Curious to hear from dispirited diners online, Redditor enjoysuffering asked:
"What discontinued menu item from a restaurant do you miss the most?"
Fast food joints are constantly updating their menus–sometimes to much success, and others, much to the chagrin of fans.
Yesterday's Salad
"Wendy's used to have a mandarin orange chicken salad that was amazing and the potato wedges from Jack in the box!!"
– RogueSleuth_
"I remember that salad! As a kid I thought it was strange to put fruit in there until my mom let me try some."
– Wooden_Artist_2000
Bye To The Snack Wrap
"Every fast food placed used to have a chicken wrap, and I don't get why they're gone. I mean they were never that great, but they were the best food to eat while driving."
– Justice_Prince
The Colonel Has Spoken
"popcorn chicken from KFC. They were genius, why would they remove them?!?"
– Will-i-n-g
"KFC is dead to me. Why get rid of potato wedges? It's criminal."
– fingerpuppet716
Back To The Beginning
"The entire Subway menu needs to be switched back to it's original form."
– jimbosdayoff
"When you walk into a Quiznos and ask for a sub that has its ingredients pre-selected the workers actually knew what to put on it without looking at the menu.When you walk into subway and they have all these new fancy pre-made subs they have no f'kin idea what goes on it and just ask you what you want anyways."
– t_funnymoney
Nothing sweet about these goodbyes.
The Bell Said 'Adios'
"Caramel apple empanadas from Taco Bell."
– Capable-Pay-4308
"There were nights where I'd go to Taco bell for a caramel apple empanada...and that was it. Not sure what the staff thought of me when that happened, but I don't care. Those things were fcking delicious."
– Better-be-Gryffindor
A Scalding Hot Favorite
"The fried cherry pies from McDonald's."
"Some places still have fried apple pies (popeyes, Taco Bell used to have a fried caramel apple empanada), but nobody has cherry."
– NecroJoe
"Oh man...! I remember those as a kid! You had to wait a several minutes before you bit into it, otherwise the Liquid Hot Mmmag-ma that is the cherry or apple filling would lay waste to the roof of your mouth."
– Any_Street
Healthy Goodbye
"Fruit and yogurt parfait from McDonald’s. Don’t understand why they got rid of it."
– Billiesoceaneyes
"Can almost guarantee they became 'too expensive' when produce started going up like crazy. Hell, everything went up, I believe it was around early pandemic when there were supply-chain issues galore. But they got rid of salads right around the same time, I guess you can hold frozen stuff damn-near indefinitely, but not so yogurt or lettuce."
– Sp1d3rb0t
It's not always about fast food.
Mad At The Factory
"Cheesecake Factory f'ked me thrice."
"First, got rid of their chicken Caesar sandwich. Second, got ride of their shrimp po-boy sandwich (remoulade was awesome). Third, got rid of the chocolate peanut-butter cookie dough cheesecake."
"Complete a**holes."
– CalabreseAlsatian
Another One Bites The Dust
"They got rid of their Oreo cheesecake years ago and I’m still not over it. Now it’s a half chocolate cake, half Oreo cheesecake fudge thing and it’s just too much."
– FiftyShadesOfGregg
"Chocolate Perfection"
"Chocolate lasagna at Olive Garden early 2000s, not the fake thing they have now. The old one had like a whipped cream cheese icing between layers of fluffy chocolate cake. There were white chocolate shavings on top. I was broke but would buy slices of it to take home and slowly devour. It was chocolate perfection."
– GreyWanderingFish
It's the bargain prices these customers miss most.
Beloved Dollar Menu
"It's more a general thing, but back when there were actual dollar menus at fast food places."
"Like you could get 2 tacos, a Jr Bacon Cheeseburger, and fries for $3. The broke adult's feast."
"Now the 'value menu' is like $2-3 an item."
– AVBforPrez
Meal For A Steal
"90s prices"
– Kangaroowrangler_02
"I'll take even late 00's pricing."
– Bubba420
"$5 footlongs!"
– Professional-Kiwi176
I still lament the loss of the garden poutine that used to be offered at my favorite mediterranean restaurant in Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan called Kashkaval Garden.
They seriously perfected the ratio between gravy and potato pork belly.
The other items on the menu are definitely delicious, but when they unceremoniously did away with my and my husband's favorite dish, it was enough for us not to go back.
Sad but true.
For those who've thought outside the box and put together a delicious concoction, Redditor wildwoodflower_ asked:
"What's a food combo you love that people think you're weird for?"
People slapped two ingredients together to come up with quick and easy masterpieces.
