11 Limited Time Fast Food Sandwiches That Need To Be Permanent

Let's face it: nothing hits quite like a drippy, saucy, and cheesy fast food sandwich. Whether a juicy burger or a sizzling cheddar melt from your favorite spot down the street is an everyday indulgence or the occasional guilty pleasure, fast food sandwiches inevitably find their way into the diets of many American consumers. And when it comes time to order one, customers want to be able to drive up to their restaurant of choice and confidently request that one special sandwich they're longing for — you know, that particular entrée they've spent the entire long, stomach-rumbling afternoon day-dreaming about eating?

But what happens when that one coveted sandwich isn't there waiting on the menu when they finally pull into the drive thru line? Dismay and an insatiable craving, is what. Unfortunately, too many of some of the best fast food sandwiches have been released with a dreaded 'limited-time' label attached — leaving loads of customers yearning during their non-available off-seasons. From seasonal chicken creations to fleeting BLT takes to delightful-but-transient sourdough melts, here are 11 limited-time fast food sandwiches that need to be permanent.

Every good Southerner has dipped a cracker into a big ball of pimento cheese at least once. The celebrated cheese-based spread composed primarily of cheddar, mayonnaise, and chopped pimento peppers has become associated with the Southern states in the U.S. ... so is it any wonder that Georgia-born Chick-fil-A had the idea to spread it on a sandwich?

The Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich from Chick-fil-A is made with company's signature regular fried chicken patty, a generous pile of soft pimento cheese, honey drizzle, and pickled jalapeños: the perfect ratio of spicy and sweet. The original Honey Pimento became such a fan-favorite that a second, even spicier take (aptly named the Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento) was later developed, offering the same recipe of toppings but with one of the franchise's spicy fried chicken filets at its base. 

While these two sizzling sandos may be a spice-lovers dream, their downfall is that they only come around in the fall. While we all can appreciate the opportunity to indulge in a poultry-cheese masterpiece sitting on a park bench surrounded by colorful fallen leaves, pimento fans would love the ability to do so basking in the hot rays of summer, or among the falling snowflakes of winter, as well. As it stands, make sure to get out and order the Honey Pepper Pimento goodness before the last leaf of the season falls — your taste buds may not have another opportunity to be satisfied.

A BLT is an incredibly popular subway sandwich calling for bacon, lettuce, and tomato, while a Quarter Pounder is one of McDonald's most famous beef burger takes. Put 'em together, and what have you got? A combination destined to make hungry consumers swoon. The McDonald's Smoky BLT Quarter Pounder with Cheese features a toasted sesame seed bun, inside is nestled a perfectly-cooked Quarter Pounder patty. Layered on top of the meat base are multiple slices of American cheese, fresh tomato slices, lettuce, and — perhaps the best part — crispy Applewood Smoked bacon, then finished off with a specialty sauce. According to those who've been lucky enough to sample this particular fast food creation, quite frankly, it's the chef's kiss.

But if you're wanting to place an order for this sandwich bound to make you kiss your fingers in satisfied bliss, you'll likely have to pay close attention to the company's release announcements. Being a rotating and limited-time menu item, consumers had only had two opportunities thus far to get their hands on this smoky McDonald's sandwich before it vanished from the menu: once during its original release in 2022, and just recently in July 2024, when it was brought back again for a short time by popular demand. Come on, McDonald's — please don't make the people wait another two years for this mouth-watering burger to show its face on the menu again. The Smoky BLT deserves better. 

What is it about pulled pork that makes it so perfect for sandwich making? The unique tenderness of the meat, of course. The long, slow cook that is implemented when pulled pork is prepared breaks down the muscles and connective tissues making it up, rendering a moist, melt-in-your-mouth texture that effortlessly creates a flawless — and delicious — sandwich filling.

And the fast food chain that hails from the barbecue center of America, the South, understands this. Bojangles, which is primarily known for its fried chicken dishes, buttermilk biscuits, and sweet tea, also made a name for itself among pork-lovers with one particularly delicious take on a pulled pork sandwich. The Bojangles BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich calls for moist-and-tender North Carolina pulled pork meat, complete with a welcome, crunchy layer of coleslaw topping and generous dose of barbecue sauce. But beware before you fall in love with this particular menu item: it only graces us with its presence every now and then — usually in the summer — for a limited-time. In 2024, the month of availability was July. If snagging one of these porky beauties is on your to-do list, keep this in mind as the calendar swings around.

