McDonald's food never stops changing. Seasonal specials, trials and experiments, and good ideas from elsewhere have bumped plenty of items off of their pride of place on the menu.
Mixed in amongst the casualties are some beloved gems - things that got you up in the mornings, or looked forward to at the end of your shift. Other lost items were just too strange to survive.
Join us for a whistlestop tour of items that have gone the way of the McDodo, courtesy of the Liverpool Echo. Let us know if you want any of these weird or wonderful meals back - and any others that you might remember from years gone by.
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McDonald's Big Breakfast
Starting with the first meal of the day, the Big Breakfast was a popular early-morning menu item for more than a quarter of a century. This was the only way of getting your eggs scrambled at the fast-food joint.
The breakfast also came with a hash brown, sausage patty and toasted muffin. After time was called on this offering in 2015, Brits did not take the news well. Mark Harby (@maharby) tweeted: "Gutted, #McDonalds have stopped doing the big breakfast meal. Might have to write to my MP."
McHotDog
Not satisfied with its range of burgers, McDonald’s launched their version of the classic American hotdog during the 1990s. However, this appearance was fleeting and, barring a 2002 return as a seasonal summer item, it was quickly shelved.
If you’re desperate to get a taste of a McDonald’s hot dog, then you’ll have to make a trip to Japan. They were reintroduced to their breakfast menu, strangely, in 2009.
Toffee and Strawberry Sundaes
When McDonald’s announced two long-serving classics would be withdrawn from the menu in 2018, there was outrage among fans. The fast-food chain argued the 99p toffee and strawberry sundaes “weren’t very popular”, and therefore removed them from UK restaurants.
A Tweet at the time read: "The Toffee Sundae and Strawberry Sundae were removed from the McDonald’s menu on Wednesday 26, September 2018, and they were removed because they weren't very popular. The Government recommendations regarding sugar also played a part in the removal."
A McDonald's spokeswoman added: "The removal of sundaes from our menu makes room for the mini McFlurry and promotional favourites like the Smarties McFlurry, which have proved incredibly popular with customers."
Chicken and Fish McBites
The small popcorn size Chicken McBites were made with chicken breast in a light, crispy golden-brown coating, with a mild peppery flavour. They were launched as part of the Little Tasters collection in 2013.
That same year also saw the launch of Fish McBites. However, they were both removed from the menu before the year was out.
Breakfast Bagels and Breakfast Wraps
Earlier this year, in January, McDonald’s officially scrapped its bagels and wraps from its UK breakfast menus, to the disappointment of many. This came after they were temporarily removed in March 2020, with it uncertain as to whether they would return.
In a statement, McDonald’s said: "It is with love and deep respect for one another that we announce that we are parting ways with Breakfast Bagels & Breakfast Wraps. Despite speculation and following a trial separation period, Breakfast Bagels & Breakfast Wraps will not be returning to the menu.
"We adore each other deeply but our love for the iconic McMuffin was simply too hard to ignore. We want our fans to know this is a mutual decision, to the extent that a bagel can make its own decision.
"Thank you to everyone who has supported our union. As for the rumours that there will be a new breakfast bae on the scene later this year... no comment. But for now it's time to say, 'that's a wrap'. And bagel."
McPizza
Remarkably, McDonald’s did at one point sell its own pizza to customers. During the mid-1990s, the burger joint attempted to break into the world of pizza.
Three flavours were introduced as part of a trial, with these being Cheese, Cheese and Pepperoni and the Deluxe ("cheese, green pepper, onion, pepperoni and more"). The 8in pizzas were cut into four slices.
However, these pizzas were quickly discontinued, with reports suggesting this was down to the length of time it took to cook. McDonald’s states: “We have no plans to reintroduce pizza to our menu at this time."
McSalad Shakers
For those after a healthier alternative, salad shakers had three years on the McDonald’s menu between 2000 and 2003. Although they were discontinued, these shakers led to the trend of fast-food chains having salad options on their menus.
These came in Garden, Chef and Grilled Chicken Caesar varieties. Of course, McDonald’s still serves salad now, just not in shaker form.
McRib
The McRib saw a boneless pork chop placed between a bun and slathered with tangy BBQ sauce, topped with onions and pickles. First launched in 1981, it was removed from the menu just four years later.
Since then, it has appeared sporadically across the globe, tending to only be offered for sale in select McDonald’s for a few weeks at a time. In the UK, there was a 12-year-hiatus until it was launched as a limited edition item for just five weeks in 2015, when it was last seen on menus.
McDonald’s explained the lack of plans to make this a permanent fixture. Their website states: "The reason for this is that the McRib patty is made from ground pork and, in the UK, we consider it important to separate pork and beef on the grill.
"Unfortunately, many of our restaurants do not have enough grill capacity to cook pork and beef products at the same time. The breakfast menu is different because we don't serve beef products, which allows us to have a dedicated grill for all our delicious pork products."
Chicken Legend
A far more recent omission has seen the much-loved Chicken Legend depart. It was in October this year the Chicken Legend, which had been a constant on UK menus for 15 years, was given the chop.
It came in three flavours (Cool Mayo, Hot and Spicy Mayo and BBQ Sauce) and made way for the introduction of a new chicken burger the same day - in the form of the McCrispy. It remains unclear whether this is a permanent withdrawal or if it could come back in the not-too-distant future.
Strawberry Cheesecake McFlurry
Finishing on a sweet treat, this unusual-sounding McFlurry proved divisive. McDonald’s regularly alters its McFlurry flavours, with the most recent addition being a seasonal Celebrations variety, which is available over the festive season.
The combination of ice cream and strawberry cheesecake was topped with strawberry sauce, biscuit crumbs, and white chocolate cheesecake truffle pieces. However, it didn’t prove popular enough with the customers in 2016 and has subsequently never reappeared.
What do you want to see back on the menu? Comment below, and join us on Facebook for more.
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