The Discontinued Fast Food 'Steak' Sandwiches You've Probably Forgotten About

Not quite a burger, not quite a cheesesteak — back in the '70s, '80s, and '90s, both McDonald's and Burger King debuted menu items that offered a high-brow version of the humble hamburger. Both chains offered steak sandwiches that, upon reflection, left something to be desired. Interestingly, both chains called their dishes a chopped beefsteak sandwich, but the offerings weren't exactly the same. Both included a rectangular beef patty on a hoagie roll, but the McDonald's version was topped with steak sauce and chopped raw onions, while the Burger King version was topped with steak sauce, onion rings (which contain real onion, even if only in powder form), and lettuce.

The fast food experience in the era of the steak sandwich was simply different than it is today. At McDonald's, you'd make your order at the counter, perhaps even ordering a pizza (seriously), and wait for your name or number to be called to pick up your food — a stark contrast to the current-day McDonald's process of ordering with an app or a touchscreen and having your food delivered to your table. During one of the (many) eras when Burger King's steak sandwich was offered — the early '90s — the restaurant also provided table service. You'd order your steak sandwich, or whatever your heart desired — at the counter. Then, you'd have a seat, enjoy some popcorn, and wait for your order to be delivered to your table (some of the time, anyway — table service at Burger King was only available between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.).

You certainly can't find steak sandwiches on the menus at Burger King or McDonald's today — what gives? For McDonald's, it seems that pricing and availability were both issues. The sandwich was only available in the afternoon hours and only at certain McDonald's locations, making it difficult for the menu offering to find widespread success. At $1.29, it was also far more expensive than most other menu items. While no one bats an eye dropping $20 at McDonald's now, the fast food joint was then thought of as a super-cheap option for dinner — no one wanted to pay more the triple the price for what was essentially a fancier version of a standard hamburger.

Burger King's chopped beefsteak sandwich has made off-again, on-again appearances on the restaurant's menu since it's first introduction in the late '70s. When Burger King began it's table service initiative in the early '90s, steak sandwiches were available as a part of the chain's upscale dinner baskets. Customers weren't thrilled with the steak sandwich in the '90s, but that didn't stop the chain from trying to reintroduce a similar concept decades later — the Philly cheesesteak burger, which was also short-lived — and poorly received, especially by cheesesteak-loving Philadelphians who know the difference between an authentic cheesesteak hoagie and a steak and cheese sandwich, according to Philadelphia Magazine.