13 Classic Fast Food Items from the ’80s That Deserve a Comeback

13 Classic Fast Food Items from the ’80s That Deserve a Comeback

Remember when fast food meant more than just burgers and fries? The 1980s were the golden age of wild food experiments, colorful packaging, and menu items that made us smile. These forgotten treasures combined weird flavors, fun shapes, and marketing genius that today’s offerings just can’t match. Join me on a journey back to the neon-lit decade when fast food wasn’t just a meal – it was an adventure!

1. McDonald’s McPizza

Once upon a time, the Golden Arches tried to compete with pizza chains by offering their own version of the Italian classic. Served in a special box with a crispy crust and generous toppings, McPizza became a weekend family favorite.

The rectangular pizza took nearly 10 minutes to prepare – an eternity in fast food time – which ultimately contributed to its downfall. Some locations even installed special wide drive-thru windows just to accommodate the oversized boxes!

While a few McDonald’s locations continued serving pizza into the early 2000s, this cheesy delight vanished from most menus by 1991, leaving behind a legion of fans who still reminisce about McDonald’s brief pizza era.

2. Taco Bell’s Bell Beefer

Before focusing exclusively on Mexican-inspired fare, Taco Bell offered this fascinating hybrid – essentially a taco in burger form. The Bell Beefer featured seasoned taco meat on a burger bun topped with lettuce, diced tomatoes, and mild sauce.

Fondly nicknamed the “Taco Burger” by fans, this creation bridged the gap between American fast food and Taco Bell’s Mexican menu. The soft bun soaked up the taco meat’s savory juices, creating a uniquely messy but delicious eating experience.

Discontinued in the early ’90s as Taco Bell streamlined its menu toward more traditional Mexican-inspired items, the Bell Beefer remains a cult favorite that customers regularly petition to bring back.

3. Wendy’s SuperBar

All-you-can-eat heaven arrived at Wendy’s in 1987 with the legendary SuperBar. For just $2.99, hungry customers could feast on three distinct food stations: Italian (pasta and sauces), Mexican (tacos and fixings), and Garden Spot (salad bar).

Kids particularly loved creating bizarre food combinations – spaghetti tacos anyone? The SuperBar transformed Wendy’s from just another burger joint into a legitimate dinner destination where families could satisfy everyone’s cravings in one stop.

Financial concerns and food safety regulations eventually killed this beloved buffet in the late ’90s. No modern fast food offering has matched the SuperBar’s variety, value, and fun factor since its disappearance.

4. Pizza Hut’s Priazzo

Pizza Hut went fancy in 1985 with the Priazzo, a deep-dish Italian pie that resembled a stuffed pizza more than their traditional offerings. Loaded with layers of cheese, meats, and vegetables between two crusts and topped with sauce, this heavyweight required a knife and fork to eat.

Available in three varieties – Roma, Milano, and Florentine – the Priazzo was marketed as an authentic Italian experience. Commercials even featured actors with exaggerated Italian accents exclaiming “Mama Mia, that’s a Priazzo!”

Despite its popularity, the Priazzo’s complicated preparation and long baking time (over 40 minutes) made it impractical for busy restaurants. By 1990, this ambitious creation disappeared forever.

5. McDonald’s Fried Apple Pie

The modern baked apple pie at McDonald’s is fine, but it’s a pale imitation of the original fried version that burned countless mouths throughout the 1980s. Encased in a bubbled, crispy shell that shattered with each bite, these molten fruit pockets delivered an addictive textural contrast.

The unmistakable crackling sound of that first bite signaled the start of a dangerous game – how quickly could you eat it without scalding your tongue on the nuclear-hot filling? The caramelized exterior gave way to cinnamon-spiced apple filling that no baked version has ever matched.

Sadly, health concerns prompted McDonald’s to switch to baked pies in 1992, though some international locations still serve the superior fried version.

6. Burger King’s Burger Bundles

Before sliders became trendy, Burger King pioneered mini-burgers with their Burger Bundles in 1987. These adorable three-packs of tiny flame-broiled burgers came with all the usual toppings on miniature buns, making them perfect for kids or light appetites.

Marketed as “One bite and they’re gone!” these palm-sized burgers offered all the flavor of a Whopper in just a few bites. They returned briefly as “Burger Buddies” in the early ’90s with a connected cooking system to prevent the tiny patties from falling through the grill grates.

Preparation difficulties and slow cooking times eventually doomed these cute creations. While White Castle and others have thrived with similar concepts, true fans know nothing compares to the original Burger Bundles.

