McDonald's is known for its Big Mac, McChicken, and Quarter Pounder, but did you know that there was a time the chain sold things other than burgers?
Over the years, the fast food giant has unveiled some temporary new creations like pizza and hot dogs, but customers weren't "lovin' it."
We've compiled a list of some nostalgic and odd McDonald's items you might not believe were ever on the menu!
McDonald's began testing a dinner menu in 1989, which included pasta. The menu included a variety of pastas including lasagna, spaghetti, fettuccine alfredo, and even some roasted chicken entrees along with dishes that included mashed potatoes, gravy, and vegetables.
Another part of the dinner menu (served only after 4 pm) was everyone's favorite dish: pizza! However, with the market so deeply saturated with pizza joints, the cheesy item wasn't exactly a successful selling point for McD's. One of the biggest issues was that the fast food item wasn't fast at all and it took too long to cook.
The McHotDog was introduced in the late 1990s at select midwestern stores as a limited-time summer item, but it wasn't what people associated with McDonald's. It gained some success in the UK during the late nineties, while a few Toronto stores sold them until 1999. Tokyo even had the hot dogs in 2001 and re-introduced it in 2009. Poland also had a local version with its national sausage called the "McKielbasa."
Fish items are popular at McDonald's -- just look at the staple menu item, the Filet-O-Fish. But fish lovers couldn't get on board with the "Fish McBites," a poppable small piece of flaky Alaska Pollock that was dipped in batter and fried. It was served with a tangy tartar sauce.
McDonald's Arch Deluxe was marketed as a gourmet burger "for adults." The extensive marketing, which cost the chain nearly $100 million, showed kids disgusted by the adult-only item and Ronald McDonald playing adult sports like golf. It was also dubbed "the burger with the grown-up taste."
Lobster is fancy and pricey, which means two things: you don't go to McDonald's for it, but if you do find yourself craving a lobster roll at the chain, you're not really digging the upwards of $5.99 pricepoint for a fast food item.
The meatless Hula burger was introduced as an alternative for the Catholic and Christian customers who were abstaining from meat every Friday due to Lent.
While the Filet-O-Fish has found success with this exact group of customers, the Hula burger couldn't shimmy its way into people's hearts as it only contained a grilled pineapple topped with cheese on a bun. It's not surprising why this item was never mentioned again.
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The McAfrika was a PR nightmare for McDonald's. The sandwich itself was fine -- the beef, cheese, tomatoes and salad was wrapped up in a pita -- but it was the marketing that stirred up controversy. The sandwich was marketed in 2002 during the famines in southern Africa, which customers called tasteless.
The McDLT was introduced in the mid-1980s as just a burger with lettuce and tomato. The catch was that it came in a styrofoam package that separated the lettuce and tomato from the patty. The whole idea was to keep the veggies from getting warm and soggy and the meat from cooling down before the customer was ready to eat. After 6-years, it was removed from the menu because of the packaging's negative effects on the environment.
While many of these items have been discontinued, the World's Largest McDonald's in Orlando, Florida serves up a sprawling menu with breakfast items, pizza, pasta, sandwiches, wraps, and desserts, so you may be able to taste-test some of these items if you pay the restaurant a little visit!
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