10 Discontinued Burger King Items Somebody Out There Definitely Still Thinks About

There's a peculiar kind of nostalgia reserved for fast food — the type that takes us right back to our childhood. For many people, there was an excitement and anticipation for the next visit to their favorite fast food spot. It might have been the meals, toys, or something else cleverly crafted up to lure in younger consumers. Of course, when those memories are tied to the unmistakable scent of flame-grilled beef and the promise of a paper crown with your meal, we're talking about Burger King.

There's a good chance your favorite BK order is etched into the memory banks. Through the decades, the chain has drawn in loyal fans — both old and young — with its ever-changing lineup of meals, snacks, and limited-time offerings. Unfortunately, some items that became instant favorites ended up disappearing without warning. And when a much-loved menu item vanishes from a fast food chain, it's more than just a matter of choosing something else; it's a small heartbreak for those who still crave one last bite.

From the unexpectedly delicious to the downright quirky, Burger King has had its fair share of discontinued items. While many have faded into fast food history, there's no doubt somebody out there still thinks about them. In this article we shine the light on a few of the discontinued Burger King items that some loyal fans would welcome back in a heartbeat.

Before there were Chicken Fries or Whopper Melts, there was the Yumbo: Burger King's hot ham and cheese sandwich that briefly captured the hearts (and lunch breaks) of the 1970s. First introduced in 1971, the Yumbo was a simple yet satisfying offering: slices of ham layered with cheese on a long bun. It considered making sure it came warm as well, serving it in a special container to maintain the heat. The meal was considered a novelty from Burger King and quite quickly became popular with the chain's customers.

At the time, it was priced at $0.79, which was a fair amount higher than McDonalds' Big Mac. Still, it managed to do all the right things for the Burger King customer. But like many limited-run fast food experiments, the Yumbo quietly disappeared from menus by the mid-1970s. For decades, it existed mostly as a fuzzy memory. The chain tried to bring back the Yumbo in the late 1980s, but it was not meant to be as when the 1990s came around, it once again vanished off the Burger King menu.

Enter 2014 and the unfortunate attempt to bring back the Yumbo. While it featured a retro-style campaign aimed at customers from the 1970s, the ads only managed to kill those childhood memories. Gone was the round burger bun, replaced a long hoagie roll instead. To make matters worse, it added on lettuce and mayo. The people were not happy. Once again, it was pulled off the menu.

When Burger King originally launched its Dutch apple pie, it stood out from the many others being offered by fast food chains based on the fact that it was served in slice style instead of the usual pockets. It had a flaky crust and sweet apple filling, which became quite popular. In fact, some even chose Burger King as their fast food destination of choice because it. However, in July 2020 Burger King confirmed it would no longer serve the menu staple across the U.S.

Why was the Burger King Dutch apple pie discontinued? This wasn't a matter of public demand, health, or a change in marketing — it was all about supply. A company spokesperson explained that the decision came after the supplier who produced the dessert stopped making it altogether. As to why Burger King simply didn't find another supplier, the unfortunate reality is we may never know.

The disappearance of the Dutch apple pie happened quietly, with some restaurants still displaying it on menus until existing stock ran out. Regulars were caught off guard when the sweet treat suddenly vanished, with many taking to online forums to and try and get to the bottom of the situation. While the chain has introduced other sweets since, none have quite matched the charm of that classic pie — not to the most loyal Dutch apple pie fans, at least.

In the early 1990s, Burger King attempted to venture into a more upscale dining experience space with its steak sandwich. Introduced as part of its dinner basket concept, the chain hoped to improve the dining experience for customers in part by serving their food at tables. In a 1992 advertising campaign, the chain released ads highlighting this aspect, and offered several menu items in its dinner baskets, including the now-discontinued steak sandwich.

Besides the steak sandwich, the basket included fries, coleslaw, tossed salad, or a baked potato. As the tagline indicated, the brand was positioning itself as being "at your service." Customers could order at the counter, get a number, and be served at their tables with the customizable dinner basket. The steak sandwich option was essentially a long sesame-seed-sprinkled bun with the basted steak wedged inside with steak sauce and onions.

Despite its innovative approach, the dinner basket idea didn't stick around for long. The steak sandwich was removed along with the entire dinner basket menu by 1994, and soon became just another discontinued Burger King meal like the enormous omelet sandwich – simply a fleeting memory.

In another flashback to the decade that brought us Nirvana and the original Furby, Burger King introduced the BK Broiler in 1990. In advertising of the time, the message was "now chicken has earned its stripes" with the introduction of the BK Broiler. It was topped with tomatoes, lettuce, and ranch dressing, and was fairly easy on the wallet, as some locations offered various deals on the sandwich.

It had a fairly long life compared to other Burger King meals that were discontinued, as well. It was around from 1990 until roughly 2002, when it got the chop. It was replaced by the chicken Whopper (which didn't last forever as an official part of the menu, either). There were many pleas online for Burger King to bring back the BK Broiler, including several online forums about it, but to date this has not been the case.

Was it any good, though? Well, some described it as the best sandwich ever and revolutionary. There was clearly a demand for the meal, but it seems that this didn't matter. There are several other Burger King meals that resemble the BK Broiler, but none that really have come close to what was in such demand back in the '90s.

One of the many facts about Burger King's Whopper is that the chain has taken this icon in quite a few new directions. Some of these experiments include the plant-based Impossible Whopper, Ghost Pepper Whopper, and the BBQ Brisket Whopper. Another one was the Western Whopper that was introduced in 1996. A new take on the regular Whopper, the sandwich included smoky BBQ sauce and bacon, along with cheddar or American cheese. The Western Whopper, which you could get in a double or triple beef option, was broadcast into homes around the U.S. via a Western and cowboy-themed ad campaign.

