The Discontinued McDonald's Celebrity Collab We Still Miss Today

Since the early 90s, McDonald's has teamed up with celebrities to offer special menu items to the masses. The smart marketing strategy has translated into serious dollars for the brand and a few unforgettable recipes for customers visiting the Golden Arches. One of the first collaborations was between the fast-food chain and Michael Jordan. The convergence of forces resulted in the McJordan Special combo, a limited-time order of a McJordan burger, which was made with Jordan's favorite toppings, fries, and a drink.

The napkin-demanding burger was sold for under $2 and was placed on menus at around 350 locations in the Chicago area. Soon, word got out about the bacon-topped quarter-pounder topped with barbecue sauce, mustard, onions, cheese, and pickles, and demand for the McJordan encouraged McDonald's executives to keep the order around longer than originally planned. The McJordan Special was moved into more stores and more states, and some franchises offered unique deals like discounts corresponding to the number of points Jordan would score in a game. 

Though the juicy McJordan Special never made a reappearance on McDonald's menus, a similar bacon burger called the Big 33 was sold in honor of Larry Bird. Nostalgia for the McJordan persists, however, so much in fact that a container of McJordan's barbecue sauce was sold for nearly $10,000 on eBay.

Though the McJordan burger can't be found on modern-day menus and doesn't have a comeback scheduled for the foreseeable future, it is possible to "hack" current McDonald's menus. With a few strategic orders, a similar burger can be sampled. Simply ask your local McDonald's team for a quarter-pounder with cheese and add bacon and barbecue sauce to your meal. Of course, you can also make a bacon cheeseburger at home and slather as much sweet and tangy BBQ sauce as you please on the burger without having to worry about reaching for extra napkins in public.