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The Lost McDonald’s Menu Items

The Dagger | Local News With an Edge: Latest post

Ever wonder what happened to the McDLT? How about the McLean Deluxe? Anyone you remember the McJordan? You know, the quarter pounder with bacon and bbq sauce? Let’s take a look at these and others…

McLean Deluxe - The McLean Deluxe was marketed as a healthy alternative to McDonald’s regular menu. It was released in the United States in 1991. It had a reduced fat content compared to other McDonald’s hamburgers. This was achieved through use of 97% lean beef and the addition of carrageenan to the meat. The McLean Deluxe was originally designed as a replacement of the McDLT. Like the McDLT, and despite performing well in taste-tests, it did not sell well and was dropped from the menu in 1994. (from Wikipedia)

McDLT - The McDLT (McDonald’s Lettuce and Tomato) was sold in a novel form of packaging. The meat and bottom half of the bun was prepared separately from the lettuce, tomato, American cheese, pickles, sauces, and top half of the bun. Both were then packaged into a specially designed two-sided container. The consumer was then expected to finalize preparation of the sandwich by combining the hot and cool sides just prior to eating. The company discontinued the sandwich in 1990 due to the move away from the environmentally unsound styrofoam packaging which was integral to the McDLT “experience”. The McDLT is perhaps best remembered for its marketing, which focused on variations of the theme “Keep the hot side hot, and the cool side cool.” (from Wikipedia)

Grilled Chicken Flatbread Sandwich - These actually weren’t that bad, the first time you tried one. After that, something just seemed off about them. The consisted of grilled chicken strips, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, pepper jack cheese, and a creamy herb sauce served wrapped in a heated flatbread.

Pizza - Yep, McDonalds had pizza. I remember seeing it a few places, but don’t remember if it was around here or not. Here is an article from the NY Times back in 1989 talking about the bold, yet unsuccessful, idea.

McDonalds Crabcake - As far as I know, this was only in Maryland and maybe southern Delaware down by the beaches. Was anyone brave enough to try one? Was it real crab? Seems like this person said it didn’t taste too bad, but not very good coming back up.

Any others that you can remember? I left the McRib off the list, because it still comes back from time to time, and it’s flat-out awesome.

Comments

18 Responses to “The Lost McDonald’s Menu Items”

  1. Kendra on September 11th, 2008 2:13 pm

    McRib is gross as well as so many of the above items. I do remember the McLean Deluxe- it was in a Styrofoam container and had two sides- one hot and one cool. I have no idea wt the McJordan was though??? Obviously I did not frequent the old McD’s as often as you.

  2. Steve on September 11th, 2008 2:15 pm

    no no no, the McDLT had the two sides. The McLean had some soy in it or something. It didn’t taste any different. Wonder how it would do now?

  3. Kendra on September 11th, 2008 2:17 pm

    You are right… nasty either way!!!!!! I need a turkey burger- but has to be white meat. Red Robin???

  4. The Baltimore Babe on September 11th, 2008 4:22 pm

    Anyone remember the old recipe for the apple pie? How the crust used to be flaky with a hint of grease, and yet it tasted oh-so-good?

  5. Steve on September 11th, 2008 4:26 pm

    Sure do, back before they were “baked”. The outside was crispy, and the inside would burn your mouth. The cherry pies were pretty good too.

    Remember the breakfast danishes they used to have? I think they had cheese or apple, maybe a cinnamon?

  6. The Baltimore Babe on September 11th, 2008 8:34 pm

    I don’t remember the danishes. Oh what did I miss? I loved the pancakes though…they were so spongy!

  7. Kendra on September 11th, 2008 8:48 pm

    Yes, they were cheese danishes… My hubby will only eat McDonalds pancakes- funny huh? I try not to take it personal!

  8. Deputy Dog on September 11th, 2008 9:11 pm

    The best was Burger King’s veal parm sandwich!

  9. RichieC on September 11th, 2008 9:16 pm

    Fast food…..

    A box of C-rats beats the crap outta McDonald’s any day. 1 can of eggs…1 can of peaches…a peace of cake (also in a can)…and a package with 2 sheets of toilet paper, a book of matches, and a plastic fork. No need for (sissy) chemical heating…just simmer it for 1 hour in the exhaust of a gun or deuce and a half. Than a nice nap with your steel pot as a comfy pillow.

    Ahhhhhhhh !

    Go Dagger !

  10. RWinger on September 11th, 2008 9:30 pm

    How about the Beefsteak Sandwich that came with the steak sauce packets? Better yet, though a very, very rare item wa the Hot Dog that I got at a McDonalds at the Skydome back in 95 when I went up for an Orioles trip. It was actually an Oscar Myer hot dog but McDonalds found a way to make it taste slightly different, well, it tasted strange to be honest.

    BTW, Chiken McNuggets are not chicken. You can eat chicken cold (midnight fridge raid) but you cannot eat McNuggets cold because they taste like chilled plastic.

  11. RWinger on September 11th, 2008 9:32 pm

    Richie: How about those peaches when you had pound cake, that was the hook-up. You forgot the 5 pack of Pall Malls that came with the ratpacks.

  12. RichieC on September 11th, 2008 9:37 pm

    Yup…the peaches made it all happen. Nothing worse than fruit cake instead of peaches.

    Go Dagger !

    Oh yea…the comic !

  13. RWinger on September 11th, 2008 9:39 pm

    Now I have McDonalds nightmares stuck in my head. Does anyone remember the pocket sandwiches called McStuffins? Fake pita pockets that made you think that you were eating healthy. Didn’t last long.

    Now I have to go watch Pulp Fiction just to hear the Royale with Cheese line.

  14. RichieC on September 11th, 2008 9:42 pm

    You would somtimes get fruit cake and a can of ritz crackers…..dry dry dry.

    And of course who can forget a mermite of black coffee to keep you awake for 48 hours of rabbits (shoot and moves in gunnbunniese) every 15 or 20 minutes.

    Go Dagger !

  15. RichieC on September 11th, 2008 9:50 pm

    Yea…sometimes you got the small can of mixed fruit…what a tease.

    Go Dagger !

    Ps..its a wonder we didn’t die of tomane or gangrene of the mouth…with that filthy P 38 can opener…Mabey Lock Jaw !

    Go Dagger..!.!

  16. RWinger on September 11th, 2008 10:27 pm

    Still have a P38 but nothing beat a KA-BAR!

  17. vietnam vet on September 12th, 2008 8:18 am

    The heat tab’s were a joke. we starting useing C-4 plastic explosive to heat the -C- rat’s. did a fantastic job. the heat was tremendous. just pull off a small chunk light it with your genuine water proof match’s, provided by C- ration pack (which seldom worked)

    And don’t forget the Ham & egg’s . nothing short of nasty’

  18. joe on September 25th, 2008 7:57 am

    arch deluxe!

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