s today is a wildly different experience than it was 20, 30, or even 40 years ago.
It was a time of Styrofoam containers, classic PlayPlace structures, and a menu that felt a little more… legendary.
While we can’t turn back the clock, we can certainly dream. From misunderstood masterpieces to simple snacks that hit just right, some menu items have left a burger-sized hole in our hearts. With that in mind, here are nine discontinued treasures that McDonald’s needs to bring back to the menu, like, yesterday.
9. McSalad Shakers
Remember when eating a salad was fun? In the early 2000s, McDonald’s unleashed the McSalad Shakers, a stroke of pure, unadulterated genius. You got your greens, toppings, and dressing all in a tall, clear cup. The mission was simple: pop the lid, pour the dressing, close it up, and shake it like a Polaroid picture. It was a gimmick, sure, but it was a gimmick that worked. It made eating your veggies an interactive event, and for that, we salute it.
8. The Original Halloween Pails
Okay, hear us out. While the Halloween Pails did make a comeback, they just aren’t the same. We’re talking about the OGs: McPunk’n, McBoo, and McGoblin. In the ’80s and early ’90s, these weren’t just buckets; they were characters. Each pail came with a different face and lid that was part of the design (like a pumpkin stem). Getting one of these with your Happy Meal was a core part of the Halloween season for an entire generation.
7. Super Size
Yeah, we know why it went away. We saw the documentary. But you can’t talk about classic McDonald’s without paying respect to the option that defined an era of unapologetic indulgence. The command “Super Size me!” was a cultural touchstone. That massive red carton of fries was a symbol of value and, let’s be honest, a weekend treat. Reviving it isn’t about promoting bad habits; it’s about bringing back a choice, a memory, and the sheer joy of having way, way too many French fries.
6. The Original Fried Apple Pie
If you’ve only ever had the modern “baked” apple pie from McDonald’s, we are truly sorry. You missed out. The original pie was a different beast entirely. Its flaky crust was plunged into a deep fryer, creating a bubbly, crispy, and admittedly dangerous pocket of molten-hot apple and cinnamon filling. It was a glorious, imperfect, and utterly decadent treat. The baked version is just a sad, healthier shadow of its former self.
If you want to experience what you’ve been missing, you’ll have to book a flight to Hawaii—where every McDonald’s still fries their apple pies thanks to customers who refused to accept the switch back in 1992—or make a pilgrimage to the original McDonald’s in Downey, California, where the fried pie lives on as a nostalgic relic.
5. Szechuan Sauce
This one is the stuff of pop culture legend. Originally a limited-time promotional tie-in for Disney’s Mulan in 1998, this tangy teriyaki-style dipping sauce was largely forgotten until the show Rick and Morty made it a cultural phenomenon. The brief, chaotic re-release in 2017, 2018, and 2022 proved the demand is real. It’s time to stop the limited runs and give the people the Mulan-inspired sauce they crave, permanently.
4. Chicken Selects
McDonald’s has had a toxic relationship with chicken tenders that makes reality TV drama look tame. They launched Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips in 2003, killed them in 2013, rebranded them as Buttermilk Crispy Tenders in 2017, then discontinued those in 2020 during the pandemic.
Here’s the kicker: people loved these things. They were actual chicken breast strips with a satisfying crunch that put Chicken McNuggets to shame. The company recently announced that it is bringing back chicken strips as “McCrispy Strips,” but reviews so far suggest that they’re not quite the same. If McDonald’s could just bring back the Chicken Selects exactly as they were and stop trying to reinvent the (perfectly good) wheel, we’re sure it would make fans deliriously happy.
3. Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel
This item has actually made sporadic comebacks since being discontinued in 2020, returning to select markets in 2024 and 2025. But availability is wildly inconsistent—some locations have it, most don’t, and nobody seems to know why.
When you can find it, this sandwich is absolute breakfast royalty. Folded eggs, melty American cheese, grilled onions, and a legitimate steak patty on a toasted bagel. It’s substantial, satisfying, and the kind of breakfast that makes you question why you ever accepted a McGriddle as an adequate substitute. McDonald’s, stop playing games with our hearts and make this nationwide already.
2. Cinnamon Melts
Introduced in 2007 and discontinued in 2017, Cinnamon Melts were basically deconstructed cinnamon rolls swimming in cream cheese frosting. They were outrageously sweet, absolutely terrible for you, and completely glorious.
McDonald’s killed them because of low sales and high production costs. But here’s our theory: they were ahead of their time. This was the peak “breakfast should be practical” era. Now? People literally put dessert in their cereal. Bring back Cinnamon Melts, market them as “breakfast indulgence,” and watch them become TikTok famous.
1. Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait
Introduced in 1999 and discontinued in 2020, the Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait was that rare McDonald’s item that didn’t require a side of guilt. Layers of vanilla yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, and granola—it was simple, refreshing, and actually pretty decent for fast food.
McDonald’s ended it during the pandemic purge, but in a world where açai bowls cost $15 at trendy cafés, a $1.49 parfait at McDonald’s would be an absolute steal. Plus, it photographs well, which in 2025 is basically mandatory for food products. This is such an easy win, McDonald’s. Just do it.