8 Discontinued Wendy's Items We Still Think About

Sitting in the solarium at a newspaper-printed table, surrounded by fake plants and greenery, basking in the delicious smell of fryer grease, the Wendy's of yesteryear holds a special, nostalgic place in many of our hearts. With that warm, fuzzy feeling, there sits, too, a sacred space for the no-longer-served dishes of this fast food spot. Like McDonald's, Burger King, and other grab-and-go joints, Wendy's has run through its share of limited-time burgers, chicken sandwiches, loaded fries and spuds, and desserts.

Limited-edition and short-run these items may have been, that doesn't stop us from desperately wishing for some of them to return. Some have inspired forums dedicated to their comeback, while others are still the subject of heated debates over whether they were actually good or not. Regardless, it doesn't seem like the fancy cheese-topped burgers, bacon-topped fries, or Frosty-ccino will be back, but that won't stop us from remembering them fondly and waxing poetic about these discontinued Wendy's items.

A basic, non-fried chicken sandwich seems to be a standby on most restaurant and fast food menus. But Wendy's — whether because of poor sales or low demand — ditched it in 2023, much to the disappointment of fans.

Wendy's introduced the grilled chicken sandwich in late 1990 as an answer to the demand for healthier fast food options. The menu item featured a grilled chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, and mayo, and was a great alternative to a bacon- or cheese-topped burger or fried item. After 33 years on the menu, however, the sandwich was removed to make way for new spring items, such as the Grilled Chicken Wrap. Diners were and are understandably upset about the absence, with many vowing to stop visiting the fast food giant. "Today I learned Wendy's discontinued their grilled chicken sandwich... why did you betray me like this," wrote a user on Twitter.

Though it can be polarizing, blue cheese is an excellent cheese to take savory foods to another level, thanks to its ability to be easily balanced by other components in any given dish. Wendy's actually capitalized on the funky cheese twice; first with its Bacon & Blue Burger released in 2010 and then with a re-release of the slightly tweaked sandwich in 2015.

The 2010 version of the Bacon & Blue Burger featured Wendy's fresh-never-frozen square beef burger, thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, blue cheese crumbles, sautéed onions, and a unique and creamy steakhouse sauce. The resurfaced 2015 burger featured a brioche bun, spring mix, and herby aioli instead of the original steakhouse concoction that'd been prominently featured on the original. Though the blue cheese still made the burger special, the loss of the original sauce seems to have hurt the overall eating experience. "I swear I remember it being extremely unique. Haven't tasted anything like it since," said one Redditor in regards to the lost sauce. Neither the 2010 or 2015 version of the Bacon & Blue Burger lived to make the cut for the permanent menu.

Is there anything more classic than a bacon and cheddar burger? The sharp, classic taste of cheddar cuts through the richness of beef and the salty lusciousness of bacon. The brains at Wendy's seem to know this, as there have been several iterations of a cheddar bacon burger attempted over the years. 

First, there was the Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger (released in 1992), followed by the Smokey Bacon Cheeseburger (circa 1995). In 1999, the fast food restaurant unveiled the Cheddar Lovers Bacon Cheeseburger; a classic square Wendy's burger topped with two slices of cheddar cheese, creamy cheddar cheese sauce, three strips of crispy bacon, and a smattering of sautéed onions.

This burger became beloved, as reviewers lauded the delicious, messy, decadent combo as a new favorite. YouTube users commenting on a commercial for the burger lamented the loss once the burger was discontinued, saying it was the "best burger ever" and begging the chain to bring it back. Fans can still get plenty of bacon-topped burgers and chicken sandwiches at Wendy's but, alas, there's no item that features cheddar cheese and bacon.

Gouda cheese feels pretty fancy for a fast food joint, but in 2015, Wendy's leaned into the classy vibes with its Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger. The high-end sandwich featured a quarter-pound beef patty, aged Gouda cheese, Swiss and Gruyere cheese sauce, garlic aioli, red onions, tomato, and spring mix all snuggled up on a brioche bun. That sounds more like a $25 burger at your favorite gastropub or industrial-chic brewery than it does a fast food item, no?

