Beloved Menu Items That Disappeared This Past Decade

All good things must come to en end. We know this. However, when it comes to our favorite fast food items, it's a hard truth to swallow. It's especially common these days, with so many menu items being limited edition or specially themed. The idea that they may never return makes us do crazy things. 

Sometimes these menu items — both regular and limited edition — make a ton of money and find their way back at a later date, but oftentimes they disappear from the menu forever... lost in time and taste bud memory. 

Come now, there must be a few items you can think of from the past decade that you desperately want back on the menu — those drive thru delights that you tasted once (or twice) and have never forgotten?

Well, don't worry. We're here to jog your memory and remind you of all the amazing and beloved fast food items that you can't eat anymore. We're not trying to be cruel, but as the decade ends, let us all reminisce on the good ole times and hope that 2020 resurrects a few, if not all, of these.

These are some of the beloved menu items that have disappeared this past decade.

Taco Bell sure knows how to break their customers' hearts. They love to introduce new items, and they also just like to hurt us. At least, that's what we surmise. Why else would Taco Bell take off the most loved of all menu items? A moment of silence for the Enchirito please. 

The Tex-Mex inspired burrito enchilada meet cute was delicious in all the right ways. It was a burrito covered in cheese, like, what wasn't to love? The Enchirito had been on the national menu since 1970 after being invented by a Taco Bell crew member. Even though it had been taken off said menu in 1993, it returned only six years later. But it was 2013 that saw the disappearance of the Enchirito for good. RIP.

However, if you become a guru at Taco Bell's customizable ordering system, you can more or less hack The Enchirito. Just order a burrito supreme and ask for sides of: red sauce, nacho cheese, sour cream, and two sides of the three-cheese blend. Heat it up, combine it, and celebrate the ultimate burrito hack. That said, a lot of customers claim they can still order The Enchirito by name.

McDonald's added the Big N' Tasty their national menu in 2001. One of the few McDonald's burgers to include lettuce and tomato, it was a mainstay of the menu and a popular one as well. 

It was also marketed as a rival to Burger King's Whopper, and for awhile, it was doing a very good job at being just that. That was until the one-third pound Angus burgers were introduced. They were quickly outselling the Big N' Tasty, despite being more expensive. 

So, of course, McDonald's was going to go with the burger that was making them more money. As such, the Big N' Tasty found itself replaced in 2010 by... oatmeal. Yes, McDonald's replaced the Big N' Tasty burger, a burger that was both big and tasty, with oatmeal — probably the saddest breakfast to ever be served by McDonald's. 

The new isn't all bad though — if you're really craving one, you can get them in various countries at various times. Just... not in the USA. 

You can still order a Big N' Tasty however, if you know some creative hacks. Start by ordering a Quarter-Pounder with cheese, requesting no ketchup or mustard, and topping it with lettuce, onion, tomato, and Big Mac sauce. The Big N' Tasty sauce was smokier than regular Big Mac sauce, but it's close enough that it will give you a pretty legit duplicate — but it'll probably end up costing more than the original burger.

It's hard to believe there was once a time when there wasn't bacon on burgers and a variety of cheeses. Perhaps that's why Wendy's Bacon and Blue burger was such a shocker to customers and foodies alike. A fast food blue cheeseburger? With bacon? Holy cow. 

The first fast food chain to have a blue cheese topped burger on its menu that's available nationwide, Wendy's was easily setting the stage for fast food trends to come all the way back in 2010. This was a luxury burger, what with its thick applewood smoked bacon, real blue cheese crumbles, sauteed onions, lettuce, tomato, and a creamy steakhouse sauce. Alas, it was only with us for a limited time.

Five years after the Bacon and Blue burger joined and subsequently left Wendy's menu, it returned for a limited time on a new brioche bun. However, some customers are still bitter are still bitter that the chain tends to get rid of its best sandwiches. 

Chances are we'll see this burger again at some point, maybe in 2020? It's been five years after all.

Imagine, if you would, a pillow of pizza. Two feet long and filled with all the standard toppings you know and love. That was The Big Italy pizza from Pizza Hut in 2010. It was so big it couldn't fit in a standard pizza box and had its own elongated box and special made white paper bag. Released in tandem with an early Facebook giveaway, The Big Italy was only around for a short while, disappearing not long after it was released.