Jamming Out
"Not me but a close friend: fried eggs with strawberry jam"
– Temporary-Patient-47
Crunchy And A-Peel-ing
"One of my grandmothers used to like stuffing a few pretzel sticks down a banana. Salt and the crunch with the banana is a surprisingly decent mix of texture and flavor. She called it 'Bananas with bones.'"
– EffyewMoney
A Potent Combo
"I used to eat tuna and spicy v8 like every day my first year in college. It gave me some paint peeling gas that almost killed my roommate. 20 years later, I still get sh*t for that."
– TrickyXT
Pacific Northwest Delight
"Seattle dogs are my jam, hotdog with cream cheese and caramelized onions"
– giggles________
These basic ingredients can be the perfect foundation for anything cheap and delectable.
Quintessential Ingredient
"So the general consensus here is peanut butter + anything."
– Lonely_Custard_5838
British Savory Condiment
"Being British you can divide the country with Marmite with anything."
– oldhandnewmind
It's A Wrap!
"I like making PB&J with tortillas, I spread it on then roll it up, it reminds me of those Smuckers uncrustables but better."
– Dude_Baby
Try Not To Sneeze
"Cottage cheese with a sh*t ton of ground black pepper mixed in, used as a dip for potato chips."
"Mmm it’s been too long since I’ve had this."
– Quirky_Word
It's Their Jam
"Sausage McMuffin with hash brown and grape jelly."
"I assumed this was pretty common, but I have never come across another person who does this. most people think it's gross."
– run66
Two different snacks came together and delighted the palates of these Redditors.
Sweet And Savory
"Chili with a cinnamon roll."
– MrDover2112
Tasty And Tangy
"Brownies with orange juice."
"Also havarti cheese and corn (I was high when I discovered this)"
– cookiedux
As a kid, my husband liked to eat sandwiches consisting of bologna and peanut butter together.
I winced, but he swears by it.
I just have to believe him because that combo doesn't make any sense to me at all.
But hey, to each their own.
Redditor Seyli04 wanted to know what brought people back to the meat, so they asked:
"People who used to be vegetarians/vegans, what made you stop?"
I have never understood the vegan/vegetarian life.
Not for me.
Changes
Season 4 Vegan GIF by The OfficeGiphy"A change in health circumstances led to a (doctor-recommended) restrictive diet which meant cutting out a number of fruits and vegetables. Couple that with gluten intolerance and veganism and I could barely eat anything. I had to prioritize my health."
fatherly_handshake
Whatever. Let's Eat!
"I was a vegetarian for 1.5 years. I came home to care for my grandfather, last stages cancer. Upon my arrival he made a lot of meat food that I used to love. (Gołąbki, he made the best i ever ate). He forgot I don't eat meat. I told him that and I watched his face became so sad... f**k it, I'm going to eat it. He was so happy to cook for me while he still could."
RandomPolishGurl
Earth Love
"Realized I was using being vegan as an excuse to enable my eating disorder. Less options for me to eat, almost never had to eat out with friends/family or on the holidays. I do love animals/Earth and told myself that’s why I was vegan but… I don’t fully know."
"I couldn’t fully recover until I had a less restrictive diet."
hell-is-in-your-mind
I Chose Meat!
"Found out my body just trends towards anaemia. I was vegetarian for 5 years as a teenager and just dealt with it but then I got really ill and my doctor basically told me I would need monthly iron infusions or I could eat meat again. I chose meat. Tried to go back to vegetarianism recently but felt such an enormous drop in energy levels I just couldn’t maintain it."
maps_mandalas
Allergy Issues
Season 2 Episode 21 GIF by MartinGiphy"Way too many of the vegetarian/vegan substitutes rely on tree nuts/peanuts/soy, which I'm severely allergic to. As it is, I follow a mostly pescatarian diet, unless someone else wants to do the cooking for me!"
meltedsnowflake
We can't mess with allergies these days.
Lives are in the balance.
Mom's Gotta Eat
Food Porn Eating GIF by Tricia GraceGiphy"Becoming a mother. If I don’t eat leftover chicken nuggets I don’t eat."
WaveNimbus
"Pregnancy, when I was hungry, which wasn't frequently, I couldn't eat anything but meat, salads and some fruits. I've pretty keep this diet once in a while I'll crave carbs, but honestly I feel much better than when I was a vegetarian so..."
FateOfTheElephant
No Thanks
"I also stopped being vegetarian because of how it enabled my eating disorder, which I went to recovery for 12 years ago. I’ve considered myself fully recovered for the past 9 or so years."
