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KFC
Discontinued: 1970
In the height of the swinging sixties, KFC executives ventured beyond chicken. With 1,700 locations and soaring stock prices, they launched an audacious spinoff: Kentucky Roast Beef or RBF.
The first location in Las Vegas was a sensation. They sold $70,000 worth of sandwiches in just 30 days! Within two years, 100 locations opened across America.
But hubris met reality. A roast beef sandwich cost 79 cents while a full chicken dinner with sides was only 85 cents. Customers weren't buying the value proposition.
By 1970, every location had shuttered.
Discontinued: 2012
For over four decades, these tiny plastic buckets held more than just pudding—they held memories.
Layered with graham cracker crumbs, creamy pudding, and whipped topping, Little Bucket Parfaits came in chocolate, strawberry, and the coveted lemon flavor. Kids would peel off that foil lid like unwrapping a Christmas present.
When Sara Lee ended their partnership in 2012, fans were devastated. One fan called them "a symbol of happiness, youth, and innocence."
Even today, copycat recipes flood the internet. Some loves never die.
Discontinued: 1982
"It took two years for Kentucky Fried Chicken to develop a barbecued rib good enough to serve America," announced KFC in 1975.
These weren't ordinary ribs. Fans described them as "huge, meaty, fatty hunks with barbecue sauce that stayed in my taste memory for 30 years." With over 4,000 locations, KFC became one of America's largest rib sellers overnight.
Military families would drive off-base just to stock up on as many as they could carry.
But ribs require different cooking techniques from chicken. The operational complexity eventually won, and by 1982, they vanished from American menus forever.
Discontinued: 2004
When McDonald's launched Chicken McNuggets in 1983, they instantly became the world's #2 chicken sellers. KFC had to respond.
Actually, they had responded two years earlier.
Kentucky Nuggets debuted in 1981. The nuggets featured the Colonel's secret blend and were served with four sauce options: barbecue, sweet and sour, horseradish, or honey. Available in 6, 9, or 20 pieces.
For 23 years, they held their ground. But changing tastes and operational costs eventually forced their discontinuation in 2004.
The nugget wars were lost.
Discontinued: 1988
In the mid-80s, KFC decided to embrace its Southern roots and test the waters with beef again.
Picture this: 100% grade A beef, hand-breaded with the Colonel's secret herbs and spices, then fried to golden perfection. The Country Fried Steak was served with thick milk gravy, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and a buttermilk biscuit.
It was comfort food heaven.
They even offered a sandwich version. A country fried steak with lettuce and barbecue sauce on a sesame bun.
While it disappeared nationally by 1988, some stubborn locations still serve it as a weekly special.
Discontinued: 1989
Chicken Littles were edible sliders before sliders were cool.
Square buns. Slim chicken patties. A pickle slice and mayo. Three for a dollar. You could devour them in one bite.
When they disappeared in the late 80s, fans erupted. Letters poured in. Protests were organized.
One particularly passionate letter came from a young Jake Gyllenhaal, who years later would admit on talk shows that he wrote an angry letter to KFC as a heartbroken child.
If a future Hollywood star cared that much, maybe KFC should have listened.
Discontinued: 2019
When KFC launched Hot Wings in 1990.
For nearly three decades, these wings anchored KFC's menu. They were smaller than today's standards—less meat on the bones—but had more character than your average KFC menu item.
Then in 2019, KFC upgraded the item to "Kentucky Fried Chicken Wings" with more meat and fancier sauces. Progress, right?
Wrong. When those newer wings were discontinued in 2023, fans mourned the loss of the original.
Discontinued: 2023
Introduced as "a step above chicken nuggets," Popcorn Chicken was made from 100% premium white breast meat, which was rounder and less processed than that of competitors.
Popular stores sold 1,000 pieces per week. They were the perfect snack—not quite a meal.
For 31 years, they held steady. Then, 2023's "menu simplification" claimed another victim.
The replacement? "Hand-breaded Original Recipe chicken nuggets."
Discontinued: 2020
Thick-cut with skin on. Crispy exterior, fluffy interior. Substantial enough to hold a generous dip of KFC's legendary gravy.
These weren't just fries, they were an experience. The perfect marriage of texture and flavor.
When KFC replaced Potato Wedges with "Secret Recipe Fries" in 2020, customers revolted. Petitions circulated. Reddit threads raged.
"EVERY place has fries but there is a lack of wedge in the fast food industry," one fan complained.
