12 Discontinued Fast Food Burgers We Wish Were Brought Back

Inside every fast food chain, there are two beasts: one that demands things stay the same, and one that wants to change everything, all the time. You can see this represented in their ever-shifting menus. Fast food restaurants frequently project the image of being timeless and constant, with fan-favorite menu items remaining in place for decades, while constantly adding new things for their customers to try. Inevitably, though, not everything works — and along the way, there have been plenty of discontinued fast food desserts, sides, and entrées.

Perhaps no category has seen as much shift as burgers. Fast food chains are constantly introducing new burgers to their patrons, and while there have been a fair few duds out there, there have also been delicious sandwiches that stuck around for just a few months. Even years later, customers can fondly recall what their favorite former burgers tasted like, and still beg chains like McDonald's, Wendy's, Carl's Jr., and Burger King to bring them back. Until they do, let's take a trip down memory lane to revisit some of the best discontinued burgers fast food chains have snatched from our grasp.

You can throw all the money in the world at something, and it still might not work. Back in 1996, McDonald's learned that the hard way. That was the year the fast food chain debuted the Arch Deluxe in the United States, following a trial period in Canada with a hugely expensive marketing campaign to convince people to sample this new burger. The Arch Deluxe was a more upmarket offering than what McDonald's was known for at the time; starting with a bakery-style potato roll loaded with beef, mustard-mayo sauce, fresh vegetables, and optional peppered bacon, it was a sophisticated sandwich that didn't quite land with the general public. Despite spending approximately $200 million on its marketing push, the Arch Deluxe only stuck around for a few years before being discontinued.

That doesn't mean it didn't acquire a lot of admirers while it was around, though. The Arch Deluxe still has plenty of fans, who count it as one of their favorite McDonald's menu items ever. "This was and is still the best burger I ever ate," said one person on Reddit, with others saying they bought one weekly during the couple years it was around. McDonald's has revived the Arch concept for its burgers several times since, with its Archburger and Big Arch, but it never quite recaptured the glory of this classy sandwich.

Towards the end of the 2000s, sliders suddenly became big business. Chains like Burger King and Jack in the Box decided they wanted to compete with the likes of White Castle, so they started making their own mini burgers. As it turns out, only White Castle's sliders could stand the test of time. 

Jack in the Box's Mini Sirloin Burgers felt like a cut above, not least because they contained sirloin patties, a fact the chain leaned into with its cowboy-inspired marketing campaign. These patties had a nice thickness and pepperiness to them, making each mini burger feel substantial.

Jack in the Box's Mini Sirloin Burgers didn't stick around for very long, which was perhaps no surprise — but while they were here, they racked up plenty of fans. Nearly two decades later, Jack in the Box customers still talk about its Mini Sirloin Burgers, and specifically their superior quality compared to other fast food burgers. "I think about them daily. I'm not kidding," a bereft Reddit user admitted. Will Jack in the Box ever bring these little burgers back? It's hard to say, but if how much people miss them is anything to go by, it'd be a smart move if it did.

Back in 2008, Burger King was getting angry — but thankfully, it didn't take it out on its customers. Instead, it gave them a brand new option. The Angry Whopper was a spice-forward spin on its most famous burger, with so-called Angry Onions giving the sandwich a pop of heat. It also contained a spicy Angry Sauce and jalapeños, amping things up even further, as well as cheese, bacon, and the all-important beef patty from Burger King's flagship product.

The Angry Whopper was such a hit with customers that BK brought it back several years later, and in 2016, followed it up with the Angriest Whopper, which had a hot sauce-infused, bright red bun. Since then, the Angry Whopper has popped up periodically, but never on a permanent basis, and is now considered one of Burger King's sorely missed discontinued items. It's a frequent topic of conversation amongst Burger King customers, and its popularity makes sense. It's hard for fast food chains to nail a spicy burger, but somehow, the chain managed it here — and the crunch from the onions was a particularly nice touch. Perhaps now that Burger King has changed its iconic Whopper, it'll jazz things up with a little heat.

