This Fast Food Chain's Flame-Broiled Meatloaf Sandwich Didn't Even Last A Year Back In The '90s

We all know that fast food menu item that was gone too soon. Whether it was the KFC Double Down that used fried chicken instead of bread or Taco Bell's Waffle Taco, we mourn their loss and remember their short runs fondly by trying to recreate their magic with copycat recipes. One of the most underrated short-lived fast food items was Burger King's Flame-Broiled Meatloaf Sandwich. Released in March 1993 during the chain's table service experiment, this sandwich didn't even last a year before being pulled from menus in early 1994.

The sandwich consisted of a meatloaf patty served with ketchup and raw onions on a long sesame seed bun. As part of the chain's now-forgotten dinner basket offering, you could substitute the fries for a salad or baked potato. While the chain pushed the new menu item through its MTV-inspired BK Tee Vee ads, the demand just wasn't there. Shortly after its release, CEO Jim Adamson decided to scale back the bloated 56-item menu. The new strategy shifted to focusing on just selling burgers to keep up with the competition and reduce the market share loss they'd been experiencing for years. 

It's no surprise that the meatloaf sandwich didn't stick around. Even back then, meatloaf was a love-it-or-hate-it option. Many who find out this was on the BK menu are immediately turned off, but many of those who actually got to try it say it was pretty good for a fast food sandwich. "Bring back these sandwiches and sides!! I would proudly go bankrupt if these came back," states one Redditor, referring to a list that includes the meatloaf sandwich. Another fan on Reddit wrote that "the meatloaf sammie was so underrated."

Another commenter on Facebook shared, "It was pretty good for a fast food sandwich," and that they thought "a ton of people were questioning it simply because it was meatloaf." Another Facebook commenter wrote that they would get it as an employee meal when they worked there during the sandwich's short run. There's no official word on whether the item is coming back, but there's always hope. Just look at the Burger King Yumbo the chain brought back four decades after it was retired. If talk of Burger King's old offering has left you with a craving, our meatloaf sandwich recipe elevates this comforting dish with tomato jam and garlic aioli. It's not a quick and easy meal, but it's so worth the effort.