The pizza was created by stretching the dough to its limits, giving the crust a thinner, crispier bite that is actually more reminiscent of real Italian pizza than what's typically associated with Pizza Hut. Customers were torn on this one. Many confessed they didn't like how the outer pieces had a thicker crust, while the middle pieces were thin and soggy. 

Also the distribution of toppings was notoriously poor, with the outer pieces barely getting any. On the flip side, some people loved it so much there was a Facebook group devoted to the Big Italy. Its most recent posts from 2012 wondering if the rumors of it returning were true. Dear readers, they were not.

Hot on the heels of the wildly successful Volcano Taco, the Volcano Burrito was a delicious package wrapped up in a tortilla that erupted onto the scenes in 2009. With its fried strips of tortilla, cheese, beef, sour cream, and rice, it was more or less a normal burrito. 

But wait, there was a secret weapon. It's what made the burrito and the taco so fiery, so delicious, so utterly perfect (as perfect as anything from Taco Bell can be, that is). It's why millions of people cried out in the night when this burrito (and its taco sibling) were discontinued. What was the true loss of this travesty was Lava Sauce. Lava Sauce made the Volcano Burrito. It made the entire Volcano menu. It made us happy. And Taco Bell cruelly ripped it from our taste buds, eliminating it entirely in 2013. 

There was a petition to bring back the Volcano Burrito, though it didn't go anywhere.  Ouch. 

Lava Sauce did come back briefly in 2016, with the limited time only Volcano Quesarito, but if you still thirst after it, you're pretty out of luck. Taco Bell, if you're listening, we still miss Lava Sauce.

Upon first hearing the name Pickle Fried Chicken, most people probably made a face akin to smelling something truly awful. Okay, the name may have been weird, but the execution... chef's kiss. 

This chicken undoubtedly came from the pickle trend of 2018. Well, that and an apparent demand from customers for more pickles. Launching on June 25 2018, KFC's Pickle Fried Chicken took their fried chicken offerings, including their tenders, Extra Crispy Chicken, Crispy Colonel Sandwich, and Chicken Littles and smothered them in a thick, creamy buttermilk based pickle sauce. Dill, garlic, vinegar, black and white pepper. Oh, and topped with actual pickles, of course. 

It was, honestly, really really good. If you liked pickles in the smallest amount, you loved this. A perfect combination of buttery meets savory, the pickle fried chicken won over even the pickle disinclined even the pickle disinclined.

The tragedy was, it was only for a limited time. A very limited time. As in, until supplies ran out at your local KFC limited time. Pickle Fried Chicken, you're dearly missed. 

Sometimes you need a little pep in your step, and maybe a spicy breakfast will help you along. At least, that's what a lot of people were thinking when it came to Chick-fil-A's Spicy Chicken Biscuit. 

This breakfast offering packed a little punch with your morning coffee. Social media loved it and also had a monumental meltdown when it was announced it was being discontinued in 2016. Accounting for a depressing half of one percent of breakfast sales, the Spicy Chicken Biscuit wasn't going places. In fact, the only place it was going was the trash can. Chick-fil-A removed the item from its breakfast menu in favor of the new Egg-White Grill.

In early 2019 the chain was testing a new version of the Spicy Chicken Biscuit using its chicken strips, but it didn't take hold as it's currently not on the breakfast menu. While you can get the sandwich version for lunch and dinner still, there is no room at Chick-fil-A for spicy breakfast. Well... almost. 

There are still 44 cities where you can still get it. That's right, turns out it's not entirely extinct. What makes these specific locations so hashtag blessed? Who knows, but anyone up for a road trip?

French toast is one of those breakfasts that was usually saved for a special occasion when you were growing up. A holiday or birthday perhaps. Thick bread soaked in eggs and milk (and perhaps a dash of cinnamon if you're feeling fancy), and then pan fried or grilled to perfection before being drenched in syrup. Ah yes, those were the days. 

As an adult French toast finds its way into over-priced brunches in a decadent manner, but there's always just been something about the simplicity of French toast that makes it so delicious. Perhaps that's why Sonic decided to cash in on that nostalgia and ring in 2015 with its French Toaster Breakfast Sandwich.