It was February 2024 when Southwestern fast food giant Taco Bell stepped out on a limb with a brand new signature sandwich-taco hybrid. It was called the Cheesy Chicken Crispanada, and after a successful test-run in Tennessee, the item debuted across Taco Bell locations nationwide. A play on a classic Spanish empanada, the Crispanada was a crescent-shaped, sealed-up, crunchy shell filled to bursting with melted cheese, shredded chicken, and delightful Mexican spices; a convenient on-the-go snack that was perfect in its cheesy simplicity.

But whether motivated by a desire to ensure that the spicy little sandwich would do well in the nationwide market before committing to making it a permanent option or not, Taco Bell indeed introduced its new Crispanada as a limited-time product only. After a run that induced mixed reviews from consumers, it's unclear whether or not the innovative treat will return to the menu for another go ... let alone become an all-the-time offering. Still, despite its rather love-it-or-leave-it reputation, we have to give the Crispanada some major props for the ease with which it could be enjoyed on the go — a quality that encapsulates the original intention for fast food, no? Thus, we'd certainly be willing to vote "yes" for the permanency of this pleasant, ultra-portable, undeniably-cute little sandwich pick.

Is bourbon the ultimate pairing for meat? Arby's sure made a case for the fact with its epic line of Bourbon BBQ sandwiches. The Bourbon BBQ Brisket Sandwich and the Bourbon BBQ Chicken Sandwich are two fan-favorite menu items that had not been seen since 2018 — until recently, that is. The fast food sandwich chain with all the meats brought both of these delectable picks back from the grave of discontinuation in August 2024, much to the excitement of craving customers everywhere. Much less exciting, however? The fact that they were reintroduced with the despised limited-time label attached.

Sad, but true. While the Arby's bourbon sandwich pair may have lasted an entire year on the company's menu during its 2018 debut, during its 2024 run, it appears to have only lasted a month or two before it faded into the pit of extinction yet again. The Bourbon BBQ sandwich line is no longer listed in the company's current limited-time menu lineup — and when it might be again, we simply can't say. Keep strong in your faith, bourbon-barbecue-loving Arby's fans. You never know when the higher-ups at the Arby's corporation might just fire the grills back up, and breathe life back into these beauties.

"Chicken Tater Melt is BACK," reads the title of a Reddit thread proclaiming the return of one of Jack in the Box's most celebrated limited-time items. "Got one on Thursday night [...] holy crap, my location NAILED it. I hate that it's limited because now I have to eat as many as I can before they leave the menu again." All of this love for the fast food chain's signature fried chicken-and-hashbrown patty sandwich with bacon and cheese topping is hardly reserved for just one post. In fact, it was positive fan buzz in general that influenced the higher-ups at Jack in the Box to reintroduce the Chick-N-Tater melt in June 2024, which had originally been intended as a one-time limited item when it was first presented to the masses a year prior.

Still, though, despite all the love for the savory creation, the Chick-N-Tater melt was again declared a limited-time, promo item. It remained on menus for a little over a month, and on July 14th, customers were tortured by having to experience the painful discontinuation of their beloved sando for the second time. As far as limited-times being made permanent, however, the Chick-N-Tater Melt could have a real shot based on sheer popularity alone. We suppose we'll just have to wait and see what time and the Jack in the Box sandwich gods have in store.

People go to Popeye's for its famous, breaded-by-hand daily chicken, and in May 2024, the chain gave its customers another chicken-forward reason to visit through the introduction of one especially delicious sandwich creation. It was called the Golden BBQ Chicken Sandwich, and it was perfect in its simplistic combination of battered fried-chicken patty, biting-but-sweet barbecue sauce, round crunchy pickles, bacon slices, and Havarti cheese. Rounded out with a golden, fluffy bun, this flavorful entrée brought all the excitement to the middle of chicken-filled tables everywhere.

Unfortunately, this particular Popeyes' creation was only ever intended to be limited-time. Since its arrival on the scene at the beginning of the summer of '24, it has since faded from company menus everywhere. How are we now to satisfy our desire for crispy chicken and barbecue flavors? Sure, we could fry up our own creation at home, but it may not hit the same: chicken is what Popeye's does best, after all.

