12 Fast-Food Menu Items from the '70s That Disappeared

Fast-food menus in the 1970s were characterized by adventurous, often experimental items that attempted to branch out from the standard burger-and-fries model, many of which were eventually cut due to high production costs or shifting consumer tastes.

Sophia Zapanta
February 24, 2026
9 min read

12 Fast-Food Menu Items from the '70s That Disappeared — Daniel's Richard on Pexels

The 1970s represented a “Wild West” era for quick-service restaurants. Major players like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Taco Bell were no longer just local curiosities but national powerhouses looking to dominate every meal of the day. This led to the creation of ambitious menu items that were often too complex or expensive to maintain in a high-speed kitchen environment. This was the decade that saw the birth of the fast-food breakfast and the first real attempts at “healthy” alternatives, though many of these early versions were far from what we consider healthy today. While some items became permanent icons, many others vanished into the archives of culinary history. These discontinued items offer a fascinating look at what happens when a burgeoning industry takes big risks to capture the imagination of a hungry, changing public.

1. McDonald’s McFeast

Introduced in the mid-’70s, the McFeast was a premium burger that aimed to offer a more “deluxe” experience than the standard cheeseburger. It featured a quarter-pound patty topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and a special savory sauce that was distinct from the Big Mac’s “Special Sauce.” It was marketed as a more sophisticated option for adults who wanted a fresher, garden-style burger. However, as McDonald’s menu expanded, the McFeast began to overlap too much with other items, such as the Quarter Pounder with Cheese. While it remained popular in some international markets for years, it eventually vanished from American menus as the company streamlined its offerings. It remains a nostalgic favorite for those who remember it as the first “gourmet” attempt by the Golden Arches.

2. Burger King’s Burger Veal

In one of the most unusual experiments of the decade, Burger King briefly tested a “Burger Veal” sandwich in 1971. This item featured a breaded veal patty served on a long hoagie-style bun, topped with tomato sauce and melted cheese—essentially a fast-food version of Veal Parmigiana. It was an attempt to elevate the menu and provide a more “restaurant-style” meal for dinner crowds. However, veal was expensive to source and didn’t resonate well with the core audience that came to Burger King for flame-broiled beef. The logistics of breading and frying a specific veal patty in a burger-focused kitchen proved too difficult. It was quietly removed after a short trial run, becoming one of the rarest and most obscure items in the chain’s history.

3. Taco Bell’s Bell Beefer

For several decades, including the height of the 1970s, Taco Bell served a “Mexican-style” burger known as the Bell Beefer. It was essentially taco meat, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and cheese served on a standard hamburger bun instead of a tortilla. It was designed to appeal to customers who were still skeptical of tacos but wanted the flavors of Taco Bell’s signature seasoning. For many years, it was a menu staple and had a very loyal following among those who preferred a “sloppy joe” style meal. As Taco Bell shifted its brand identity toward “Think Outside the Bun” in the late eighties and nineties, the Bell Beefer was phased out to emphasize tortillas. Fans still petition for its return today, remembering it as a unique bridge between American and Mexican fast food.

4. Pizza Hut’s Taco Pizza

Long before other chains tried the concept, Pizza Hut introduced a “Taco Pizza” in the late seventies that became an immediate cult classic. It featured a traditional pizza crust topped with bean sauce, beef, onions, and cheese, which was then baked and topped with cold shredded lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and crunchy taco chips. It was a messy, high-energy dish that combined two of America’s favorite foods into one experience. While it was popular, it was difficult for staff to prepare because it required adding cold toppings after the pizza came out of the high-heat oven. Over time, Pizza Hut simplified its menu to focus on more traditional toppings, and the Taco Pizza was largely relegated to the “secret menu” or specific regional locations before mostly disappearing.

5. McDonald’s Onion Nuggets

Before the Chicken McNugget changed the world in the eighties, McDonald’s tested a similar concept called “Onion Nuggets” in the late 1970s. These were small, bite-sized chunks of onion that were battered and deep-fried, essentially acting as a more portable and shareable version of onion rings. They were intended to be a side dish or a snack that people could dip into various sauces. While they performed okay in test markets, they were ultimately sidelined when the company decided to focus all of its “nugget” technology on chicken instead. The success of the Chicken McNugget was so massive that the Onion Nuggets were completely forgotten by the general public. They represent a brief moment when McDonald’s considered a vegetarian-friendly snack as their next big breakthrough.