A delicious combination of sweet and savory, the French Toaster sandwiched eggs, cheese, and a choice of ham, bacon, or sausage between two pieces of French toast. How's that for a fast food breakfast? One man drove 20 miles to try it. Now that's a testament to how delicious this sounded. 

While it was available all day, because breakfast is suitable at all hours, it was only for a limited time. This is one item we desperately need back on Sonic's menu.

Customers sure do like making petitions for menu items they'd like back, and while the one we found for Wendy's Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty only has nine supporters, we'd like to think their hearts were in the right place. After all, Wendy's made sure to market this spin on their classic frosty towards the caffeine junkies, working adults, and overly exhausted fellow humans who wanted something sweet. 

Also, it had a hilarious boy band inspired commercial and one or two celebrity fans. 

This 2009 rendition of Wendy's famous Frosty was infused with coffee syrup and toffee pieces, making for a drinkable dessert with a nice mocha taste. It's hard to hate a Frosty, and it's unfathomable to dislike a Frosty that has coffee and candy in it.

Despite people really liking it and despite its absolutely ridiculous name, it didn't sell well and was discontinued two years after its reveal, in 2011. RIP Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty, we barely knew you. Still, two years is a longer shelf life than most other items on this list.

Taco Bell teased and hyped up their breakfast offerings for quite a while before they released them. Among the offerings was the slightly soggy, but still delicious Waffle Taco, stuffed with egg and a choice of sausage or bacon. The entire idea of a taco made out of a waffle is honestly a genius one. Taco Bell knew what they were doing. Sort of.

Alas, the Waffle Taco was not long for this world. A year after its national release, it was sidelined for the Biscuit Taco in 2015. 

There are a couple of reasons the Waffle Taco is waffling no more. It wasn't the best seller for Taco Bell's breakfast, lagging behind the A.M. Crunchwrap. Also, Taco Bell was in a deep and vigorous battle with McDonald's, coined The Breakfast Wars. McDonald's had biscuits. Taco Bell needed biscuits. Adios, waffles. 

Taco Bell executives knew that while the Waffle Taco was flashy and got people's attention, it didn't hold it. Alas, the Waffle Taco did all the work, but got none of the credit. We remember you, Waffle Taco. As does at least one Change.org petition.

People like fun shaped food. It's just a fact. It's novel and quirky and makes eating even a better time than it already is. This definitely applies to the long lost crown-shaped chicken tenders from Burger King. 

So they already had chicken nuggets, and they were good, but they were even better when shaped like crowns. Available from 2006 to 2011, these tenders (or nuggets, if you prefer) were a way for Burger King to set itself apart. One, there was the whole themality of the crown and King, and two, this was Burger King trying to encroach on McDonald's monopoly on the chicken nugget fast food market.

To get down to it, no, the chicken wasn't amazing and the breading wasn't particularly crunchy, but they were shaped like crowns. Sometimes people order things just because they're unique, and there's nothing wrong with that. 

Customers were heartbroken when they were changed to just regular shapes and to Chicken Fries, and again, another petition was born to bring back the nuggets in all their royal glory. This one at least almost made its goal, with nearly 1,400 of the 1,500 they were going for. Alas, it wasn't enough, as the crown-shaped nuggets are still nowhere to be found on Burger King's menu.

McDonald's Mighty Wings have a somewhat turbulent history. Originally launched in 1990, the wings were on the menu until 2003. They were re-released ten years later as a limited edition item and a limited edition item they remained. 

These bone-in chicken wings got high praise for being larger than typical chicken wings, as well as being moist and pretty darn tasty. Though the spicy breading was off-putting to many consumers. Customers did complain that they weren't easy to sauce, especially chicken wing fans. However, these were fast food wings. There's only so much people should have expected. Also, they were a bit expensive for McDonald's, with each wing itself costing roughly $1.  

The price may have been the kicker. The sales for Mighty Wings were 20 percent lower than McDonald's executives had expected, which probably inhibited any chance of them becoming a permanent menu item. They were a gamble gone wrong. Especially since they had over 10 million pounds of wings hanging out in storage. Yikes.

Mighty Wings returned in 2016 for a limited time in just Atlanta, and there's been no sight of them since then.