I’ve basically banned myself from banning anymore food groups ever again because of this. I’ll allow myself to 'eat less of X food' like ice cream or meat or whatever but removing a food group from my diet is too risky for me. Turning down food 'because I can’t (choose not to) eat it' is way too addictive. No thanks."
trustmeimalinguist
When Seeing the Earth
"Traveled and lived in places where there truly was not adequate nutrition available as a vegan - true malnutrition is awful. Plus, cultural expectations in those areas around entertaining guests, hospitality, celebrations, and rituals don’t always leave the option open to refuse a specific food without offending or hurting the host or community, which meant that I needed to consider balancing my preferences with the needs and practices of the communities I was living in."
"Today, I’m primarily plant-based in practice but don’t call myself vegetarian or vegan. I learned a lot about how I think about food, food culture, and the privilege of choice from those experiences."
droptophamhock
Ouch
"I was a vegetarian for 10 years and honestly I just felt like it was too much of a pain. I still limit my meat, I won't prepare it for myself and if given a vegetarian option I will choose that. But if someone prepares meat for me or there aren't other options easily available I'll eat it."
erkala21
Bland Chefs
Merve Dizdar Food GIF by TRTGiphy"I was a vegetarian because I thought I hated meat. Turns out my mom couldn't cook, she never used seasoning. So once I got out on my own, and started cooking for myself, I learned I actually do like meat."
Catlover5566
I gotta have meat. I love it. I'm sorry.
Do you have similar experiences? We'd love to hear about in the comments below.
Redditor Ed_Paq wanted to hear about all the foods we can't consume, so they asked:
"What's the worst thing you ever ate?"
Liver. I just can't get onboard with liver.
Broken
mad oh my GIF by Space Chickens In SpaceGiphy"Was at a backyard concert. There was a bowl of jawbreakers. Grabbed one, chomped down, realized they were smoke bombs. Terrible. Vile. Spit and hacked and nearly threw up."
natiahs
Stinky
"A stinkbug crawled into my straw and I took a sip. Stunkbug in the mouth. It took forever to get that taste out of my mouth."
ladyamphetamine
"Oh that's disgusting. I freaking HATE those things. That smell is VILE. My bf bought a camper one fall and we were cleaning it out and it was INFESTED with stink bugs. That smell, walking into that - awful."
"I get them in my house occasionally. My cats love bugs. One cat saw a stink bug and tried to eat it. He freaked out because of the taste, he left a big drool mark on the floor and was rubbing his mouth with his paw. I gave him some food to try to help him. And his face smelled like a stink bug. 🤮 I had to use baby wipes on him."
PJKPJT7915
Nailed It
"My roommate's nails, he had clipped them and put them into my coke can that he thought I was done with."
adkiller
"When I was young my dad was clipping his toenails into a bowl, and my mother came and started eating them thinking it was rice. She got her revenge though, she got a sinus infection and put her tissues into a Mcdonald's cup. My dad drank it all."
Ouioui29
Just awful meat...
"I attended a wild game feed/sports banquet (WI in US for those curious). The usual staples were served: elk, fish, bear, etc. Someone decided to braise a coyote. I tried a small bite and it was so gamey. Just awful meat. I don't think there is cooking method known to mankind that could make it palatable. Could taste it for days after."
"Embarrassed-Lake-858
Spit
Say What Kamala Harris GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphy"Once drank a sip of chew spit from a red solo cup that was sitting next to my beer. Not my spit."
ngraver89
Spit is never ok.
Shots Up
Bite Sharks GIF by Shark WeekGiphy"Cured shark meat in Iceland. It's so nasty they give you a shot of vodka to wash it down."
I_am_Orla
Yuck
"I've had a few periods of homelessness, I once lived for a couple of months on nothing but a carrier bag full of sample 2 packs of dry rivita."
"A couple of pieces of rivita, twice a day for weeks on end. It was like living on cardboard. Never want to see another piece,"
MrSpindles
The Smell
"I received a leather briefcase case as a gift. And used it sparingly. Didn’t have that kind of job. But still I kept some documents and basic crap. The thing smelled of leather as did everything that went in it. At some point a candy bar made its way into it and forgotten."
"Months go by, closer to a year and I was on the road. Opened that case from the back seat and see the bar. Took a big bite. It truly was the worst thing I had and have ever tasted. It had absorbed the leather and cheap tanning chemicals. 30 years later and I feel nauseous thinking of it."
ISeeEverythingYouDo
"Fancy"
"The cafeteria at my work served cordon bleu. I love cordon bleu. I opened up the covered container, and saw a microwaved chicken patty with a Kraft slice and a chunk of ham on top. It was soggy and tasted like what a gym sock+dead carcass would smell like because it was just laying on top soggy microwaved Brussels sprouts, soaking up all the liquid. I think there were carrots too, but I could barely stomach that chicken patty. Felt sick the rest of the shift, and had a foul taste in the back of my throat. I try not to eat their 'fancy' meals anymore."
