13 Forgotten 1990s Fast Food Items That Need To Make A Comeback
Pizza crust made of french fries. Burgers named after (bench-warming) basketball players. Mexican-inspired sloppy joes! The 1990s were a wild time for fast food experimentation, and we think some of those experiments ended too soon. Partially because some of these mouthwatering menu luxuries were perfect the way they were, and partially because some of these simply need a second attempt. The point of experimentation isn't to get things right on the first try, after all. No, the culinary adventurer must tinker and test, with us hungry customers as eager judges.
Or, fast food restaurants, hear us in financial terms: If recent menu item revival events — like Taco Bell and Pizza Hut bringing back select items in the 2020s — are any indication, there's money to be made and bellies to be filled with these nostalgic foods. We trawled Reddit, YouTube, and the cobwebby recesses of our own minds to come up with some of the most missed fast food items from the '90s we'd like to see back.
1. Bell Beefer - Taco Bell
The Bell Beefer was on Taco Bell's menu from the 1970s to the 1990s. In a sea of soft tortillas, crunchy taco shells, and tostadas, it was the only menu item with a burger bun. Heap on some ground beef, sprinkle a little cheese, onions, lettuce for crunch, then bathe everything in a mild sauce before you add that top bun, and boom! A Bell Beefer. Admittedly, it was more like a sloppy joe than a burger, but if anyone in the dining party had been secretly craving McDonald's, this sandwich could scratch that itch. The Bell Beefer was great.
It's unclear why the Bell Beefer was struck from the menu, although Occam's Razor would suggest low sales. In order for the Bell Beefer to once again live más — or maybe it'd be more accurate to say thrive más — we have a small suggestion. The sloppy joe inspiration was fine enough, but why not look to another classic Mexican dish? If you know what a torta is, you know they have sturdier bread and a layer of refried beans on the bottom bun. If you're anything like us, you'd like to see Taco Bell try one.
2. Superbar - Wendy's
What do Golden Corral, Sizzler, and your favorite Chinese buffet all have in common? They cost more than the average Wendy's. That's why we're here to remind you of the '90s phenomenon that was Wendy's Superbar.
The Superbar was a place for endless combo possibilities. Or, as Wendy's put it, "anything's pastable." Not only was it an all-you-can-eat buffet, the Superbar was a destination. There were three stations: a salad bar, a Mexican food station (or "Mexican Fiesta," in the parlance of the times), and a pasta bar. The salad bar even featured dessert, if you're down with pudding or fresh fruit.
Sure, maybe in the age of COVID and increased awareness of exactly how many germ particles go in and out of your mouth every time you breathe, the idea of the Superbar is too much for some people. If we can dream, though, we'd like to dream of creating our own pasta salads to go with a spicy chicken sandwich.
3. Beef Wennington - McDonald's
To get straight to the meat, the Beef Wennington was a burger that came topped with cheese, onions, barbecue sauce, and a slice of Canadian bacon. It was a special menu item available in 1998 in Chicago-area restaurants. The burger was even revived in 2023 for a one-time special event at Chicago restaurant The Wurst. Now: why that name, why 1998, and why Chicago? Come along with us on a journey through fast food history.
In 1998, the Chicago Bulls were the winners of five of the past seven NBA titles, and gunning for a sixth. The team's success and the popularity of star player and McDonald's pitchman himself, Michael Jordan, made the rest of the Bulls famous. Backup 7-footer Bill Wennington had also done a few ads with Mickey D's, and the chain approached the cuddly gentle giant about a burger collab. Since Wennington is Canadian, the slice of Canadian bacon was an obvious choice. So no, the traditional Beef Wellington may not have much in common with its basketball-inspired fast food counterpart, but the sandwich still holds a special place in Midwestern McDonald's lovers' hearts.
4. BLT Soft Taco - Taco Bell
Some things just make sense, in a way that makes you wonder why no one ever thought to do it before. A beautiful-in-its-simplicity item, the BLT Soft Taco was exactly what it sounds like: bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a topping of shredded cheddar cheese and club sauce — also known as a BLT on a flour tortilla and BLTs in flour tortillas are delicious. Doubly so with Taco Bell sauce.