Ghost peppers are ranked among the world's hottest, so they are an ideal recipe addition for those who enjoy a serious kick. The Wendy's company provided that kick with its Ghost Pepper Ranch Chicken Sandwich, which was released alongside the similarly-named Ghost Pepper Fries. The sandwich, which was a play on the chain's regular original spicy chicken, called for the standard spicy patty, ghost pepper American cheese, onions deep-fried until crunchy in ghost pepper and ranch seasonings, and was finished off with a ghost pepper ranch sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and herbs. How's that for setting your tongue ablaze?

But this sizzle, sadly, was simply not meant to last. The Ghost Pepper menu line came out in early summer 2023, and despite positive customer feedback, hasn't been tasted since — a fact hugely disappointing for those who enjoyed the ability to snag something a little hotter on their Wendy's trips. We suppose the regularly-offered Spicy Chicken Sandwich will have to suffice unless corporate Wendy's has a change of heart and reignites this fire in the future — ideally, permanently.

Ahh, the Burger King Melts. The name alone is enough to incite mouth-watering in most fans of the burger chain, which released this line of beef-on-toasted sourdough sandwiches for the first time in 2022. After some major uproar by customers after the product's discontinuation, the Melts line was finally brought back for another limited run in the spring 2023. They came in three different flavor variations — the Classic Melt, the Spicy Melt, or the Bacon Melt — each of which included two signature Whopper patties combined with multiple layers of melted cheese, caramelized onions, and sauce.

According to an alleged employee on Reddit, so many people ordered the Melt sandwiches after their 2023 comeback that many Burger King locations ran out of the ingredients to make them long before their scheduled limited-time end date. Despite this inherent popularity, however, the Burger King chain has yet to reinstate them as a permanent menu item — something that could be considered relatively surprising given how much business they've generated. Oh well — we hold to the hope that there is time yet for this sourdough-motivated dream to become a reality.

Oktoberfest season brings with it some seriously recognizable flavors, like sauerkraut, soft pretzels, bratwurst sausage, and (of course) beer. But what if some of these characteristic flavors were applied to a sandwich? That's exactly what Burgerville, the regional burger-and-fries chain which hails from the Pacific Northwest, had the idea to do back in the 2023 fall season with its Oktoberfest Cheeseburger.

This sandwich, inspired by the quintessential bratwurst flavors that accompany Oktoberfest, starts with a locally-sourced Pacific Northwestern beef burger wrapped up in a soft, salty, pretzel bun. The burger itself is flavored with a Jacobsen Salt Company bratwurst seasoning and is covered in garlic aioli, a roasted cabbage-and-mustard mixture, and finished off with a slice of Oregon-based Tillamook Swiss Cheese. Not only is the creation undeniably delicious, but it's bound to have you inexplicably searching online for some legit leather lederhosen from Germany. The problem? It only comes around when the Oktoberfest celebrations kick off. Though it was brought back in fall 2024, it's again listed as a limited-time item. Given how specific the name and flavors involved in this particular sandwich are, we suppose we can understand its finite, seasonal availability ... but it can't keep us from wishing the Oktoberfest Burger was available whenever we have a hankering for flavors that make us proclaim, Prost!

What's better than a pan of cheesy scrambled eggs and bacon? Cheesy scrambled eggs and bacon stuffed inside a sandwich, of course. In January 2024, Dunkin' reported that it would be testing out a few new menu items in select New England locations. One of these was the Brioche Scramble Breakfast Sandwich, which — as its name suggested — consisted of a mass of cheesy scrambled eggs and bacon topped with chipotle aioli sauce inside a soft, brioche bun. We don't know about you, but this sounds like a pretty heavenly breakfast select alongside any of Dunkin's celebrated cold or hot brews alike.

Unfortunately, after its initial limited-time trial run in select stores, the trail of the Brioche Scramble Breakfast Sandwich runs cold. Despite an excited string of consumer reviews on platforms like TikTok, the breakfast sandwich slowly faded into a memory for some ... and worse yet for others, became a tasty, forgotten treat they never once had the opportunity to sample. Will this protein-heavy, cheesy paradise ever make its way back to Dunkin' locations — and permanently this time? We aren't sure, but we can certainly sip on a creamy, dreamy Dunkin' coffee while we wait.