4 McDonald's Menu Items They Need To Bring Back & Others That Failed For Good Reason

Bring them back

McPizza

Nothing hits as good as a good old-fashioned pizza, but did you know that McDonald's actually sold their own pies?

Yes, back in in 1989, the McPizza hit menus and existed throughout the 1990s, the prime age for a generation of people in their 30s and 40s now to feel extra nostalgic for it.

However, according to Mental Floss, the menu item's downfall was its cooking time. Unlike most McDonald's food, the McPizza was made to order, which meant that customers had to wait longer than usual to get their food.

This is what eventually caused the restaurant chain to say "arrivederci" to the McPizza.

However, it still remains something many McDonald's fans want to see again. Because who doesn't love pizza?

Mighty Wings

Of course, McDonald's is known for a whole heck of a lot more than just burgers. They're renowned for their chicken nuggets, chicken sandwiches and more, but did you know the golden arches actually used to have their own chicken wings?

According to The Street, the Mighty Wings were first introduced in 1990 and lasted all the way until 2003. The wings have been reintroduced a few times in some markets around the world, but have yet to make a full-on comeback — a product of their higher price.

But, who wouldn't want to get some crispy fried chicken wings from McDonald's? Munching those late at night, or along with a burger sounds like a truly heavenly experience.

Who cares if they're too expensive? I want the option!

Angus Burger

A McDonald's burger made out of real Angus beef, how could that go wrong?

As a matter of fact, this was the first fast food burger to actually use Angus beef, which makes it a major standout in the field.

First introduced in 2009, the Angus Third Pounder only had a short run in the world of McDonald's, disappearing only four years later in 2013, according to USA Today.

The biggest reason was that the burgers were just too expensive for the average consumer, given their size and quality.

That being said, it would be awesome to see something like this on McDonald's menus again. It's a burger, after all, and higher-quality beef will only make the whole thing stand out more.

So let's get more of that Angus beef here again; it's been a decade. It deserves another shot!

Chicken Fajita

This one could go either way, but one thing that we do know is that McDonald's does a great job with their McWrap items, so this would be a prime thing to bring back to stores in the 2020s.

The McDonald's Chicken Fajita, according to Mashed, hit menus back in 1993. They were advertised as "a taste of Mexico ... without the sunburn" and didn't last long on the menu either.

While no exact end date is 100% confirmed, there's a good chance that, much like JNCO jeans and slap bracelets, they didn't make it out of the '90s alive.

While there is a version of it available in the United Kingdom, it's not exactly the same as the one that was advertised back in the '90s.

And with the McDonald's of 2023 killing it with their wraps, this could have been a great opening and chance for the brand to swoop in and make this treat return for the modern pallet around the world.

Keep them away

McLobster

An idea that was doomed to fail from the get-go.

McDonald's isn't particularly known for their seafood, outside of the Filet-o-Fish. But this very East Coast dish and its disappearance is probably why we only have one.

First attempted in 1992, according to The New Yorker, the McLobster sandwich has actually been a summer staple for much of Atlantic Canada up until 2017 when the price of lobster made it impractical for the restaurant. Not only was it a thing in Canada, but states in New England also sold the sandwich.

The reason why it shouldn't come back? Well, basically if you're in a place where lobster is seasonal and plentiful, you can pretty much guarantee that you'll be able to get a better lobster roll than the one you can get at McDonald's.

Sorry Ronald! It just makes more sense.

Onion Nuggets

While we all might love onion rings, an onion nugget is a bit of a different thing.

Actually, it's a lot of a different thing.

These were, wisely, an item that was only briefly on the menu, with Mental Floss reporting that they were only around from 1978 to around 1979.

And before you think that this was pitched as a vegetarian option to the Chicken McNugget, these actually came first. Wild hey?

As a matter of fact, they disappeared because the McDonald's chairman wanted to turn the company's focus to a chicken version of the same thing, and, as you can probably guess, the rest is history.

So, it's probably a good thing that this item is no longer around because if it had stayed on the menu, we might not have ever had the chance to eat McNuggets.

And that would be a sad universe.

Hula Burger

An idea is so absurd it can only come out of the 1960s.

The Hula Burger was cooked up as an option by the company's founder, Ray Kroc, for Catholics to eat during the Lenten Season, a time around Easter when chicken, beef and pork can't be eaten.

But what is the Hula Burger if it's meatless?

By all accounts, it was literally just a piece of pineapple and cheese between a bun.

According to The Daily Meal, Kroc had so much faith in the popularity of his sandwich that he made a bed with a franchisee named Lou Groen. If the Hula Burger sold less than Groen's own meatless invention, the Filet-o-Fish, Kroc would make the Filet-o-Fish a permanent menu item.

As you can probably guess, what happened next?

As far as I'm concerned, something as weird as the Hula Burger can stay in the weird 1960s-Polynesian-obsessed era it came from.

McSpaghetti

This item is not completely off the menu worldwide, but for the most part, you're not going to get this Italian dish at your local branch of the Golden Arches.

According to Mashed, the McSpaghetti first appeared on menus in the 1980s and failed to really grab dinners in places like the United States and Canada.

However, that isn't the case in some markets such as the Philippines, where the McSpaghetti still exists today, albeit with its own twist and flair that is a distinct departure from the Italian flavours some people might be used to.

If you go to the Philippines to try it, you'll likely find that the sauce is much sweeter than "traditional" pasta, which is simply just a part of the Filipino cultural palate.

So, unless this unique version of the McSpaghetti begins to spread outside of the country, I think it's safe to say that I'll be getting my Italian food at an Italian restaurant, happily.