Don't take our word for it, though, one commenter on YouTube raves: "I still remember the flavor of those BLT soft tacos & chicken club burritos over 20 years later. I have no idea why they were removed, best things on the Taco Bell menu like ever." There was an added benefit to the BLT Soft Taco being on the menu, too: getting to add bacon to other Taco Bell items. So come on, Taco Bell — make a little space on that line for some bacon.
5. Italian Sausage Sandwich - Burger King
The Burger King Italian Sausage Sandwich was exactly what it sounds like. Still, it's worth going over each and every mouth-watering ingredient, just to get a sense of the culinary achievement that has since been snatched away from us. It featured Italian sausage, obviously, but with that signature Burger King flame-broiled taste. Then, it was topped with mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce — already, that's enough to get our hearts pounding. But wait, there was another option: You could also top it with peppers and onions.
No, we're not talking about pizza, this was a sandwich, and we'd like to see it back on the menu. In fact, there seems to be a dearth of sausage sandwiches on most fast food menus. To that, we ask: what gives? Fast food breakfast is growing in popularity, exponentially, it seems. So why can't we eat sausage at lunch and dinner, too? You've done it before, Burger King, and we believe you can do it again.
6. Fiesta Whopper - Burger King
Apparently, "fiesta" was the one big Spanish word that fast food marketers knew would signal a spicy time in the '90s. The implication is nice, though: come try this spicy burger, it'll be like a party. Ignore your nose running, that's part of the fun.
Burger King's Fiesta Whopper was almost like a mirror version of the Bell Beefer: a burger that reminds you of a burrito, with pepper jack cheese and spicy sauce, but still with a bun. We get it: sometimes ketchup and mustard just don't cut it. You want a little more heat. Burger King extended this line of thinking to the fries, too, offering "fiesta sprinkles" to give your crispy sides a little extra kick. As one YouTube commenter says, "Why bring back the angry whooper but not this too?" We couldn't agree more. Parties are much better than anger, Burger King. Spice should remind us of good times and great fun, not blowing our stacks.
7. Monterey Chicken Sandwich - Wendy's
Wendy's Monterey Ranch Chicken Sandwich was a major achievement. Fried chicken breast, jack cheese, and bacon brought warmth and savoriness while lettuce, tomato, and onion brought crisp freshness. All of that was capped with the namesake ranch dressing. And as if the savory/fresh combo of ingredients weren't enough, Wendy's went out and got special rolls for this popular sandwich. That's right, the Monterey Ranch Chicken Sandwich came on a Kaiser roll, one of the very best types of bread for sandwiches.
Debuting in 1993, this Wendy's menu item has sadly been discontinued. Still beloved, the Monterey Ranch Chicken Sandwich is an item that you can find home cooks on Reddit trying to recreate today. "These were absolutely the best. You rarely realize you're in the good times until they're gone," says one YouTube commenter under a video of a 1993 ad for the product. So said Joni Mitchell about paradise, and so it is true of the Wendy's Monterey Ranch Chicken Sandwich. Bring back the Kaiser roll!
8. Colossus Burger - Jack In The Box
Every now and again, fast food restaurants push boundaries with how much meat they can get away with. Back in 1994, Jack In The Box had a big idea of its own. Well, maybe "big" isn't sufficient. The Colossus Burger had a truly meaty stack of two ¼-pound patties and 8 slices of bacon. Did someone at Jack In The Box get in a fight with some farm animals? That is an absolute mountain of meat for one sandwich.
The innovation that catches our eye, however, is three different kinds of cheese. More burgers should have a complex cheese profile. Would you put together a charcuterie board with just one type of cheese? Of course not. The best mac and cheese recipes know to blend complementary flavor profiles to pack the cheesiest punch, so why should burgers be any different? Give us cheddar, muenster, and Swiss on a burger with grilled mushrooms. Give us cotija, quesadilla, and Oaxaca on one of those "fiesta" burgers. Fast food restaurants of the world, go wild on cheese!
9. The Edge Pizza - Pizza Hut
Given how much McDonald's stretched the idea of celebrity for the creation of the Beef Wennington, you'd be forgiven for thinking Pizza Hut's The Edge pizza was an homage to U2's guitarist. Their nineth studio album, "Pop," came out in 1997. The Edge pizza came out in 1997. But before we add too much yarn and push pins to this conspiracy corkboard, we'll go ahead and say: The name "The Edge" was in reference to where the cheese and toppings were placed — all the way to the edge of the crust.