7. McDLT

“Keep the hot side hot, and the cool side cool!” This ingenious packaging solution from McDonald’s solved the eternal burger dilemma with a unique styrofoam container divided into two compartments. One side held the hot beef patty on the bottom bun, while the other contained the cool toppings and top bun.

Customers assembled their own sandwich at the table, ensuring lettuce and tomato stayed crisp and cold while the meat remained piping hot. The commercials featuring Jason Alexander dancing and singing about the McDLT remain an iconic piece of ’80s pop culture.

Environmental concerns about styrofoam packaging ultimately killed the McDLT in 1990, though many still believe it delivered the freshest fast food burger experience ever created.

8. KFC’s Chicken Little Sandwiches

Long before KFC offered full-sized chicken sandwiches, they created these perfect snack-sized delights. The original Chicken Littles featured a tender rectangle of fried chicken on a small dinner roll with mayonnaise – simple perfection that cost just 39 cents each.

These mini sandwiches developed a massive following for their perfect chicken-to-bun ratio and budget-friendly price point. Many customers would order them by the bagful as an alternative to nuggets or larger meals.

KFC brought back something called “Chicken Littles” in 2012, but fans of the original weren’t fooled – the new version with different bread and proportions couldn’t capture the magic of these beloved ’80s treasures.

9. Taco Bell’s Enchirito

Half enchilada, half burrito, the Enchirito was Taco Bell’s first foray into more sophisticated Mexican-inspired cuisine. This oval-shaped creation came stuffed with seasoned beef, beans, and onions, then was smothered in red sauce and topped with a precise three olive slices and melted cheese.

Served in an aluminum tin with a paper lid featuring the iconic Taco Bell bell, the Enchirito required actual utensils to eat – a novelty for fast food in the ’80s. The combination of saucy exterior and packed interior created a unique textural experience that fans still rave about.

While Taco Bell has occasionally brought back versions of the Enchirito, the original with its signature olive garnish represents a level of presentation rarely seen in today’s fast food landscape.

10. McDonald’s Onion Nuggets

Before Chicken McNuggets conquered the world, McDonald’s experimented with Onion Nuggets in the early ’80s. These battered and deep-fried onion chunks came in a similar box to their chicken counterparts, complete with dipping sauces and a novel approach to onion ring design.

Rather than traditional rings, these bite-sized nuggets featured chopped onions formed into balls, then breaded and fried to golden perfection. The result was a more intense onion flavor with a satisfying crunch that developed a small but dedicated fan base.

McDonald’s eventually abandoned Onion Nuggets to focus on their wildly successful chicken version, but these forgotten appetizers paved the way for the nugget revolution that followed.

11. Dairy Queen’s Frozen Pudding Pops

Before Bill Cosby made Jell-O Pudding Pops famous, Dairy Queen offered their own superior frozen pudding treats. Available in chocolate, vanilla, and sometimes butterscotch flavors, these creamy pops had a texture unlike any other frozen dessert – not quite ice cream, not quite pudding.

The distinctive square shape with rounded corners made them instantly recognizable in the freezer case. Their smooth, velvety consistency didn’t form ice crystals like many frozen treats, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth experience that was less cold than ice cream but more substantial than a milkshake.

These frozen delights vanished by the early ’90s, leaving a pudding pop-shaped hole in the hearts of ’80s kids everywhere.

12. Roy Rogers’ Fried Chicken

Before becoming primarily a roast beef chain, Roy Rogers was famous for their pressure-fried chicken that rivaled KFC and Popeyes. Their unique double-breading process created an exceptionally crunchy exterior while keeping the meat incredibly juicy.

What truly set Roy’s chicken apart was their signature coating – a perfect blend of pepper, paprika, and secret spices that created a distinctive orange-golden hue. The chain took pride in using fresh, never-frozen chicken that was prepared on-site throughout the day.

As Roy Rogers locations dwindled through the ’90s, their legendary chicken recipe was lost to time. The few remaining restaurants focus mainly on roast beef, leaving fans of their original fried chicken recipe with nothing but delicious memories.

13. Pizza Hut’s Taco Pizza

During the Tex-Mex craze of the ’80s, Pizza Hut brilliantly combined two favorite foods with their legendary Taco Pizza. This creation featured a traditional pizza crust topped with refried beans, taco meat, and cheese, baked to perfection, then finished with cold lettuce, tomatoes, and tortilla chips.

The contrast between hot pizza base and cold, crisp toppings made each bite an adventure in temperature and texture. Packets of taco sauce came on the side, allowing customers to customize the heat level of their slice.

While similar options exist at some regional pizza chains today, Pizza Hut’s original version with its perfectly balanced toppings and that distinctive Pan Pizza crust remains the gold standard of Mexican-Italian fusion.