The 1960s and ’70s were no less an age of fast food experimentation when chains dared to dream bigger, bolder, and sometimes stranger. Imagine drive-ins serving pineapple-topped burgers and pirate-themed restaurants frying drumsticks like treasure.
These forgotten menu items remind us that fast food’s history is as much about wild creativity as it is about fries and shakes. These time capsules of postwar optimism reflect a culture obsessed with convenience, novelty, and the thrill of the unexpected.
On that note, let’s dig into the stories behind the flavors that shaped—and sometimes stumbled through—a deliciously daring chapter of American dining.
Red Barn’s “Big Barney”
This double-decker burger wasn’t just a Big Mac precursor—it was a Midwest-born innovator that beat McDonald’s to the punch. Introduced in 1961 or 1962 by Ohio-based Red Barn (about 5 years before the Big Mac), the Big Barney stacked two beef patties, American cheese, shredded lettuce, and a proprietary “special sauce” on a triple-layered bun.
The chain’s barn-shaped restaurants and cartoon mascots (“Hamburger Hungry,” “Chicken Hungry”) made it a quirky regional favorite. After merging with real estate conglomerate City Investing in 1978, advertising vanished, and franchise support crumbled.
Furthermore, maintaining the trademark barn buildings became financially unsustainable as competitors standardized cheaper designs. The remaining locations rebranded as “The Farm” in the 1980s, serving “Farm Boy” burgers (the Big Barney’s renamed twin) until the last Wisconsin outlet closed in 2020.
Long John Silver’s Peg Legs
Back in the day, Long John Silver’s was THE go-to pirate-themed fast food joint folks gathered at. When the fast food chain introduced Peg Legs as part of the menu in the 70s and 80s using the same batter they fried their famed fish with, unsurprisingly, customers went crazy for it.
These breaded and fried chicken drumsticks that were just as crispy and light as the fries and bits of fried batter that came with it soon became a popular menu item. Unfortunately, it was eventually replaced by chicken planks, much to the disappointment of Peg Legs fans, and we haven’t seen it since.
Burger King’s Yumbo
This hot ham-and-cheese pioneer debuted as a gourmet oddity, possibly in 1968 or 1971, as a standalone item. Featuring lean ham slices and melted American cheese on a buttery, knotted roll, the Yumbo predated McDonald’s McDLT by 13 years with its custom foam warming container.
Despite its cult following, Burger King axed it nationally in 1976 to refocus on burgers—though Midwestern franchises kept serving it into the 1980s. The 2014 revival swapped the original roll for a toasted hoagie bun and added lettuce/mayo and was met with mixed reviews, with some nostalgic fans being unhappy about how the Yumbo was “modernized.”
McDonald’s Hula Burger
This pineapple-and-cheese sandwich emerged from corporate desperation during Lent when Catholic customers avoided meat on Fridays. Ray Kroc (regarded as McDonald’s founder) personally designed the meatless option as a grilled pineapple ring with melted American cheese on a bun.
But when franchisee Lou Groen proposed his breaded fish sandwich instead, the two menu items faced a Lenten sales showdown. The Filet-O-Fish outsold the Hula Burger 350 to 6 in a single day, leading Kroc to abandon his tropical experiment. The Hula Burger’s fatal flaws? Unpeeled pineapple rings that burned on the grill and a concept so bizarre that even abstaining Catholics preferred fish.
Pizza Hut’s Fiesta Taco Pizza
Although it sounds like a bizarre combination of the best of Mexican and Italian cuisine, Pizza Hut’s Taco Pizza, which was first released in 1979, used to be a cult favorite among customers.
The Fiesta Taco Pizza originally featured beef, refried beans, lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheese, red onions, and taco sauce, all carefully assembled atop your standard pizza crust. Although the offering isn’t necessarily a discontinued item, as it is still being served at some locations in the US — it is more of an exception to the rule. Unlike the 1970s version, the present Taco Pizza comes with crushed tacos, and you get to pick between chicken and beef.
Unfortunately, you cannot order it online or get it through the “create your own” pizza option; you’ve got to ring in your order, which may require some persistence to find a location that still offers the pizza.
McDonald’s McSpaghetti
This pasta experiment began as part of McDonald’s disastrous menu expansion, which aimed to lure families with Italian-inspired meals like lasagna and fettuccine Alfredo. The McSpaghetti combined boiled noodles, marinara sauce, and optional meatballs, served in a white styrofoam clamshell with garlic bread.
Corporate envisioned it as a drive-thru replacement for casual dining outlets and competitors like Pizza Hut. However, cooking spaghetti required separate boiling stations, slowing service times to 12+ minutes per order.
Furthermore, Americans seemed to reject the idea of “fine dining” pasta that you’d have to eat from your lap in cars. The menu item ended up being axed stateside by the early 1980s; it found unexpected success in the Philippines, where it’s still served with fried chicken wings as a cultural staple.