Pizza Hut’s Bigfoot Pizza
Let’s be real, the Bigfoot Pizza measured a whopping 12 inches by 24 inches, totaling two square feet of cheesy, saucy indulgence and was cut into 21 square slices. It cost just $10.99 at the time, making it a value juggernaut. This rectangular beast came in a paper bag, not a box, because frankly, no box could contain its glory. Despite its popularity, the Bigfoot Pizza was discontinued by the mid-1990s due to changing consumer tastes, logistical challenges, and the short-lived nature of novelty food trends. The thing was so massive that delivery drivers struggled to fit it in their bags, and kitchen workers constantly dealt with torn dough that had to be scrapped, wasting ingredients and cutting into profits according to multiple sources from the era.
Today, with nostalgia-driven marketing at an all-time high, bringing back this absolute unit of a pizza would be a guaranteed success.
McDonald’s Arch Deluxe
Here’s the thing about the Arch Deluxe: it was supposed to be McDonald’s grown-up burger. The Arch Deluxe featured a quarter pound of beef on a split-top potato flour sesame seed bun, topped with a circular piece of peppered bacon, leaf lettuce, tomato, American cheese, onions, ketchup, and Dijonnaise sauce. McDonald’s is estimated to have spent about $200 million on the research, production, and marketing for the Arch Deluxe.
Why did it fail so spectacularly? The burger was more expensive than a Big Mac, but not premium enough to justify the cost. Most people saw it as just a pricier version of what they already loved. In 2000, the Arch Deluxe was finally discontinued. Honestly, it sounds like a missed opportunity. With today’s shift toward gourmet fast food, it’s possible a modern version could succeed.
Taco Bell’s Bell Beefer
The Bell Beefer was on Taco Bell’s menu from the mid 1970s to the mid 1990s, with a short comeback in the early 2010s. Picture this: seasoned taco meat, lettuce, diced onions, shredded cheese, and mild taco sauce all piled on a hamburger bun. It was basically Taco Bell’s answer to the sloppy joe, and it worked surprisingly well. Disgruntled fans of the Beefer held restaurant sit-ins known as “Stank Festivals” in protest after its cancellation.
The item reappeared on Taco Bell’s dollar menu at a smattering of locations in 2012, and was apparently especially popular in the Bay Area, but the petitioners’ victory was short-lived. It vanished soon after. Taco Bell let fans vote on which discontinued item to bring back in 2022, and the same year, it revived the Taco Bell Mexican Pizza at the behest of supporters and a Change.org petition. Maybe the Bell Beefer deserves that same chance.
Pizza Hut’s Triple Deckeroni
I think Pizza Hut went absolutely wild with this one. The Triple Deckeroni was a pizza wrapped in another pizza, featuring two thin crusts, six types of cheese, and 96 pepperoni slices. Yes, you read that correctly. It was like a calzone on steroids, and people were obsessed with it during its brief run in the late 1990s.
Pizza Hut stopped selling the Triple Deckeroni sometime near the end of the 1990s and never brought it back, though its spirit lives on in nostalgic Reddit subs, Facebook groups, and YouTube recipe videos. People loved the multi-layered pizza so much that they even created a Facebook fan page to advocate for its return. With cheese and pepperoni consumption higher than ever, this monstrosity could absolutely make a comeback.
Burger King’s Original Chicken Tenders
Burger King’s Chicken Tenders made their debut in a menu revision and expansion in 1985. These weren’t your run-of-the-mill nuggets. The original recipe had a toasty, lightly peppered coating that made them stand out from everything else on the menu. Somewhere around 2012, Burger King swapped them out for something blander to compete with McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets.
The chicken tenders were briefly re-introduced in 2018, but their reappearance was short-lived as part of a limited-time offer. Fans still flood Reddit threads begging for their return. According to Reddit, chicken fries simply don’t compare with the original, as one Redditor wrote: “I’ll still get chicken fries because it’s the closest thing, but it’s not the same.” Sometimes chicken nuggets just don’t cut it, you know?
