The Arch Deluxe, which was introduced in 1996, was one of the most expensive failures ever for McDonald's.
Source: Business Insider
The advertising budget was upwards of $150 million, according to The New York Times, and it didn't even last a year on the menu.
Source: The New York Times
Onion Nuggets were part of McDonald's dollar menu in the '70s, but they were short-lived. The deep-fried onion bits were discontinued shortly after being introduced, but it remains a mystery why.
Source: Insider
McDonald's Pizza was intended to bring in customers who frequented pizza chains like Domino's and Pizza Hut.
Source: Insider
Even though most locations stopped serving it in the late 1980s, three locations still served McDonald's Pizza until 2017. Now, only one — a McDonald's restaurant in Orlando, Florida — still does.
Source: Business Insider
McDonald's launched mozzarella sticks in late 2015, but customers were furious when they found out that most of their mozzarella sticks didn't actually have cheese in them.
Source: Business Insider
The mozzarella sticks were sold at three for $1 but were discontinued not long after they launched.
Source: Business Insider
The Hula Burger, introduced in the 1960s, was intended to be a meat-free option for Catholic customers who couldn't eat meat on Fridays during Lent.
Source: Business Insider
Fish McBites were also added to the menu as another fish option, but they failed to do anything to help McDonald's sales.
Source: Business Insider
The McAfrika was a PR disaster for McDonald's because it was launched in Norway, one of the world's wealthiest countries, when millions in South Africa were starving. The sandwich was quickly pulled from the menu in 2002.
Source: Business Insider
McStuffins, which look a lot like Hot Pockets, were made from French bread filled with ingredients like pepperoni or teriyaki chicken.
Source: Business Insider
McDonald's attempt at Hot Pockets lasted less than a year and were removed from the menu in 1993.
Source: Business Insider
The McDLT, short for McDonald's Lettuce Tomato, separated the lettuce and tomato from the burger, placing them in separate styrofoam containers for "maximum freshness."
Source: Business Insider
It was taken off the menu in 1991 after receiving backlash from environmental activists.
Source: Business Insider
McDonald's Mighty Wings failed for a few reasons, mainly that they were too expensive and too spicy for McDonald's customers' tastes.
Source: Business Insider
McDonald's briefly tried selling Mexican food, including chicken fajitas ...
Source: Business Insider
... and breakfast burritos. But the fajitas and breakfast burritos were pulled from the menu in the 1990s, most likely because they couldn't complete with Taco Bell's offerings.
Source: Business Insider
McSpaghetti was introduced in the 1970s. Even though it was discontinued in the United States, it's still on the menu internationally, in the Philippines.
Source: Business Insider
McDonald's founder Ray Kroc said in his autobiography that the chain would never sell hot dogs because of quality concerns, but McDonald's launched the McHotdog in 1995 anyway.
Source: Business Insider
The McLean Deluxe claimed to have 91% less fat than a Big Mac and had seaweed extract in place of fatty content.
Source: Business Insider
McDonald's fruit-and-walnut salad was introduced as a healthy option in 2005 and was discontinued in 2013 because it wasn't particularly popular.
Source: Cosmopolitan
McDonald's Triple-Double Burger was made from three beef patties and two slices of cheese on a sesame seed roll.
Source: Cosmopolitan
Also known as the Superhero Burger, it was introduced in 1995 as part of a promotion for "Batman Forever" and was discontinued soon after.
Source: Eat This, Not That
In the '70s, McDonald's briefly offered a chopped beefsteak sandwich advertised as a "long burger" with onions and steak sauce.
Source: Complex
The McJordan Special, which was also known as the Big 33 in honor of Michael Jordan, is the first fast-food sandwich to be named after a person, according to Complex. It was only offered for a limited time.
Source: Complex
McDonald's removed Orange Hi-C to make room for TropicBerry Sprite, but it's still missed by fans everywhere.
Source: Complex
McSoup didn't take off, perhaps because many wrote it off as essentially being Campbell's soup poured into a McDonald’s-branded cup.
Source: Complex
While it's still not on the permanent menu, McDonald's brings a lobster roll back to New England stores for a few weeks each summer.
Source: New England Today, Bustle
The McGratin Croquette was made exclusively in Japan, with deep-fried macaroni, shrimp, and mashed potatoes. Many attribute its failure to the taste.
Source: Business Insider
McDonald's started offering super-sized meals in 1993, but the option to "super-size" anything was taken away in 2004, after the documentary "Super Size Me" was released.
Source: Business Insider
Cheeseburgers were removed from the Happy Meal menu in February in what McDonald's head of global nutrition told Business Insider was "a gentle nudge in encouraging more positive choices." You can still order cheeseburgers separately, however.
Source: Business Insider
McDonald’s fans in the UK and Canada lamented when the Smarties McFlurry was removed from the menu in 2015 ...
Source: Daily Record