20 Classic 1970s Fast Foods That No Longer Exist

The 1970s was a decade of massive experimentation for the fast food industry. As chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Pizza Hut fought for dominance, they introduced a variety of bold, quirky, and sometimes questionable dishes to capture the public’s attention. While some became staples, many others were relegated to the history books. From deep-fried pies and experimental burgers to unique breakfast failures, these items represent a nostalgic look at a transforming American culinary landscape. This listicle explores 20 forgotten gems and missteps that defined the 1970s fast food experience, offering a salty, sweet, and greasy trip down memory lane for anyone who remembers the golden age of the drive-in.

1. The McDonald’s McFeast

Long before the era of the Deluxe burgers, McDonald’s attempted to capture the “everything” market with the McFeast. Launched in the late 1970s, this burger was a beast. It featured a large patty, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and a special blend of sauces that aimed to compete with the Burger King Whopper. It was one of the first times the Golden Arches tried to go big with fresh vegetables as a primary selling point. While it found success in some international markets later on, the original 1970s American version eventually faded away. It remains a cult favorite for those who remember the specific, savory mess of a burger that felt more “gourmet” than the standard cheeseburger.

2. Pizza Hut’s Priazzo

While Pizza Hut is known today for its thin and stuffed crusts, the 1970s saw the birth of the Priazzo. This was less of a pizza and more of a savory Italian pie. It featured two layers of crust with a massive amount of cheese, meat, and sauce stuffed inside. It looked more like a deep-dish casserole than a traditional slice. The problem was the cook time. In an era where “fast” was the name of the game, waiting 20 to 40 minutes for a Priazzo to bake did not fit the business model. It was eventually scrapped, leaving behind only the memories of its incredibly heavy and delicious cheesy interior.

3. Burger King’s Specialty Chicken Sandwiches (Original Lineup)

In the late ’70s, Burger King tried to branch out beyond the flame-broiled beef that made them famous. They introduced a line of long, sub-style chicken sandwiches. While the standard Original Chicken Sandwich survived, the specialty versions like the “Veal Parmigiana” and the “Ham and Cheese” versions did not stand the test of time. These were marketed as a more sophisticated alternative to a standard burger. They were served on a long hoagie roll and were surprisingly hearty. However, as the menu became more streamlined in the 1980s, these diverse options were trimmed down to a single chicken patty, leaving the veal version as a strange historical footnote.

4. The McDLT

The McDLT was a masterpiece of 1970s engineering and marketing. The hook was simple: “Keep the hot side hot, and the cool side cool.” It arrived in a massive two-compartment styrofoam container. One side held the bottom bun and the burger patty, while the other side held the top bun, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. You had to assemble it yourself at the table. It was a fun, interactive way to eat, but it was an environmental nightmare. The sheer amount of packaging required for a single burger led to its eventual demise. Still, for those who loved a crisp tomato on a hot burger, the McDLT was the pinnacle of fast food technology.

5. Burger King’s Onion Ring Dipping Sauce (Original)

While onion rings are still on the menu, the specific flavor profile of the 1970s dipping sauce was a different beast entirely. It was a zesty, creamy concoction with a much sharper bite than modern versions. During the ’70s, fast food chains were still figuring out their “signature” sauces, and this one was a favorite for kids who wanted something more exciting than ketchup. Over the decades, the recipe was tweaked and mellowed out to appeal to a broader audience. If you grew up dipping your rings in that original, spicy, horseradish-forward sauce, the modern packets probably feel like a pale imitation of your childhood memories.

6. McDonald’s Tallow-Fried Fries

This is a “lost” item that people still talk about with tears in their eyes. Until the late 1980s, McDonald’s fried their world-famous potatoes in a blend of vegetable oil and beef tallow. This gave the fries a rich, savory, and almost buttery flavor that modern fries simply cannot replicate. In the 1970s, this was the gold standard of side dishes. Due to health concerns regarding saturated fats, the company switched to 100 percent vegetable oil. While they added “natural beef flavor” to compensate, the original 1970s fry experience is something that has officially vanished into the annals of fast food history.