Wendy’s Fresh Stuffed Pitas
Remember when Wendy’s tried to get fancy? These sandwiches lasted three years at Wendy’s, and have become a cult favorite since they were discontinued, with Redditors and YouTubers calling for their return, though speculation ranges from poor sales to the labor intensity of making the sandwiches. The pitas came stuffed with fresh ingredients like grilled chicken, feta cheese, and Greek dressing, all wrapped up in warm pita bread.
Unlike others on this list, Fresh Stuffed Pitas never got a second go-round. You could try recreating something similar with Wendy’s current salads and store-bought pita bread, but it’s just not the same. These were introduced in the early ’90s as part of Wendy’s attempt to offer healthier, more sophisticated options. It’s unlikely these will ever return as a permanent menu item.
McDonald’s McJordan Special
It was 1991, basketball player Michael Jordan was building a legendary career with the Chicago Bulls, and McDonald’s just released the “McJordan Special,” his version of a Quarter Pounder made with traditional Quarter Pounder ingredients, along with barbecue sauce and bacon. This burger was essentially Jordan’s personal order elevated to menu status.
The McJordan had one more limited run in 1993 before disappearing into the depths of McDonald’s lore, and it coincided with the release of the “Big 33,” a burger inspired by Larry Bird. Imagine if McDonald’s brought back athlete-inspired menu items today. With celebrity collaborations dominating the fast-food landscape in 2023 through 2025, this seems like a no-brainer. The nostalgia factor alone would drive sales through the roof.
Burger King’s Cini Minis
Burger King introduced Cini-Minis in the late ’90s, and a 2016 Change.org petition dubbed “Demand Burger King bring back Cini-Minis” has received over 5,500 signatures. These were basically tiny cinnamon rolls, but served warm and gooey with that perfect icing-to-dough ratio. They became a breakfast staple for many people who grew up in that era.
These had a cult following, and fans still clamor for their return, though the Burger King Cini Minis returned in November of 2024 in Miami and Fort Lauderdale as a $2.49 test; nationwide rollout hinges on sales. If those test markets show strong numbers, we might actually see these make a permanent comeback. Fingers crossed!
Taco Bell’s Chili Cheese Burrito
Some Taco Bell locations still secretly serve this off-menu, but most of us can’t get our hands on it anymore. The Chili Cheese Burrito, affectionately known as the Chilito, was pure comfort food wrapped in a soft flour tortilla. It featured spicy beef chili and melted cheddar cheese, creating this perfect midnight snack that never seemed to leak or fall apart.
Though officially discontinued in the late ’90s, rumors persist of secret menus and rogue Taco Bell locations still serving this cult classic, with some fans creating online trackers to find the remaining outposts still making this beloved burrito! The fact that people have gone to such lengths proves this menu item deserves an official return. It wasn’t fancy, but it hit differently after late-night study sessions or weekend hangouts.
KFC’s Potato Wedges
KFC’s Potato Wedges had been a cherished US-exclusive menu item since the 1990s with a strong fanbase thanks to their crispy coating and pillowy interior, and when the chicken chain removed the potato-based side in 2020, fast food devotees were devastated, with KFC confirming the wedges would be replaced with the brand’s new Secret Recipe Fries.
Another discontinuation that inspired a petition is KFC’s Potato Wedges, though the reasoning is unclear as it was a wildly popular menu item, causing such an uproar that the petition made to demand its return now has 4,355 signatures. Those wedges had the perfect texture contrast: crunchy outside, fluffy inside, seasoned just right. The Secret Recipe Fries just don’t compare. Potato Wedges first appeared on the menu alongside other sides in the mid-1990s. People want their wedges back, and honestly, KFC should listen.
These ten menu items represent more than just discontinued fast food. They’re pieces of ’90s culture that shaped how we experienced quick meals with friends and family. The rise in nostalgic foods during the pandemic gave consumers a sense of comfort to help combat stress, and food and beverage brands explored how to capture their attention and love of nostalgia through formulations, applications, packaging and marketing. With nostalgia marketing proving wildly successful in 2024 and 2025, maybe it’s time for these classics to make their triumphant return. What do you think? Which one would you want back first?