Discontinued Fast Food Items You Can Still Order

It doesn't matter what your fast food joint of choice is, chances are pretty good that you have your favorite things to order off the menu. When those favorite items disappear, it can catch you off guard, and it's completely heartbreaking. And they do disappear, with a surprising frequency. Menus get updated and overhauled, items that show lagging sales are replaced with something new, and sometimes, it's your favorites that find themselves on the chopping block.

In some cases, all is not lost and there's actually something you can do about it (aside from starting an online petition to bring something back). Sometimes, you can still order your favorites even though they've disappeared from the menu. It takes a little creativity, some menu hacking, and a very, very patient employee or two, but it could be totally worth it. Pro tip? Just remember to be extra-nice to the person behind the counter, because you're asking them to do something well out of the ordinary, and don't do this through the drive-thru, for the sake of anyone lining up behind you. Exciting, right?

When IHOP discontinued the cult-favorite Cinn-A-Stack pancakes, Delish says there were hundreds and hundreds of requests submitted to bring them back. Sadly, they're not coming back, at least, not any time soon, but you can still get them.

Just order a stack of regular, buttermilk pancakes, and you only need three other ingredients to put this one together yourself (or, if you ask politely, to have a kind soul in the kitchen assemble it for you). That cream cheese frosting is still around, as it's a key ingredient in other things on the menu. And that cinnamon spread? It's still around too, for things like the restaurant's Mexican Churro pancakes. Sure that's a limited time offering, too, but since IHOP almost always has something cinnamon on the menu, you can make your own Cinn-A-Stack pancakes by just asking for the plain pancakes, cinnamon spread, cream cheese frosting, and a dollop of whipped cream. Best of all? You can ask for extra on the side, because everyone knows that cinnamon spread is the best part.

Lifelong Taco Bell fans might remember the Cheesarito, a simple, straightforward, vegetarian option that Mental Floss says was a part of the chain's original menu. Since they're so simple, they're also super-easy to still order.

Just ask for a Cheesy Roll Up, which is basically a soft tortilla with piles of melted cheese. Add scallions and red sauce, and that's it — you now have a vintage throwback so good it's had people clamoring for its return. The few ingredients are all staples on Taco Bell's menu that are unlikely to be going anywhere anytime soon, and that's a good thing. They're perfect for a quick snack, and they're not going to break the bank, either.

Since it was such a popular item that was on the menu for so long, there's probably a devout following of people who ask for it. So, it's possible whoever is behind the counter is going to know exactly what you're talking about and how to ring it up. And if they don't, now you know exactly what to ask for.

It's common knowledge that everything is better deep-fried, even though it's not necessarily better for you. That's true for pickles, too, and if you happened to have been to Sonic in the late 1960s, that's when The Christian Science Monitor says you might have ordered a southern classic off the menu: deep-fried pickles, or Pickle Os. They made a brief reappearance during Sonic's 50th anniversary celebrations in 2003, and some places — particularly in the deep South — still have them on offer. They've been discontinued in most places, though, and if your local Sonic is one of those places, you can only get them if you get creative.

Just ask for some pickle slices to be battered and deep-fried, because that's literally all these were. Pickles aren't going anywhere any time soon, and neither are the fryers — so this is likely one delicacy you'll be able to enjoy indefinitely. Kind employees willing, of course.

Remember the Big N' Tasty from McDonald's? You might, as it wasn't popular enough to stay on the menu full time — Cosmopolitan says it was discontinued in 2011 — but it's still popular enough that it comes back every once in a while for special occasions. But, what if you don't want to wait?

You can still get this one, too — mostly. McDonald's created it to go head-to-head with Burger King's Whopper, and that's essentially what it is. Start with a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, take off the ketchup and mustard, then add lettuce, onion, and tomato. You're almost there — the Big N' Tasty came with a sauce, too, but it's so close to the Big Mac's special sauce you can add that and you're 99 percent of the way there. The sauce of the Big N' Tasty had some smokey overtones to it, so if you want an even more authentic taste, ask for special sauce and BBQ on the side. Mix, apply, and you're good to go.