7. The Original Deep-Fried Apple Pie

Before McDonald’s started baking their pies to be “healthier,” they were deep-fried to a bubbly, golden crisp. The 1970s were the peak era for these handheld lava pockets. The crust was blistered and crunchy, providing a perfect contrast to the gooey, cinnamon-heavy apple filling. You had to be careful not to burn your tongue on the first bite, but it was worth the risk. Today, the baked versions are soft and doughy, lacking that satisfying “shatter” of the original fried crust. While you can still find them in some international locations, the classic American fried pie is a relic of a greasier, crunchier time.

8. Taco Bell’s Bell Beefer

In the 1970s, Taco Bell was not quite sure if America was ready for a menu built entirely around tacos, so they introduced the Bell Beefer. It was essentially a “taco burger.” All the familiar taco ingredients, such as seasoned ground beef, lettuce, cheese, and mild sauce, were piled onto a soft hamburger bun. The result was a messy but satisfying hybrid that gave customers the flavor of a taco in the familiar form of a sandwich. It quickly became a favorite for people who wanted something different from the usual burger. As the brand leaned further into its Mexican-inspired identity, the Bell Beefer began to feel out of place and was eventually removed from the menu, leaving a small but loyal group of fans wishing it would return.

9. Arby’s Junior Roast Beef

Arby’s has always been the king of roast beef, but in the ’70s, they had a much more robust “Junior” line. These weren’t just smaller versions of the main sandwiches; they were priced specifically for kids and teens with a much lighter seasoning profile. The 1970s version of Arby’s was trying to position itself as a “healthier” alternative to burger joints, and the Junior Roast Beef was the gateway drug for a generation of kids. While they still have smaller sliders today, the specific texture and thin-sliced nature of the ’70s Junior sandwich offered a different experience that many nostalgic diners miss dearly.

10. Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips

While not a single item, this entire chain was a staple of 1970s fast food culture. Their signature item was the batter-dipped fish, which used a secret recipe that resulted in a puffy, airy, and incredibly salty crust. Paired with “hush puppies” and thick-cut fries, it was the British invasion of the American fast food scene. At its peak in the ’70s, there were hundreds of locations. Today, only a handful of stores remain, mostly in the Northeast. For most of the country, the specific taste of that yellow-gold batter and the malt vinegar on the side is a flavor that only exists in the memory of 1970s mall-goers.

11. McDonald’s McHotDog

Yes, there was a time when the biggest burger chain in the world tried to sell hot dogs. Ray Kroc, the man behind the McDonald’s empire, was famously against the idea, but the company experimented with it anyway in the 1970s. The McHotDog was a standard frankfurter served in a bun, aimed at the “quick lunch” crowd. It never quite caught on because people associated the Golden Arches so strongly with hamburgers. Most customers felt that if they wanted a hot dog, they would go to a ballgame or a specialized stand. By the end of the decade, the McHotDog was mostly pulled from American menus, becoming a rare trivia fact.

12. Hardee’s Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits

Hardee’s has always been the king of the fast food biscuit, but in the late ’70s, they introduced a sweet version that had fans obsessed. The Cinnamon Raisin Biscuit was a fluffy, buttery biscuit packed with raisins and topped with a thick, sugary glaze. It was the perfect breakfast treat for someone who didn’t want a savory egg sandwich. While Hardee’s still does biscuits better than almost anyone, these specific sweet treats have cycled in and out of the menu, rarely capturing the exact magic of the original 70s recipe that used a slightly different, more “homemade” feeling dough.

13. Jack in the Box Fancifood

In the mid-1970s, Jack in the Box tried to pivot from being a standard burger joint to a more “sophisticated” establishment. They introduced the “Fancifood” line, which included things like fried shrimp and even a steak sandwich. The goal was to attract adults who were tired of the same old fast food. The shrimp was surprisingly high quality for a drive-thru, but the branding was confusing for a place with a giant clown head for a mascot. Eventually, they realized that people came to Jack in the Box for tacos and burgers, leading to the “explosion” of the clown mascot in commercials and a return to basics.