According to YouTuber and food reviewer KBDProductionsTV, the burger was "...Very messy, lots of sauce, craziness, the burger is perfect. The bacon is crunchy, the lettuces — the spring mix was phenomenal. The brioche bun is over the top." Other reviewers mentioned the garlic aioli overpowering the very mild Gouda cheese, but overall, the burger made for a decadent and delicious bite. Like all limited-time offers, the Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger is no more, but that won't stop us from reminiscing about its messy, over-the-top goodness.

If you could happily eat an entire tub of coffee ice cream, the idea of a Frosty-ccino would have likely appealed to you as it seems to imply a frozen, coffee-flavored treat. Introduced in March 2020, the Frosty-ccino was a cross between Wendy's vanilla Frosty mix and cold brew coffee, but contained no ice cream. Though it was briefly replaced with the Frosty Cream Cold Brew, both have gone to that big fast food restaurant in the sky, and, it seems, for good reason.

The Frosty-ccino was not good. The biggest issue — and maybe the reason the item was pulled from the menu — was that it felt misleading. For many, calling something a Frosty-ccino seems to imply a Frosty base with flavoring. Instead, the vanilla Frosty mix was simply stirred into cold brew coffee, leaving you with a somewhat bland, not-at-all-ice-cream-related dessert, er, drink. The mix that was added acted as nothing more than sub-par creamer that gradually became watered down thanks to the ice added to the drink. What gives? All Wendy's would have had to do is take a vanilla or chocolate Frosty and combine it with cold brew; it has all the pieces in place in much the same way that you can create your own Frosty float! Alas, we coffee-flavored things lovers still think about what this drink could have been, and will have to continue to wait for a true coffee-flavored Frosty.

Around the same time that Wendy's released its Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger, it also released its Bacon Fondue Fries — aiming for a one-two shot in betting on fancy cheese-laced menu items and diners' love for them. Wendy's Bacon Fondue Fries were released in late 2015 and featured the fast food chain's high-quality and natural-cut French fries topped with a Gruyere and Swiss cheese sauce — a la fondue — and lots of crumbled bacon.

According to diners — both on Reddit and across online blogs — these luscious fries were great, with one reviewer on Reddit saying, "They are excellent — I've had them 3 times already & will be going back for more." For yours truly, a late-night dish of fries coated in that gooey, melty cheese sauce and crumbled crispy bacon was truly chef's kiss. 

The cheesy fries were sadly discontinued in 2016 as they were a promotional and limited-time item along with the Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger. While the chain has changed its fries multiple times, it does have Baconator fries, chili cheese fries, and traditional cheese fries — all featuring a cheddar cheese sauce — on its permanent menu. Luckily, cheese fondue can be made at home with your slow cooker, so recreating the Bacon Fondue Fries with some good-quality store-bought frozen fries shouldn't be too difficult.

The earthy, slightly bitter, and nutty flavor of broccoli pairs perfectly with the rich saltiness of cheddar cheese and is the perfect way to upgrade a baked potato. Wendy's baked potato side dish has always stood out as something a little different in comparison to the other fast food joints. After all, a baked potato can be a decent and even healthy choice if you don't go nuts with toppings.

Wendy's has offered baked potatoes since 1983, and it wasn't just the Broccoli and Cheese sitting pretty on the menu. There was an Italian baked potato topped with marinara, sausage, and mozzarella; a Mexican baked potato with picante sauce, cheese, and taco beef; and even a sweet potato topped with brown sugar, among several other offerings. Sadly, the Broccoli and Cheese version disappeared from the wider menu sometime in the '90s, but you can still get it at Wendy's locations in the Bahamas.

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a dish of likely American origins (with French and Swiss influences) in which a breaded chicken breast is stuffed or rolled with rich, salty ham, and Swiss or gruyere cheese, then fried until crisp yet still decadently juicy. The result is a symphony of flavors and a monument to the art of eating. Wendy's tried to capitalize on the famous dish in sandwich form in the 1990s, and this limited-run dish is still fondly remembered.

Wendy's Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich debuted in 1991, but a commercial the very next year featured founder, Dave Thompson, promising the return of the fan-favorite sandwich if only for a limited time. A slight departure from the original Cordon Bleu dish, the Wendy's version featured all the bits and pieces, just deconstructed and with a smattering of Grey Poupon mustard, all snuggled on a pillowy, toasted Kaiser bun. It isn't clear why Wendy's discontinued this item, but we hope it makes a glorious return someday soon.