'Absolutely gutted': 9 discontinued fast food favourites that are gone but not forgotten

• Fast food giants have axed many fan favourites over the years
• Some have been discontinued recently, while others were taken off the menu in the 80s, 90s and noughties
• Which of these lost dishes and drinks do you miss most?

Whether it’s McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut or one of the many other options out there, is there anything more comforting than a good fast food meal?

There are some classics like the Big Mac, the KFC bucket and the Original Pan Pizza that it’s hard to imagine ever disappearing from the menus of the fast food giants.

But many former fan favourites have been axed over the years, often prompting outrage from diners, who have launched petitions demanding their return.

Below are some of the drinks, burgers, pizzas and desserts that many feel were discontinued before their time.

How many do you remember, and are there any you’d love to see back on the menu?

We reserve an honourable mention for the McRib, which is perhaps the item most likely to get fast food lovers feeling all nostalgic.

Although it was discontinued first in the 80s and again in the noughties, it has made many comebacks, most recently in 2024, when McDonald’s announced the ‘legendary’ cult favourite was being reintroduced for a limited time only.

McDonald’s root beer

Root beer is a classic American soft drink, but many UK fans would love to see it return to McDonald’s menus in the UK.

McDonald’s stopped selling root beer in the UK around the 90s, with the fast food giant saying it wasn’t popular enough with customers on this side of the Atlantic.

One fan lamented: “You can’t get decent root beer in the UK for about 20-plus years.”

Another said it used to be the ‘highlight’ of a trip to McDonald’s, while a third person told how they were ‘absolutely gutted’ when it was discontinued it in the UK.

Burger King Mushroom Double Swiss

This is one of the most mourned casualties from Burger King’s menu.

The fan favourite, consisting of two flame-grilled patties with sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese and a mushroom sauce, was discontinued in the mid-noughties, though it has made the odd limited-period comeback.

One person said it was a ‘sad day when they took that off the menu’, another told how they were ‘devastated when it disappeared’ and a third person claimed it had been the ‘best thing on the Burger King menu and the best burger in the country’.

Pizza Hut Bigfoot

The Bigfoot pizza, which came out in the 90s, was designed to satisfy customers with the biggest appetites, and was also great for sharing.

The mammoth two-square-foot rectangular pizza, with 21 square slices, was a particularly popular choice for children’s parties.

But it was reportedly discontinued due to the cost of production, with special boxes and pans required.

One fan recalled ‘eight-year-old me thought the Bigfoot pizza was the absolute peak of food’, to which another replied: “44-year-old me still thinks that. I’m sure if I had one today it would destroy the nostalgia glasses, but if there’s one food I wish a fast food joint would bring back, it’s the Bigfoot.”

Domino’s created the Dominator - a 30-inch pizza cut into 30 slices - in an attempt to rival the Bigfoot.

Greggs steak and cheese roll

Pastry lovers united in anger when Greggs controversially axed its popular cheese and steak roll, which consisted of diced steak, gravy and Stilton cheese in a puff pastry case, in 2019.

A petition demanding the return of the ‘savoury gem’ claimed its absence had ‘left a significant void in the hearts and taste buds of countless Greggs fans nationwide’.

McDonald’s breakfast bagel

Whether it’s as an early morning pick-me-up or a hangover cure, McDonald’s breakfasts have always proved popular.

The breakfast bagel, with its sausage, egg and cheese filling, is among the items most missed by early-bird diners.

Mourning its disappearance, one diner wrote: “Only thing ever worth eating there and they cancelled it.”

KFC Country Style Ribs

KFC is best known for its chicken, but many diners have fond memories of its old Country Style Ribs - spare ribs flavoured with the fast food giant’s signature seasoning and smothered with barbecue sauce.

Many fans miss the crispy skin and melt-in-the-mouth meat of the long-lost dish, which was added to the menu in the 70s and reportedly disappeared sometime during the 80s.

One person recalled: “I remember KFC’s spare ribs being really good. They probably weren’t, but in my memory they were, and the fact I can never have them again means I can't be disappointed by the reality.”

McDonald’s cherry pie

The cherry pie was a much-loved McDonald’s dessert during the 70s, 80s and early 90s, before it was discontinued.

One fan said it was ‘far superior to the apple pie’, while another wrote nostalgically: “Oh how I miss that crispy fried crust with the tart cherries in sweet goop.”

Other lost McDonald’s desserts which fans would love to see return include the fudge sundae with shortbread, about which one diner said they were ‘still fuming that they got rid of it, and that was about 20 years ago’, and the caramel ice cream sundaes.

McHotDog

Ray Kroc, the man who turned McDonald’s into a global phenomenon, famously banned hot dogs from the menu, declaring: “There's no telling what's inside a hot dog's skin.”

He would have been turning in his grave when the fast food giant briefly introduced the McHotDog in the mid-to-late-90s.

The fact it was not a success perhaps proved he knew best all along, but the temporary addition to the menu was not without its fans.

One person recalled: “They were cheap rubbish and I knew it, but hot damn was it good to be able to just get a hotdog on the go. It's just not something you have in the UK!”

Chicken Legend

This McDonald’s chicken burger has legendary status. It was a staple on the menu from 2007 until it was discontinued in 2022.

It featured crispy chicken in a ciabatta-style roll with mayo, BBQ sauce or a spicy salsa.

One fan told how they were ‘absolutely gutted’ when it was axed from the menu and replaced with the McSpicy, which they said is ‘nowhere near as good’.

Another popular lost chicken burger is the McChicken Premiere, which came in an ‘incredible’ herby focaccia bun, with spicy breaded chicken and ‘such a nice sauce’.

For more food-based nostalgia, why not take a look at this photo gallery showing popular restaurants of the 80s?