During these crazy COVID-19 times, fast food chains have been adding new items and quietly removing old ones. Like me, you like to check out the giant signage when driving by your local fast food joints to see what’s new.
But what about dishes that have seen their last days publicly? I’ve compiled a few from each column for you.
New & Removed Fast Food Table of Contents
- Fast Food Item Removals
- Interesting New Fast Food Menu Item Additions
Fast Food Item Removals
I’m sure you could rattle off a bunch of favorite things missing from the fast-food restaurants you frequent but can’t quite pinpoint exactly when they disappeared.
I’m pouring out a little bit of my super-sized drink in the memory of Checkers (& Rally’s) Fried Apple Pie, KFC’s Potato Wedges, and McDonald’s Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel.
Checkers & Rally’s Removed During Pandemic
I’m not sure why I was so shocked about the removal of Apple Pies from the Checkers & Rally’s Menus. It could be cause I’m still reeling all these years later from McDonald’s Fried Apple Pie’s replacement for baked ones.
At least one other national chain still has fried pies, Popeyes.
Kentucky Fried Chicken Removed During Pandemic
I thought Kentucky Fried Chicken was moving in the right direction with some of the more recent menu additions like those Nashville Hot Tenders.
Then I hear that they are adding some Secret Recipe Fries dusted with their 11 herbs and spices, which didn’t sound like too bad of an idea.
It didn’t sound too bad until the casualty of this addition was the revered KFC Potato Wedges.
Goodbye, delicious friend.
McDonald’s Removed During Pandemic
My favorite McDonald’s item, the Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel, isn’t the only loss on their new so-called limited menu. The Big Breakfast is gone along with all-day breakfast, and McGriddles.
We can be thankful that at least the Sausage Egg & Cheese McMuffin made the cut!
“Our temporary limited menu has helped us provide the best possible customer experience while simplifying operations in our kitchens and for our crew during the pandemic,” the company said in a statement to Fox News. “We are partnering closely with our franchisees to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on restaurant operations and evaluate the best path forward for our national menu.”
Official word from McDonald’s
The Bagels are Back, and Burger Beast Approved!
Interesting New Fast Food Menu Item Additions
Some of our old favorites are gone temporarily or permanently, depending on who you believe. But, on the other hand, the fast fooders have been working overtime with new dishes to tempt us.
I listed a few of them below. Unfortunately, the KFC Chicken Sandwich is currently testing only in the Orlando, Florida market. Since I’ve only tried Wendy’s breakfast, and you can read my thoughts near the bottom of this post.
Burger King Pandemic Menu Additions
| RESTAURANT | Burger King |
| DISH | Impossible™ Croissan’wich |
| INGREDIENTS | Features an Impossible sausage patty, fluffy eggs, and American cheese on either a buttermilk biscuit or a croissant. |
| PRICE | $3.99 |
Carl’s Jr. & Hardee’s Pandemic Menu Additions
| RESTAURANT | Carl Jr’s & Hardee’s |
| DISH | Spicy Western Bacon Cheeseburger |
| INGREDIENTS | A charbroiled beef patty, topped with BBQ sauce, jalapeños, onion rings & pepper jack cheese on a sesame seed bun |
| PRICE | $5.19 for a single and $7.79 for a combo |
Checkers & Rally’s Pandemic Menu Additions
| RESTAURANT | Checkers & Rally’s |
| DISH | Mother Cruncher Chicken Sandwiches available in Bacon BBQ & Classic |
| INGREDIENTS | Features a chicken breast coated in mega crunch breading, topped with pickles, iceberg lettuce, and a slice of tomato on a toasted bun with the Squawk Sauce® |
| PRICE | $3.99 for the Classic, & Bacon BBQ is $4.99 |
Kentucky Fried Chicken Pandemic Menu Additions
| RESTAURANT | Kentucky Fried Chicken |
| DISH | KFC Chicken Sandwich |
| INGREDIENTS | Extra-crispy Chicken filet topped with pickles & spicy or classic Mayonnaise on a buttered brioche bun |
| PRICE | $3.99 for a sandwich, $6.99 for a Medium Combo Meal |
SONIC Drive-In Pandemic Menu Additions
| RESTAURANT | SONIC |
| DISH | Chicken Slingers |
| INGREDIENTS | The Classic Chicken Slinger is topped with mayo while the Spicy Chicken Slinger comes with a spicy ranch. Both have pickles, & are served on a brioche slider roll. |
| PRICE | $2.49 |
Wendy’s Pandemic Menu Additions
Pringles Baconator Chips
Pringles Baconator chips are out at select markets like Walmart, Target and some supermarkets like Publix in Florida.
These sound like a great idea, and I’ll be buying one in the next few days, but a few friends of mine have told me I’m better off sticking to the regular Pringles.
When you’re craving all the flavors of a Wendy’s® Baconator in a one bite Pringles crisp. Each Pringles Baconator crisp tastes like a half-pound of fresh, never frozen beef, American cheese, six strips of crispy Applewood smoked bacon, ketchup, and mayo. The only thing missing is the Frosty®. Look under the lid to unwrap an exclusive Wendy’s® offer!