The western Whopper was a bold attempt to combine the classic Whopper experience with a distinctive twist, appealing to fans of both traditional burgers and barbecue flavors. For a while, it stood out among fast food offerings for its unique blend of flame-grilled and barbecue elements, seemingly giving Burger King an edge over competitors in the late-90s burger wars, though it eventually left menus.

The Western Whopper's limited-time status may be one of the key factors to its mystique, with loyal customers taking to the digital space to call for its return. Unfortunately, as of now, it's just another memory of the '90s. If it's the BBQ sauce that you are craving, try out the Burger King BBQ Brisket Whopper, which is still available in the U.S.

This one is a bit more recent, going back to 2009. In the late 2000s, Burger King joined the cupcake craze with a limited-time treat that quickly captured the imagination of dessert lovers. The Cupcake Shake (also known as the Burger King Cupcake Sundae Shake) was designed to feel like a birthday celebration in a cup, featuring a yellow cake-flavored milkshake topped with whipped cream and colorful sprinkles. It was playful, indulgent, and an unusual menu addition for fast food joints at the time, appealing to both kids and adults with a sweet tooth. Even if it was high in sugar and saturated fat, it received a lot of praise from Burger King customers.

Despite the excitement it created, the Cupcake Shake had a short lifespan. By 2010, it had disappeared from Burger King's menu, leaving fans disappointed and wanting more. One Reddit fan claimed they think about it at least once a week, saying it was a core memory. Others described it as the perfect treat for anyone wanting to eat three cupcakes at once in a liquid form.

While Burger King has experimented with other novelty milkshakes and dessert drinks since, few have managed to recreate the charm and playful appeal that was the Cupcake Shake. Unless there is a resurrection of the cupcake craze, this is most likely one item that will stay off the Burger King menu.

In 2002, Burger King decided to make fries a little more fun with the launch of Shake 'Em Up Fries. This wasn't your typical side order. It came with a bag of fries, a packet of powdered cheese, and an invitation to get interactive. Customers could pour in the cheese, seal the bag, and shake it up to their heart's content — coating every fry in a bright orange dusting.

Shake 'Em Up Fries were aimed at both kids and adults, with a promotional deal with the ever-popular "The Simpsons" included on packaging and collectable "talking watches" as part of a limited-time offer. The campaign was part of Burger King's early 2000s push to reinvent itself through novelty items and all sorts of collectables. While the concept initially caught on for its playful approach to how it served fries, it didn't last long.

By 2003, Shake 'Em Up Fries had vanished from the menu. Now, not everyone was a fan of the item, with some commenting that the idea of coating the fries with a powdered cheese didn't exactly work well. But others have raved about the now-gone product, which is just another one of those fast food menu items we may never get back.

Around the mid-2000s, Burger King introduced a unique chicken dish to its menu — crown-shaped chicken nuggets. What was a nod to the Burger King crown, the chain's way of saying that everyone that is a customer is treated like royalty, the crown form was essentially a reshaped traditional chicken nugget. It was a playful move by the Burger King brand, and the chicken treats developed a loyal following. One Reddit user said that they loved the snack as a kid and were devastated when it went away. Another echoed this sentiment, commenting that they were drooling just thinking about them.

Still, the nuggets didn't last forever. By 2011, Burger King had phased out the crown design in favor of a new, more generic nugget shape. It's not very clear as to why they were taken off the menu, considering how much people have asked for their return, but some theories are that they were too "kid-friendly" and that it was simply part of the Burger King's menu shake-up to remove them.

There are reports of a brief resurgence in 2021, but you won't find them on an official menu in the U.S. as of this writing. Perhaps this was a matter of mothers complaining about kids playing with their food — we may never know.

In what was a playful naming convention, Burger King introduced customers to its Satisfries in late 2013. In what was meant to be a healthier twist on its classic crinkle-cut fries, Satisfries were designed with a less porous batter. This reduced oil absorption and promised to contain about 40% less fat and 30% fewer calories than traditional fries. The idea was to offer customers a guilt-free indulgence, appealing to those who wanted to enjoy fast food without straying too far from a healthier lifestyle.

For a moment, it seemed like a clever innovation that could redefine what a side of fries could be. But it wasn't meant to be in the long run. Although there was a lot of initial excitement, it didn't take long for it to become evident that Satisfries wasn't winning over the majority of customers. Many locations reported disappointing sales, and by the following year, the fries were phased out in most U.S. and Canadian restaurants.

Only a small number of stores continued offering them. The cost could also have been a factor, as they came in much higher than ordinary fries. At the time, they were going for $1.89 for a small order, compared to the regular fries, which were priced at $1.59.

In 2016, Burger King introduced the Whopperito, a daring fusion of its classic Whopper and a Tex-Mex burrito. This limited-time item featured beef, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, onions, and a creamy queso sauce, all wrapped in a flour tortilla. The new invention was initially tested in select Pennsylvania locations before the chain went all out and launched it nationwide. As Burger King likely hoped, the new dish generated a lot of interest, both from the public and the media.

What did the Whopperito taste like? Again, this is one we have to base on public perception and taste buds. To be frank, the reception was mixed. Some customers liked it but felt it needed a bit more of a Tex-Mex kick, while some members of the media claimed it was a fantastic hybrid menu item. Others were simply not impressed, saying it tasted as disgusting as it looked.

Then again, even though we're now many years removed from when it first launched, there are still petitions to bring it back (although there isn't much traction with them). Though it didn't become a permanent fixture on the menu, the Whopperito stands out as one of Burger King's most adventurous menu experiments yet.