Discontinued: 2012
During the value menu wars of the 2000s, KFC struck gold with a simple formula: Extra Crispy chicken strip + lettuce + pepper mayo + sesame bun = 99 cents.
It became KFC's most successful sandwich launch in company history. Over 100 million were sold in just six months.
The irony? It might have been too successful. With razor-thin margins, it possibly drew attention away from KFC's higher-profit chicken buckets.
In 2012, they replaced it with the smaller, pricier "Chicken Little."
Discontinued: 2018
In 2009, KFC made a bold bet: Americans wanted healthier fried chicken alternatives.
They enlisted Oprah Winfrey to promote free two-piece meals. The response was overwhelming. Traffic jams at restaurants, supply shortages, and chaos.
For nine years, Kentucky Grilled Chicken offered the Colonel's 11 herbs and spices without the guilt. One fan later said, "It was the only way I could stand eating their chicken."
But healthy fast food proved difficult to sustain. By 2018, the chicken quietly disappeared.
Discontinued: 2014
Announced on April Fool's Day 2010, many thought the Double Down was a joke. Two fried chicken filets as "buns." Bacon and cheese in between. No bread whatsoever.
It wasn't a joke.
Ten million sold in the first month. Stephen Colbert ate one on late-night TV. It generated more buzz than any test market item in KFC history.
Despite the success, it was discontinued in 2014. But the sandwich, if you want to call it that, returns occasionally for limited runs, most recently in March 2023.
Discontinued: 2023
Nashville hot chicken was having a cultural moment, and KFC wanted in on the action.
Their version launched in 2016, featuring a lot of spice and authentic flavor. Food critics approved. Fans rallied around the Nashville Hot sauce that accompanied it.
But when 2023's menu simplification arrived, even popular items weren't safe. Nashville Hot became another casualty of operational efficiency.
"That is probably the most baffling decision I've ever seen from a corporate entity," one fan wrote on Reddit.
Discontinued: 2018
During 2018's pickle juice craze (yes, that was a thing), KFC decided to join the party.
Extra Crispy chicken topped with thick, creamy pickle sauce made from pickle juice, buttermilk, vinegar, garlic, and onions. Even the packaging featured a cartoon pickle.
It was peak 2018 food trend energy—bold, Instagram-worthy, and slightly ridiculous.
The super-sour flavor proved too intense for most customers. By 2019, the pickle experiment ended.
Discontinued: 2020
KFC's partnership with Beyond Meat seemed perfect—classic preparation meets modern dietary preferences.
The Atlanta test was a sensation. The restaurant sold out in five hours. Buzz was enormous.
A limited Southern rollout followed in 2020. Food critics raved about the taste and texture.
But something stalled. Despite its success, it never gained nationwide recognition. Perhaps America wasn't ready for a plant-based KFC, or perhaps the economics didn't work out.
Discontinued: 2019
Peak internet food culture: What if we put Cheetos ON chicken and then made a sauce that was basically "Cheetos in oil form"?
The 2019 limited collaboration was beautifully ridiculous—chicken filet, real Cheetos, mayo, and liquid cheese dust sauce.
Food bloggers called it surprisingly delicious. Social media exploded with orange-fingered selfies.
But like most social media trends, it burned bright and fast. Gone within months, leaving only sticky memories and orange-stained napkins.
Discontinued: 2023
KFC replaced its longtime Hot Wings with these meatier, saucier versions in 2019. More meat on the bones, four sauce options, better presentation.
On paper, it was an upgrade in every way.
But when they were discontinued in 2023, fans raged: "What chicken restaurant doesn't serve chicken wings? That would be like McDonald's discontinuing french fries!"
Discontinued: 2020
For decades, this sauce bore the name of KFC's most famous slogan. Then March 2020 happened.
Suddenly, encouraging customers to lick their fingers seemed... problematic.
In August 2020, KFC pulled the sauce, even giving themselves the "most inappropriate slogan for 2020" award.
Two months later, it returned as "KFC Sauce" — same recipe, but with a sanitized name.
Discontinued: 2006
Once a staple at KFC locations nationwide, chicken livers represented old-school Southern cooking.
As late as 2006, locations like Pontiac, Illinois, still served them every Tuesday. Fans would stock up for the week.
But generational tastes shifted. Demand fell. Most of the supply now goes to China, where they're considered a delicacy.
But a few Southern locations still serve them today—if you know how to ask.
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