I was a little fidgety, and not in any mood to sit idly by while the two struck up a conversation., but while bouncing around being annoying I heard those words again: fettuccine Alfredo. At participating U.S. locations. I could go on and on about the New Order posters plastering my house, juxtaposed with framed pages of Sears Wish Books. Plus you had lettuce, tomato, cheese, peppers and all the sauces (I don't know why more salad bars don't have taco stations.) The BLT Cobb Salad was packed full of lean protein, making it an Atkins or keto dieter's delight. The year was 2009 and the Frosty was lagging behind the Dairy Queen Blizzard and the McDonald's McFlurry when it came to frozen dessert recognition. Pizza Hut salad bar in the 80s was untouchable. Limited time only. You could get your fill of Mexican, Italian and traditional salad bar foods for less than $3.00 a serving. With this Wendy's sandwich, introduced in 2010, you could have the gourmet toppings of a restaurant burger right at the fast-food chain. Proceeds benefit the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. And FYI, each serving comes with 29 grams of protein and is made with all-natural beef and no preservatives. That was rhetorical of course you do! So, you can get your Wendys favorites from your favorite delivery app anytime you want it. The failure was attributed to price, spiciness, unattractive appearance, and lack of interest from penny-pinching customers. Get the best food tips and diet The Bacon and Blue burger was such a hit that Wendy's brought it back for a limited time in 2015. I started trying to match up what my palate was experiencing to the ingredients I'd filed away in my brain from that afternoon of cooking shows. He takes me to the playplace at McDonalds. Steeped in sports-heavy marketing, the Bacon Gouda Burger was always meant to be a limited time offering. For more, check out these 108 most popular sodas ranked by how toxic they are. Even though Wendy's launched a new limited time offering with their Sriracha Chicken Sandwich, it was a poor substitute for many Wild Mountain Chicken fans. A classic chicken cordon bleuconsists of a chicken breast that's been stuffed with ham, Swiss cheese, and seasonings. I hate you, thats why I like Daddy better! I never even got an answer out. From wild successes such as the classic value mealand it's many spin-offs to devastating failures like the infamousRax's Roast Beef, whose bizarre and desperate marketing attempts led to a near-total downfall. While the ingredients list reads like a health nut's morning oatmeal, the sandwich was savory and delicious, according to Fast Food Geek. And, yes, I know, it wasn't actually anywhere near as good as I thought it was, but it was the first time I could ever recall my brain and my tastebuds working together like that. Most people really didn't mind bringing their own food to their table, so this idea quickly fizzled out thanks to that old adage: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. As perBrand Eating, the flatbread was warm, delicious, and had just the right amount of chew. Salad, fruit, Mexican fare, and pasta were all available for a low price (usually $2.99), and it was a big success. Wendy's Over-The-Top Salad Bar You Probably Forgot Existed. . Its back. There was also the concern of people sneaking more refills than they were allowed, some taking the "all-you-can-eat" a bit too far. But in addition to the salad station, which they called the Garden Spot, there was also a pasta station (creatively called Pasta Pasta) and a Mexican Station (Mexican Fiesta). I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I was about to experience one of the dishes that I'd seen on TV. Sales quickly petered out, and McDonald's was left with 10 million pounds of unsold wings. I hold such a special place in my heart for what I learned and what I ate back then, but I always wanted more. And it wasn't just the name that got an upgrade. It's back for a limited time! Customers seemed to love this wide range of available foods,with some still rallying to get it back (fromFacebook groups to endless rants in Reddit posts). Taco salad is still salad right? We had forgotten they even served tacos and Spanish rice, too. Not only were Wendy's salad bars successful, but according to USA Today, they were also the first national fast-food chain to ever have one in stores. It was certainly an ambitious dish for the chain to recreate as a fast food sandwich. McDonald's spent more money on the advertising campaign for the Arch Deluxe in 1996 than it had on any other single item in its history. my mom noted as she sat down with a plate loaded with a build-your-own enchilada, rotini with meat sauce, some Spanish rice and a small salad. Find us in Reading, Stratford, Oxford, Croydon, Brighton, Ilford, Camden, Romford, Maidstone, Sutton, Uxbridge, Sheffield, Kingston