We love it when a fast food chain gets ambitious. That's exactly what Carl's Jr. did in 2002. That year, the restaurant dropped its chili-cheese menu, and the star of the show was the Chili Cheeseburger. This substantial sandwich combined a beef patty with a ladleful of beef chili dolloped on top, along with cheese, tomatoes, onion, pickles, and mustard. It was messy to say the least, a fact Carl's Jr. leaned into in its ad campaign. "If it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face," said a voiceover in a commercial for the burger.

Carl's Jr. briefly revived the Chili Cheeseburger in 2008, and it can still be found on the chain's international menus in places like Singapore. But in the U.S., it hasn't been available for years, and frankly, Carl's Jr. customers are devastated. To be honest, we get it. This thing was half burger, half sloppy joe, and occupied a unique space in the fast food landscape. It's hard to find anything as out-there these days from a major chain. Come on, Carl's Jr. — the people are ready for that mess again.

We all know that popular foods everywhere are slowly shrinking in size thanks to good old shrinkflation. Well, maybe Whataburger should consider changing the narrative in the near future by bringing back its A1 Thick & Hearty Burger. This burger was a big beast of a sandwich, consisting of two beef patties on a 5-inch bun, with bacon, cheese, grilled onions, and a dousing of A1 Thick & Hearty Sauce. Not only was it designed to be as hearty and down-to-earth as its name suggested, but it was also clearly targeted towards steak sauce fans.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. The A1 Thick & Hearty Burger first debuted in 1998, and it took up a place on Whataburger's permanent menu for more than a decade — but then, in 2009, it disappeared, only to subsequently return periodically. Ever since, rumors have swirled that Whataburger lost its contract with A1, therefore preventing its ability to serve the sandwich in its original form. People haven't forgotten about it, though: The A1 Thick & Hearty Burger still lives on in Whataburger customers' hearts today.

Sometimes, simpler is better. Back in the 1970s, Hardee's Big Twin Burger was a hefty sandwich that didn't reinvent the wheel, but instead doubled down on what the burger chain did best. The Big Twin Burger's distinguishing feature, apart from its dual patties and ample size, was the Big Twin Sauce between each pair of buns. Big Twin Sauce was a Thousand Island-style dressing, and by today's standards, that doesn't feel particularly exciting — but by playing it cool and keeping this sandwich straightforward, Hardee's created a legend. The lettuce and cheese in the burger, meanwhile, accented its flavors, but didn't try to distract from them.

The Big Twin Burger has been brought back several times since Hardee's first debuted it, but it's never gained a long-term spot on its menu. Hardee's might do well to listen to its customers' pleas for this sandwich to return, though. One person on Facebook said the Big Twin was "the best burger they ever had," with others agreeing. Why build an icon if you're only going to take it away?

At the start of 2020, Steak 'n Shake decided to mix things up. It kicked off that year by introducing the Jalapeño Crunch Steakburger, a new version of a sandwich that had previously appeared in the 2010s, which was famous for being both hefty and strangely elegant. Like so many others, Steak 'n Shake's burger had two beef patties, but once that necessary base was established, it spiced things up; think pepper jack cheese, chipotle mayo, jalapeños, fried onions, and fresh salsa.

The restaurant was clearly trying something new, but just a few months after it launched, the COVID-19 pandemic hit in full force — and the Jalapeño Crunch Steakburger was lost amidst the chaos. There's no indication Steak 'n Shake pulled it as a result of the pandemic, but when it was revived later in 2020, it didn't have a lot of impact. Steak 'n Shake has yet to bring it back, despite customers begging for its return. They state how much they miss it, and even started petitions to grab the restaurant's attention. So far, it's all been to no avail.

Taco Bell's Bell Beefer may have ultimately fallen apart, but for a while it held strong as one of the chain's most beloved (and only) burgers. The Bell Beefer was a sloppy joe-inspired affair that combined a taco and burger into one package. It was featured on Taco Bell's very first menu back in the '60s, where it was originally sold as the Chili Burger. Made with a scoop of taco-seasoned ground beef, a mellow red sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes, it was designed to bridge the gap between American and Tex-Mex cuisine, and it was popular enough to stick around for decades.

