16 McDonald's menus items that you can no longer order, from infamous flops to beloved losses

McSalad Shakers

McSalad Shakers were only on the menu for three years. But, at least some people wish they would return — there's even a Facebook group trying to bring back the menu item.

Arch Deluxe

McDonald's spent an estimated $150 million to $200 million advertising the Arch Deluxe's rollout in 1996 — at the time the most expensive promotional campaign in fast-food history, The New York Times reported.

Though the fast-food chain's executives had predicted it would bring in $1 billion in sales in 1996, the burger — which at $2.09 to $2.49 was on par with or pricier than typical McDonald's fare — failed to win over customers and was discontinued in the late '90s.

However, the burger won over a cult following. In early 2018, the chain tested a revamped Archburger, made with fresh beef, at a handful of locations.

Onion nuggets

A true fast-food relic from the late '70s, these deep-fried onion bits, part of McDonald's dollar menu, were short-lived. They were discontinued shortly after being introduced, though why that happened remains a mystery.

Fish McBites

Fish McBites served as McDonald's attempt at creating a mini, fried fish snack — a fishy version of popcorn chicken.

The menu item became McDonald's first new Happy Meal entree in more than a decade when it was added to menus in 2013. They disappeared soon after.

Hula Burger

In the '60s, McDonald's debuted its Hula Burger as an option for Catholics looking for meatless options during Lent, according to The Daily Meal.

However, the "burger" — made with grilled pineapple and cheese — failed to capture customers' interest in the same way that the Filet-O-Fish did. The faux burger is long gone from menus, as McDonald's execs contemplate a new wave of vegan burgers.

McDonald's Pizza

Although you may have heard of this late-'80s-era menu item called the "McPizza," it was never actually named that by McDonald's. Instead, the chain just called it pizza and hoped that it would bring in customers who frequented other pizza chains like Domino's and Pizza Hut. Starting out as full-size pies, McDonald's pizza was then offered in individual sizes with toppings like sausage, peppers, onions, pepperoni, and mushrooms before it was discontinued.

Two McDonald's locations, one in Pomeroy, Ohio, and the other in Spencer, West Virginia, that kept pizza on the menu since the '90s were forced to take the item off the menu in 2017, West Virginia Illustrated reported.

That means that pizza is now only on the menu at one McDonald's location in the US — a restaurant in Florida that actually added pizza to the menu in 2016.

Chicken Selects

Advertised as a more "premium" version of McDonald's regular chicken nuggets, these tenders were said to be made from "100% white chicken breast meat." They had an 11-year run from 2002 to 2013.

Still, demand continued on social media. The Selects returned for a limited time in 2015, but they disappeared again by the end of the year.

In 2017, McDonald's tried again. The fast-food chain debuted Buttermilk Crispy Tenders, which seem to be intended to fill the Chicken Selects-sized hole in customers' hearts.

McDLT

The goal of the McDLT was to keep the burger's hot patty warm, while the lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise would stay cool and crisp. The burger was served in a two-part polystyrene container, with the warm elements on one side and the cold toppings on the other, Serious Eats reports.

While McDonald's more gourmet burgers have come and gone, the McDLT represented a major step forward in the fast-food chain's attempt to improve the quality of its menu offerings.

Mozzarella Sticks

McDonald's announced plans to debut its mozzarella sticks across the US in late 2015. The snack was seen as a bit mediocre, with some people complaining about missing fillings, though Business Insider's Hollis Johnson wrote in his review that it was hard to go wrong with piping hot fried cheese.

"While the mozzarella sticks are far from gourmet, they're not as bad as one expects — as long as they're hot," Johnson wrote. "Once they go cold, all bets are off. But for a mere $1, it's hard to go wrong for a quick and melty snack."

The mozzarella sticks were discontinued not long after their original rollout.

McStuffins

McStuffins, which look a lot like Hot Pockets, were made from French bread filled with ingredients like pepperoni or teriyaki chicken. McDonald's attempt at Hot Pockets lasted less than a year and were removed from the menu in 1993.

Mighty Wings

McDonald's Mighty Wings failed for a few reasons, mainly that they were too expensive and too spicy for McDonald's customers' tastes. The were on the menu from 1990 to 2003.

McSpaghetti

McDonald's added the McSpaghetti alongside its pizza in the '80s. According to The Motley Fool, the chain was trying to boost dinner sales by getting into Italian cuisine.

The plan was a bust, as the spaghetti took too long to prepare, so the dish was taken off the menu. However, McSpaghetti remains on the menu in the Philippines, where the noodles are more commonly accepted fast-food fare.

McLean Deluxe

The McLean Deluxe was national news when it launched in 1991, as the chain tried to roll out lower-fat items in the face of criticism. However, people took issue with the taste of the McLean Deluxe — which had less than half the fat percentage of the average McDonald's burger — and sales tanked, with The Wall Street Journal calling it the "McFlopper."

McDonald's finally put the McLean Deluxe out of its misery in 1996.

Big 'N Tasty

McDonald's created the Big 'N Tasty to compete with Burger King's Whopper. It disappeared from the menu in 2011, but the chain has brought it back a few times since, as a limited-time offering.

Orange Hi-C

McDonald's removed Hi-C Orange Lavaburst from its American menu in 2017, sparking backlash from fans of the drink. The chain replaced the iconic orange drink with a new soda called Sprite TropicBerry.

Jessica Tyler contributed reporting on an earlier version of this article.