You're not going to be getting a 100 percent authentic McDLT any more, and that's completely fine. When this Whopper-esque burger was discontinued in the early 1990s, Serious Eats says the reason McD's gave for its disappearance was a shift in how environmentally conscious the chain was. It was served in a two-part polystyrene container — which is why it's a good thing they don't do that anymore.

But let's talk about the burger itself, and it was a brilliant idea. The marketing behind the McDLT was that it was served to you in a single container with two sides: hot and cold. The hot half was the bottom bun and the burger patty, and the other half — the top bun, lettuce, tomato, and mayo — was kept cold, since it was served in a separate side of the insulated container. Pretty brilliant, right? (George Costanza thought so, as it's a young Jason Alexander who did the pitching in this throwback commercial.)

McDonald's still has all those ingredients, so you can still get it. Ask for a Quarter Pounder without cheese or toppings, then add lettuce, mayo, and tomato. Then, just ask them to bag the veggies separately. Sure, it's a little extra work on your end, but isn't it worth it to avoid the questionable texture of hot lettuce?

That's right, it's Taco Bell's Enchirito, a discontinued menu item that's so popularly hacked Thrillist reports some locations might even have a button made for it on their cash registers, and the raw data for it is still in Taco Bell's POS. It's no wonder — The Huffington Post says it was on Taco Bell's menu from 1968 to 1993 in its original form, and made a reappearance from 1999 to 2013 in a modified form. It disappeared completely after that... or did it?

Everything you need to make one is still right on Taco Bell's menu, as they're all ingredients included in other menu items. Start with a Burrito Supreme with double meat and cheese but no lettuce or tomatoes, then for a side of red sauce and two sides of cheese. Ask them to put the sauce and cheese on top of the burrito and heat the whole thing until it's melted, add a few black olives to the top, and there's your Enchirito — just as good as you remember it.

In 2016, countless Chick-fil-A aficionados were devastated when the Spicy Chicken Biscuit was dropped from the menu in many — but not all — locations. While some still offer the spicy slice of breakfast deliciousness, what if your local Chick-fil-A is one that discontinued this fan favorite?

This one takes some timing, but look at it this way — pick one up, and it's the sort of sandwich you can definitely warm up when you're ready for lunch. Chick-fil-A stops serving breakfast at 10:30, and that's when they technically stop making those incredible buttered biscuits and start making lunch, including the Spicy Chicken Sandwich. See where we're going with this? Time your visit to that sweet spot between breakfast and lunch, and ask nicely for a leftover biscuit from breakfast and lunchtime's spicy sandwich. If you ask really nicely, they may even put it together for you. That's lunch sorted!

Nothing called "Fully Loaded Nachos" is going to be the least bit good for you, but sometimes, you just don't care. According to Mental Floss, Taco Bell's Fully Loaded Nachos were only available from Fall 2008 to Winter 2009, but you can absolutely still make the equivalent. This one's a little complicated, so you might want to jot this down before you head off to your nearest Taco Bell. (And please, don't go through the drive-thru. Think of the children!)

Start with a Fiesta Taco Salad — that edible tortilla bowl is key, and it's a huge part of what made the Fully Loaded Nachos so awesome. Double up on the beef, get rid of the lettuce, rice, and tomatoes. Then, add guacamole, swap the cheese for their three-cheese blend, and add nacho cheese. Then, get a side or two of nachos (and potentially a few sides of salsa and more nacho cheese for that tortilla bowl). After asking them to do all that, it's probably best if you just ask for the nachos on the side and scoop away on your own.

We get it, the Yumbo is such a weird name for a sandwich, it's hard to believe anyone ever took this seriously. In fact, Snopes says that in 2014, a theory started circulating on social media that said Burger King had created a fake 1970s-era sandwich in an attempt to get everyone talking about their product instead of lamenting the loss of McDonald's McRib.

