25 Discontinued McDonald's Menu Items We Want Back

Heralded as the world’s largest restaurant chain, McDonald’s is the home of perfected deep fried menu items that keep us coming back for more, from chicken nuggets to the Big Mac to the wonders of the Dollar Menu. Sure, you love the Filet o Fish, the Chicken Selects, and maybe even the occasional Happy Meal. But what about the items we’ve lost along the way?

Throughout the years, there have been plenty of McDonald’s menu items that were cut before we even had a chance to say good-bye. To be fair, some of these items have very obviously needed some work. But with a little tweaking, and maybe the right dipping sauce, they could be revamped and reintroduced—and we’d be here for them (shout out Onion Nuggets). Others should maybe be left in the past, but curiosity and a hunger for more options makes them at least worth considering.

We’ve previously taken a look at McDonald’s menu items exclusively available in other countries, with intriguing contenders like the chili donut in Austria, the Green Tea McFlurry in Malaysia, and Hong Kong’s Sausage N Egg Twisty Pasta. In this list, we focused on the U.S. market, which seems to be less adventurous when it comes to giving fast food oddities a try. While some of these items were discontinued in America, they’ve actually found a welcome home elsewhere. Maybe the problem is us.

But maybe we can be the solution, too. McDonald’s clearly listens to consumers, like last year when the notorious Szechuan sauce made a comeback not once, but twice, thanks to Rick and Morty fans. Let’s take a look at 25 discontinued McDonald’s menu items that could’ve made it, if we only gave them a chance.

It’s a salad, but like, in a cup. While it’s weird to think about, salad in a cup-holder friendly shape bodes well in the convenience department, and let’s be honest--who wouldn’t want to douse iceberg lettuce in dressing and shake it at a red light? If you’re going to eat a salad, might as well have fun with it, right? Unfortunately, the fun stopped in 2003, and bulky salads--while still shakeable in their own way--just aren’t the same.

Why this was discontinued is a head scratcher. People will eat nearly anything battered and fried, and although these didn’t have the onion ring shape, they seem to at least be distant cousins of the round fried onion counterpart featured on menus far and wide. Nevertheless, onion nuggets were discontinued in the 80s, leaving fast food fans pleading for a comeback.

The Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry had a limited U.S. run, despite being a fan favorite. While strawberry shortcake isn’t the most popular dessert, it stands to reason that this would be a welcome return on the menu, although it would also give us another reason to be infuriated when the ice cream machine is inevitably broken.