That's right, in 1997, Pizza Hut gave the world its take on tavern-style pizza, also known as Chicago-style thin-crust pizza, which is cut into squares. Just like its regional inspiration, The Edge was cut in 16 shareable squares and featured a cracker-style crust. The pie was briefly revived in 2021, and we'd like to see it brought back as a permanent menu item. People outside of Chicago deserve to experience the wonders of tavern-style pizza.
10. French fry crust - Little Caesars
Bear with us here. This mysterious item from 1993 seems to have been a flop, given how little has been written or said about it on the internet. Little Caesars' french fry crust was exactly what it sounds like: a pizza, but with french fries for the crust, similar to Little Caesars pretzel crust pizza. Maybe it's not hard to see why the french fry version is mostly forgotten — pizza is primarily a delivery food, and tips to avoid soggy takeout fries are practically sacred texts. These two food items, both alike in dignity amongst enjoyers of fast food, seem destined to clash like Montagues and Capulets when put together. Fries, sauce, and cheese? It's a lost cause, kid, forget it, get outta here.
Not so fast, is what we say. 1993 was more than 30 years ago — surely culinary technique and technology has advanced enough to give this kooky combo another shot. "What is poutine?" is a question more and more people know how to answer these days, so can some enterprising young chef not figure out a way to fry potatoes with enough crispy exterior, fluffy interior, and the magic ability to withstand plopping a pizza on top? Humanity has walked on the moon! Surely we can accomplish this one culinary challenge.
11. Fresh stuffed pitas - Wendy's
The people of the internet want this sandwich back, and it is not hard to see why. A warm, pillowy pita encasing flavorful chicken and crisp veggies should not only be the domain of your local gyros spot. A 1997 ad campaign for the fresh stuffed pitas featured Wendy's founder Dave Thomas going all around town, waiting for people to declare they wanted "something different" for lunch, and then whispering in their ears that Wendy's had pitas. It worked on those people in the ads then, and it's working on us now.
These sandwiches lasted three years at Wendy's, and have become a cult favorite since they were discontinued. Redditors and YouTubers alike call for its return, so why were the Wendy's fresh stuffed pitas discontinued? Speculation ranges from poor sales to the labor intensity of making the sandwiches. It's unlikely these will ever return as a permanent menu item. The best we can hope for is a specialty revival.
12. McStuffin - McDonald's
There's a lot of talk in this article about buns, tortillas, and pizza crusts, which are three of the great filling delivery systems. They're sturdy, flour-or-wheat kind of edible totes for your meat, cheese, veggies, and sauce. But what of the all-encasing flaky crust? Why shouldn't fast food chains dabble more in empanadas? Well, back in the '90s, McDonald's was brave enough to try its hand at the hand pie game with McStuffins, another menu item you might have forgotten about.
Debuting in 1993, the McStuffins were similar to Hot Pockets. They were billed as "baked French bread sandwiches," but with the way the bread encased the filling, they ate more like hand pies. The filling came in teriyaki chicken, barbecue beef, pepperoni pizza, and cheesesteak varieties. They didn't last long, but we'd certainly like to see the Golden Arches give meat pies another try. Our pitch would be to ditch the French bread in favor of the kind of flaky crust you might see in spanakopita, Australian hand pies, or empanadas.
13. McHotDog - McDonald's
If you don't know the history, you might wonder why McDonald's doesn't serve hot dogs. The fast food chain and hot dogs would seem to be in the same ballpark of Americana, and that ballpark would be in a field of dreams with amber waves of grain. So what gives, McDonald's? Why no hot dogs?
The short answer is that it did try, in the '90s, with The McHotDog — and yes, it seems to be stylized like that: all one word, capitals on each syllable. Again, we ask, why not? Well, the longer answer is that the man who made McDonald's the global powerhouse it is today, Ray Kroc, was against hot dogs. There was no way of assuring the quality of meat in the skin, he reasoned. When the chain finally tried The McHotDog in 1995, customers spurned the wiener in favor of familiar burgers and nuggets. McDonald's is known for having signature takes on common items, so we think it could make a pretty good hot dog if it tried.