The Yumbo was actually real, and when it came back in 2014, it was to a somewhat confused reception (via Miami New Times). It garnered headlines like the Houston Chronicle's "Burger King's uninspired Yumbo may give sandwiches a bad name," so it's no wonder you can't find it on menus today. If you're so inclined, though, you can still piece it together — as long as you head to BK during breakfast. That's when you can get ham (thanks to the Croissan'wich), and cheese. Ask for it on a sesame seed roll with some mayo, and you've got your old-school Yumbo. (No lettuce necessary, in spite of what the 21st century Yumbo might have you think.)

America has been in a long-term relationship with bacon for years, and it's easy to see why. It's the perfect complement to just about anything, savory or sweet, so when Burger King released The Bacon Sundae in summer 2012, it was pretty shocking it had taken them that long. According to Gawker, it debuted in Nashville, spread to other markets, and was always designed as a limited-time offer.

That's a bummer, because... well, do we need to get into how perfect bacon and chocolate are together? It was even more than that, with both caramel and fudge poured over all that ice cream and all that bacon.

The good news is you can absolutely still order this one. BK still has both caramel and chocolate fudge sundaes, so just order one and add the opposite topping. Then, order a side of bacon. Smash, sprinkle, and dig in. You're welcome.

Frings were perhaps the laziest of all sides, and Business Insider says they were only on the menu at Jack In The Box for a short time in the 1970s. They're exactly what they sound like — a side that's half onion rings, and half french fries. They're literally what happens when someone's not being too careful with their scoop and you get some of each in an order, and it's not strange they were discontinued. What's strange is that you could order them at all... although they're fun to say, and we'll give Jack In The Box that much.

You can still get this one, and not just from Jack In The Box — you can get it from any fast food place that has both onion rings and french fries on the menu — just order a half-and-half. (Or a small one of each if they won't let you, and a large container to mix them in.) And just like that, your most important lunch choice is solved for you.

There's a lot of fast food items that aren't really good for you, but at least you can't say Taco Bell was trying to pass anything on their "Stuft" menu off as healthy — just look at the name! They may have been filled to the brim with all kinds of stuff that would go straight to your waistline, but they were undeniably delicious, too.

Take the Nacho Crunch Grilled Stuft Burrito. According to the devoted Taco Bell Fandom that keeps track of exactly these sorts of things, it had a relatively short run from 2005 to 2006 before it disappeared forever... or, did it?

You can actually still make this one, and that's great news for anyone who loved the cheesy-but-crunchy texture of this massive burrito. Start with a Beefy Nacho Griller, then add extra beef (or swap the beef for steak, if you prefer), sour cream, and tomatoes. That's it! 2005, here we come!

It's true, what they say: some do like it hot. If that's you, you may have loved the Volcano Taco. According to Mental Floss, the Volcano Taco became a permanent menu addition in 2009, but it was subsequently dropped when the Fiery Doritos Locos Taco became a thing. That's great, but it's not the same is it?

There's one thing the new Doritos taco doesn't have: Lava Sauce. And that's important: USA Today described it as "a triumphant symphony performed on instruments constructed entirely of hot peppers and cheese," and you can't get a better recommendation than that. Fortunately, they've also hacked their way into getting the sauce. Just order a side of nacho cheese, mix in two or three Fire Sauce packets, and you're super close to getting that extra-hot, cheesy goodness back on your taco. 

As for the rest, just order a Fiery Doritos Locos Taco, then add the sauce you just mixed up. Enjoy!

If you loved Starbucks' Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino during the holiday season, you're not the only one. They were amazing, a combination of chocolate, mocha, and caramel with just a dash of sea salt. Here's the good news — according to the baristas of Reddit, you can still order one, if you know what to ask for.

Start with a Caramel Frappuccino, and ask — nicely — if they'll make a few adjustments for you.

Blend mocha and toffee nut syrup into the coffee, and it should already have the whipped cream and a caramel drizzle on top. What about the sea salt? That's the only ingredient that's not going to be in stock, but one barista says they've discovered a nifty little trick to make what they call "I can't believe it's not sea salt!" Just take one packet of raw sugar and mix with two packets of ordinary salt. The effect is so similar, you'll think you ordered it off the menu again.