6. Burger Chef’s Skipper Sandwich

Burger Chef was a massive competitor to McDonald’s in the seventies, and their signature fish offering was the “Skipper.” Unlike the square fish patties found at other chains, the Skipper used a larger, more natural-looking fillet of fish that was heavily breaded and served on a toasted roll with tartar sauce. It was marketed as a more substantial and “authentic” seafood option for people who weren’t in the mood for a burger. Burger Chef was eventually bought out, and most locations were converted into Hardee’s, leading to the disappearance of the Skipper. For many who grew up in the seventies, the Skipper was the gold standard for fast-food fish. Its loss marked the end of an era for one of the most innovative regional chains in America.

7. Arthur Treacher’s Hush Puppies

Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips was a dominant force in the ’70s, and their “Hush Puppies” were a legendary side dish that many customers preferred over the fish itself. These were deep-fried balls of cornmeal batter, often seasoned with bits of onion or jalapeño, and served hot in a paper sleeve. While hush puppies are a staple of Southern cooking, Arthur Treacher’s brought them to a national audience as the perfect accompaniment to fried seafood. As the chain struggled and most locations closed down in the following decades, their specific recipe for hush puppies vanished from the mainstream. For those who remember the “yellow lantern” signs of Arthur Treacher’s, the crunch and flavor of those hush puppies are a defining taste of the 1970s.

8. Jack in the Box Moby Jack

In the mid-’70s, Jack in the Box introduced the “Moby Jack,” a massive fish sandwich designed to compete with the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish. It featured two fried fish patties, lettuce, and tartar sauce on a long hoagie roll, making it much larger than its competitors’ offerings. The name was a clever play on the novel Moby Dick, leaning into the “giant” theme of the sandwich. It was a favorite for hungry diners on a budget, but it was eventually pulled as the chain moved toward a more diverse menu featuring tacos and sourdough burgers. The Moby Jack is remembered as one of the earliest examples of the “super-sized” trend in fast-food seafood. It provided a hearty alternative to the thin, single-patty fish sandwiches that were common at the time.

9. KFC’s Kentucky Fried Liver

In an effort to utilize every part of the chicken and offer a “traditional” Southern delicacy, many KFC locations in the 1970s served “Kentucky Fried Liver.” These were chicken livers that were breaded in the Colonel’s secret 11 herbs and spices and deep-fried until crunchy. While they were a massive hit in certain regional markets, particularly in the South and Midwest, they didn’t have broad national appeal. They were also difficult to keep fresh on a buffet or under a heat lamp compared to standard chicken pieces. As KFC modernized and standardized its menu, the livers were slowly phased out of most locations. To this day, a few rare franchise locations still serve them, but for the vast majority of the country, they are a forgotten relic of the chain’s early days.

10. Wendy’s Superbar

While Wendy’s is known for its square burgers, the late seventies and early eighties saw the introduction of the “Superbar,” a massive all-you-can-eat buffet located inside the restaurant. It featured three distinct stations: “Garden Spot” (salad), “Pasta Pasta” (spaghetti and fettuccine), and “Mexican” (tacos and nachos). For a single low price, customers could visit the bar as many times as they wanted. It was incredibly popular with families and teenagers on a budget, but it was a logistical nightmare for employees who had to constantly clean and refill the stations. Maintaining food safety and labor costs eventually made the Superbar unprofitable. By the late ’90s, it was almost entirely gone. It remains one of the most requested “throwback” items in the history of the brand.

11. Arby’s Roasted Chicken

Before they became the “We Have the Meats” brand focused primarily on beef and brisket, Arby’s experimented with “Roasted Chicken” in the 1970s. This wasn’t a fried patty, but actual slow-roasted chicken that was sliced and served on a bun, similar to their roast beef. It was marketed as a healthier and lighter alternative to the heavy burgers found at other chains. However, the roasting process took a long time, and the meat was difficult to keep moist after slicing and holding for service. Arby’s eventually shifted its chicken strategy toward fried tenders and sandwiches, which were easier to prepare and more popular with the “on-the-go” crowd. The original roasted version is a lost chapter in the company’s attempts to diversify beyond its famous roast beef.

12. McDonald’s Fried Apple Pies

While McDonald’s still sells apple pies today, the original 1970s version was deep-fried rather than baked. This resulted in a bubbling, crispy, and incredibly hot crust that was legendary for its texture and flavor. The pies were served in a cardboard sleeve that famously warned customers the filling was extremely hot. In 1992, the company switched to a baked version to appear more health-conscious, a move that many fans have never forgiven. The fried version had a distinct “crunch” and a greasy, sugary coating that the baked version simply cannot replicate. For many who grew up in the seventies, a trip to McDonald’s wasn’t complete without the mouth-searing experience of a fried apple pie. While they are still available in some international markets and a few rare “retro” locations, they have effectively disappeared from the standard American experience.