Then, in the 1990s, it was dropped from Taco Bell's menu. Aside from a brief comeback in the 2010s, it hasn't been seen since. We'd argue it would be right at home among Taco Bell's current output, though. In recent years, the chain has leaned towards more out-there options — like the Crème Brûlée Crunchwrap Slider it tested in July and August of 2026 — and we think the Bell Beefer is equally wacky. If that wasn't reason enough to bring it back, customers constantly ask Taco Bell to reinstate it, with plenty of fond memories attached to the sloppy sandwich.

When you buy a burger from a fast food chain, you probably want that burger to come prebuilt, right? Back in the '80s, McDonald's had other plans. In 1984, it released the McDLT, which was served in two halves: Its top bun, lettuce, cheese, and tomato were placed in one side of a two-paneled Styrofoam container, while its bottom bun and burger patty were on the other side. The idea was that the hot ingredients would stay hot, while the cold ones would stay cool — so when you finally put them together, you'd enjoy an exciting temperature contrast, with the vegetables remaining fresh and crisp.

It was both a smart menu item and an eye-catching one from the chain, but its success hinged on its packaging. However, when McDonald's revamped its food containers and got rid of polystyrene, the McDLT's number was up. The burger last appeared in 1998, and it hasn't been seen since. Its uniqueness, though, helped it stand out and has kept it memorable since it disappeared, and the fact it tasted good didn't hurt, either. We think it's time for McDonald's to figure out how to serve it in an eco-friendly way and bring it back. Warm lettuce is rarely a good thing.

Some might argue that mashed potatoes have no place on a burger. Well, those people have clearly never tried Burger King's Loaded Steakhouse Burger, because if they did, they might think differently. This sandwich was an incredibly unique proposition from a major fast food chain, and it was also one of the heartiest burger concepts in recent memory. Arriving in 2008, it consisted of a flame-broiled burger patty with cheese, bacon, crispy onions, A1 sauce, and creamy loaded mashed potatoes. Talk about filling.

Burger King's Loaded Steakhouse Burger was launched as a permanent item, and upon arrival, it was lauded for its uniqueness. Reviewers praised it for genuinely capturing the flavors of a steakhouse dinner in one sandwich, and customers loved it, too. Despite being on the permanent menu, the Loaded Steakhouse Burger only lasted about a year before it was discontinued. Perhaps Burger King felt there was just too much going on for it to stick around for good, but its removal from the chain's menu felt like the end of something great to a lot of people. "It was the true end of the American empire," said one X user facetiously, but probably with a tinge or seriousness.

When Wendy's launched its Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger in 2015, it felt like a slightly classy move from the chain. Launched to coincide with football season, it was definitely a messier affair, thanks to its combination of aged Gouda and Swiss Gruyère cheese sauce — but its use of two non-American cheeses gave it a different flavor profile from all the other burgers out there. It was also smeared with creamy aioli, giving it a pop of garlic, and adorned with fresh spring greens. With everything housed in a toasted brioche bun, it was an upmarket proposition.

The Wendy's Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger was a hit with reviewers and customers, with the restaurant not only nailing it on a flavor front, but a texture one, too. Wendy's cheese experiment paid off, and people loved that the chain was doing something different. Regrettably, the Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger had "limited-edition" written all over it, and it didn't last very long. Its discontinuation, though, was a sad moment for fans.

McDonald's Grand Mac was everything people loved about the chain's most iconic burger — and it was actually big. This sandwich was almost a corrective to people who complained the Big Mac didn't live up to its name; the grander version contained ⅓-pound of beef, two slices of cheese, and a dollop of Big Mac sauce all housed in a bun larger than that of a traditional Big Mac. The Grand Mac didn't reinvent the wheel; it just inflated it.

The Grand Mac launched in early 2017 after an initial test period the year before. It was never meant to be a permanent fixture, though, and was discontinued relatively swiftly. But before it was gone for good, it made a strong impression on customers, who loved the fact it actually had some heft to it. "The Grand Mac really was the perfect burger in my opinion," said one person on Reddit. Luckily, you can still hack your way to a bigger McDonald's Big Mac, but it's not as simple as just ordering a Grand Mac.