14. Dairy Queen’s Full-Service Diner Menu

Today, we think of Dairy Queen as the place for Blizzards, but in the ’70s, many locations were “DQ Brazier” outlets. They had a much more extensive hot food menu, including various broiled burgers and even platters that felt more like a diner than a fast food stand. The 1970s DQ experience often involved sitting down for a full meal of “Brazier” burgers and fries before finishing with a dipped cone. The smell of burgers cooking on the grill was just as memorable as the soft serve itself. While some “Grill and Chill” locations still exist, the specific 1970s atmosphere and the unique seasoning of the Brazier burgers have largely been replaced by a more standardized corporate menu.

15. Kentucky Fried Chicken’s “Extra Crispy” (Original Formula)

While KFC still sells “Extra Crispy” chicken, the 1970s version was a different experience. Back then, the process was slightly more manual, and the breading had a distinct texture that many veterans of the decade claim was superior. The 70s was a time of massive growth for KFC, and they were perfecting the “bucket” culture. The original Extra Crispy was designed to stay crunchy even after a long drive home, a feat of culinary engineering at the time. Over the years, changes in oil types and cooking equipment have altered the final product, making the 70s version a “lost flavor” for fried chicken aficionados.

16. Subway’s “BMT” (The Original Meaning)

Most people know the BMT as the “Biggest, Meatiest, Tastiest” sandwich. In the 1970s, however, when Subway was still a growing chain, the name referred to the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit system. The sandwich was meant to feel as hearty and filling as a New York subway train. In those early days, the meats were sliced differently, and the bread had a sturdier texture with less sweetness than the modern loaves. It was built to be big, bold, and satisfying for hungry customers. The BMT still exists today, but the original ’70s version, inspired by the busy New York transit system, represents a small piece of flavor and branding history that has since been polished into a more uniform menu item.

17. Wendy’s Superbar

While it reached its peak in the ’80s, the idea behind the Wendy’s Superbar started taking shape in the late ’70s. Wendy’s became one of the first fast food chains to experiment with the “all you can eat” salad bar concept. It offered much more than lettuce, with trays of pasta, taco fixings, and even chocolate pudding. For just a few dollars, customers could keep going back for more. Kids especially loved the freedom to build their own plates again and again. Keeping the bar clean and fully stocked was a constant challenge for employees, which eventually led to its disappearance. For many budget-conscious families in the late 1970s, this early buffet-style idea felt like a small revolution in the fast food world.

18. Burger Chef’s Funmeal

Before there was a Happy Meal, there was the Funmeal. Burger Chef was a major competitor to McDonald’s in the 1970s and actually introduced the idea of a themed kids’ meal with a toy first. The Funmeal featured characters like Burger Chef and Jeff, and the box often included puzzles, games, and colorful artwork to keep kids entertained. For many children, the box itself was just as exciting as the food inside. When McDonald’s later introduced the Happy Meal, Burger Chef even filed a lawsuit over the idea. In the end, Burger Chef was eventually bought by Hardee’s, and the Funmeal disappeared, but it remains the true ancestor of the kids’ meals we see everywhere today.

19. The Egg McMuffin (The 1972 Original)

While you can still buy an Egg McMuffin today, the 1972 version felt like a revelation. It introduced the idea of a portable breakfast and helped change the fast food industry. In the 1970s, the ingredients often felt a little more authentic. The Canadian bacon was thicker, and the eggs were cracked into Teflon rings right on the grill. Customers could even watch the sandwich come together fresh in front of them. It was more than just a new menu item. It signaled a shift in how people ate, making it easier to grab breakfast on the way to work. The sandwich still exists today, but the original 1970s version marked the start of a new era in fast food dining.

20. McDonald’s McShrimp

Long before the Filet-O-Fish had a monopoly on the McDonald’s seafood menu, there was a brief, experimental period in the mid-1970s involving deep-fried shrimp. The McShrimp was essentially a basket of breaded, popcorn-style shrimp served with a side of cocktail sauce. It was a bold move aimed at competing with casual sit-down diners and specialized seafood shacks. While it was a hit in certain coastal test markets, the supply chain logistics of sourcing high-quality shrimp for thousands of locations proved to be a massive headache. The costs were too high, and the shelf life was too short, leading the Golden Arches to pull the plug on this crustacean experiment by the end of the decade.

• Tags:
• Nostalgia
• 1970s
• fast food
• history
• classic food