PickledButterdog
Don't Bite
Happy Episode 19 GIF by The SimpsonsGiphy"When I was 14/15, I went to the fridge for some leftover pizza. Grabbed a slice, took a big bite. It tasted a little funky and when I looked at it, it was FULL of ants. Parents must have left it out overnight and the ants got into it... it was black inside."
F_I_N_E_
We may never eat again. Okay, that's probably an exaggeration but we will be very careful about the cups we use at parties and triple-checking things we take out of the fridge going forward.
Redditor Xirkil wanted everyone to discuss the menu and all of its pitfalls, so they asked:
"What food do people mistakenly consider healthy?"
The list is long.
Let's start compiling.
Bad Water
50 cent drinks GIF by MTV CribsGiphy"Vitamin Water. My dentist calls it 'sugar water.'"
suhurley
"It’s part of my hangover cure, has been since college. I believe the unhealthiness goes well with a McDonalds McDouble lol."
namasteanddietcoke
I Can't Say
"My coworker brags about how she quit drinking soda because its so unhealthy and instead drinks 6 Gatorades a day. I don't have the heart to tell her."
Zanzaclese
"I legit gave myself Edema from drinking a bunch of Gatorade regularly--it wasn't as caloric because it was the low or no sugar varieties--without enough physical activity or another method to sweat the electrolytes out or enough water to flush them out."
"It was crazy when my doctor asked about my beverage consumption habits and that's the diagnosis I walked out with. A treatment of diuretic and avoiding the sports drinks unless I've been sweating a lot or at least sparingly and my hands, arms, and feet returned to their normal size lol."
blackenedEDGE
So Many Calories
"Based on a lot of the comments it seems it needs to be stated that if something is high in calories or fats doesn’t mean it’s inherently unhealthy. Eating 400 calories of almonds is a lot more filling and nutritious than 400 calories of Cheetos."
Halonos
"The shocking one for me was the peanut butter. I’m one of those people who will just grab myself a heaping spoonful as a 'snack.' And I’ll think 'Welp, a bit of protein would be great!' I’m probably downing f**king 500 calories with one mouthful."
CanWeAllJustCalmDown
From the Sea
"I read about a case where a guy was told to eat more fish, because of his heart health. But he only put on weight and his cholesterol, blood pressure and whatnot only got worse and worse. So the doctor asked a bit more carefully about his diet and the guy admitted to eating a lot of creamed fish soups, like chowder. So he was adding a little bit of seafood and a huge amount of cream to his diet. Not a good way to lose weight or lower your cholesterol!"
internet_commie
Low Quality
Sipping Lights Out GIF by Lights Out with David SpadeGiphy"Fruit juice often has as much sugar as a soda."
friendweiser
"It's only redeeming quality is that it has a few vitamins. Cutting out fruit juice helped me lose a lot of weight."
edlee98765
The fruit juice truth kills me.
Moderation
Ice Cream GIF by CallMeKatFOXGiphy"Frozen Yogurt. It might be better for you than ice cream but you still need to have it in moderation."
GrimmRetails
Alternatives
"Gluten free alternatives and gluten free diet in general. Obviously healthier if you have celiac/gluten intolerance as I do. Might also be healthier if you just cut gluten products out of your existing diet without adding replacements (essentially just becomes a low carb diet). But it’s amazing the number of people who think just switching all the junk in their diet to versions made with rice flour is going to magically make it way healthier."
ben121frank
All Lies
"Breakfast cereal. Grew up with the idea of it being 'part of a nutritious breakfast.' It's all lies. They might as well be donuts. Much like donuts, doesn't prevent me from loving the stuff."
CirothUngol
"I eat cereal for dessert. Never in the morning, but I will have a bowl after dinner when I have a sweet tooth."
Pamplemousse96
Bad Wisdom
"Completely excluding (natural) fats, sugars, etc. from their diets. You want a balanced diet, and excluding these often lead to eating more processed foods or a lack of protein or vitamins."
3ternaldumpsterfire
"It's outdated nutrition wisdom. back when they were trying to figure out why obesity was on the rise the processed sugar lobby tried to blame fat and that's why there's a market for low fat and fat free food."
"Now we know that sugar is the main culprit for obesity. it doesn't mean you should drink a cup of bacon grease every day, but nobody really does that (well some people do but they're weirdos and it's not common), but people do the equivalent of that with sugar all the time."
veenell
Six to ELEVEN
snacks offer GIF by safefoodGiphy"According to the food pyramid when I was a kid, grains/bread. Six to ELEVEN servings a day?!"
smugfruitplate
Time to be smarter about our diets and learn more about the food we get our fuel from.