Pringles Baconator description from their site
Breakfast
When I noticed that Wendy’s had breakfast, I decided to go through the drive-thru and check it out.
- You can get your sandwiches on a croissant, a biscuit, or a “breakfast” roll.
- Protein-wise, there is bacon, a fried chicken patty, or a square sausage patty.
- All come with egg and cheese, typically American but Swiss on the croissants.
- I went with the Classic Sausage, Egg & Cheese Sandwich with seasoned potato wedges.
☑️My verdict? For a quick breakfast option, it was good. McDonald’s is still king in the fast-food breakfast space, but Wendy’’ breakfast easily tops Burger King and Taco Bell.
Fast Food Menu Pandemic Thoughts?
How do you feel about these changes? Let me know in the comments area.
I agree I wil not go there as often now.Sad because I love the Baconzilla with a apple pie after but WHY??? for room for another Chicken sandwich.Come on!!
I am super upset about the Apple pues at Checkers/Rallys being discontinued as well.We would eat out quite often and go to Checkers because you could get more for your buck so you could splurge on your dinner choice and still get 2 delicious apple pies for a dollar.I wont be goibg as often either,not that I will stop but just not as often.
I was told that Checkers (and Rally’s) ended their Cinnamon Apple Pies because they needed the equipment and space for the chicken in the new Mother Cruncher sandwiches. I will go to Chick-fil-A if I want a chicken sandwich, and honestly there are better burgers at other places. But for years I would go out of my way to take lunch at Checkers at least once each week because I could end my meal with their excellent Cinnamon Apple Pies. I haven’t been back to a Checkers since the day I was told no more apple pies. It just seems crazy that they would end a product that had been rated “best in the business” time and time again in numerous taste tests and comparisons. Come on Checker’s and Rally’s, if you won’t serve the pies, put the recipe on the market and sell it to a fast food business that will!
You pulled that comment right. Out of .my brain you said everything i was thnking. No lie for real. Thanks for the comments it wzs typed with feeling for sure stay safe
I’m so upset at the discontinuation of the Checkers apple pies! They were 2 for a buck, fried to crispy goodness then covered in the most amazing cinnamon sugar! They even had a apple pie a la mode that was layered pie n ice cream. What is wrong with these people?! The pies beat out all other pies in fast food 3 to 1! I guess the numbers and the customer choices don’t make a diff today! I’m sad…and mad honestly. I loved them and now they just took a little sweet sunshine apple-y goodness from my life! Dang y’all…reallly?!
In 20 years we’ll be like…remember when Checkers had those great apple pies?
I feel almost disgusted that Checker’s pies have been cancelled. I had it like…once? But it was a great experience. 14 year vegetarian (but not the best. I eat salad more, but junk food and processed stuff is my weakness.), so fast food doesn’t have a lot to offer me. I just hope more places get on the Beyond/Impossible train. (I like Impossible fake beef better, but Beyond breakfast sausage is amaze-balls. Had the whopper and I didn’t taste that weird after taste from the sunflower lethecin or something I had at home. Didn’t even taste it when I drowned it in taco seasoning recently and it even smelled like real meat!) Going off topic! We don’t go to Checkers often, since it’s on the other side of town, but it’s my bro’s favorite. Guess I’ll just try making pies at home with my tart maker and some ingenuity. Hopefully they never get rid of the cheese fries. Those things are so fire. The fries alone? Perfection. With cheese? Heavenly status! Oh, and really glad BK has a beyond sausage crois’sandwich. Replaces the OG one from my childhood and the egg one from recently. I could eat Beyond breakfast sausage all day and not get tired of it. 🙂
Try the fried pie at Popeyes to get your fix.
I went through Rally’s yesterday and ordered 3 Apple pies (my husband, daughter, & me) only to hear those awful words “We no longer serve pies” WHAT?! That’s the whole reason I went to Rally’s! I wanted to cry, today, I’m mad! I’m still upset with McDonald’s for switching to those discusting baked pies!
We don’t have Popeyes or I would try theirs. Do you know where the pies can be sourced so we can fry them at home?
The only place you could buy some but there would be 140 pies in the case is from Webstaurant.
I am so upset about the Checkers apple and the steak, egg and cheese bagel from McDonalds being gone. I literally want to cry… when they say good things don’t last forever!
Oh and the removal of KFCs potatoes wedges for some basic ass French fries we can get any where. Special recipe…yea right.
Popeyes has a similar fried pie to Checkers but that Steak, Egg, & Cheese Bagel is irreplaceable!
I love the bacon, egg & cheese croissant from Wendy’s – – the sauce tastes like a hollandaise. Beats out my prior favorite, the Burger King croissandwich (sp) for sure.
I am glad the potato wedges are gone from KFC – not a potato wedge fan. Can’t wait to try their fries!!