and Brampton Hut. The affair was piled atop a brioche bun. Because they compete with those two restaurants, Wendy's menu prices match those restaurants as well. The Fettuccine Alfredo at the Wendy's Superbar Turned Me into a Chef, Where to Buy Rugs for Your Kitchen and Dining Room, According to Designers, The 8 Best Places to Buy Grilling and Barbecue Gear, The Best Dairy-Free Meal Delivery Services To Make Mealtime Easy, The 11 Best Places to Buy Bakeware, According to the Pros, 12 Whole Food Products Worth Adding to Your Cart This Month, The 45 Biggest Food Trends of the Past 45 Years, White Castle Shrinks Its Hamburgers Down to Pizza Roll Size, 6 New Whole Foods Products That Make Perfect Holiday Gifts, Tinned Fish Fans, Rejoice: Island Creek Oysters Is Opening a New Cannery. As The Daily Meal reported, it wasn't an easy task to keep the Superbar clean and well-stocked, as throngs of customers and perishable items left out in the open mixing would make quite a mess to clean, especially during lunch rushes. You can start your delivery order straight from our app, or head to any of our official third-party partners, DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, and Uber Eats. I am however, in my time away from the kitchen, an ardent connoisseur of '80s nostalgia. Wait. "By building the brand on the promise of serving fresh, never frozen beef, Dave knew his hamburgers would have a shorter shelf-life. A whole lot, apparently. Everything is better with cheese, so it's a shame this trio didn't stand the test of time. So while it was great while it lasted, you can understand why Wendys had to discontinue the SuperBar. The sauce was nothing remotely like I would make at this point in my life, nor would I eat, to be honest (not to sound snobby in my older age, but I am a chef). But that doesn't mean there haven't been some discontinued Wendy's items over the years that are now in the fast-food graveyard. And. My mind was blown every single week. When people showed up to their local DD's expecting free iced coffee, they weren't happy to be turned away, leading to a major headache for corporate and franchise owners alike. } else { When that approach didn't work, new TV ads featured Ronald McDonald out partying and playing pool, a decided shift from the restaurant's family-friendly image. However, in 2002, it released one of the worst menu items and marketing flops in the company's history. In an inexplicably boneheaded move, the company re-launched the sandwich (complete with an "exotic African sauce") in 2008 to promote the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and surprise! Wendy's New Homestyle French Toast Sticks with maple syrup dipping cup. It may not seem like much after talking about a burger that's covered in queso, but the Bacon Gouda Burger at Wendy's combined people's love for cheese with their love for interesting burger buns and a whole lot of delicious toppings. If you know me, you've probably been subjected to me waxing ecstatic about heirloom beans or being in the kitchen learning old Appalachian preservation techniques from my great-grandmother, so I can see how my attachment to a meal at Wendy's may not seem very on-brand. Wendy's. Burger King. In the warm glow of that nostalgic '90s sun-room style dining room, eager customers would enjoy anything from chili and tacos to fruit ambrosia with a Double Bacon Cheeseburger An open-and-shut success story, right? Its a odd architectural choice) and kept to ourselves, but three 12 year olds hopped up on taco meat, pasta sauce, and pudding tend to be loud and rowdy. Photo: Bettmann / Getty Images; Grace Cary / Getty Images, Appalachia Doesn't Need Saving, It Needs Respect, Scamming Pizza Hut Was My Family Tradition, I Ate Alone at the Times Square Olive Garden for Ten Days, and I'm Different Now, The History of the All You Can Eat Buffet, The Fine Art of Leaving a Tasting Menu Early, According to a Chef, Food & Wine Best New Chefs 2022: Damarr Brown, Food & Wine Best New Chefs 2022: Justin Pichetrungsi, How Birthday Pancit Helped Me Learn to Love My Filipino Heritage, Best Practices: How Kwame Onwuachi Is Redefining the Role of Chef and Food Personality, What 'The Bear' Gets Right (and Wrong) About Restaurant Work. It all adds up to something pretty sweet. These are just some of the beloved Wendy's menu items you'll sadly never get to eat again. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. The Wild Mountain Chicken Sandwich took the original Spicy Chicken and turned it up a notch with a spicy Southwestern sauce, Colby cheese, and bacon. If you believe in peace, justice and gluttony please we implore you to sign and share this petition. Introduced in 2013 as a potential "Subway buster" intended to attract a younger clientele, these potentially healthy-ish wraps came with your choice of fried or grilled chicken, cheese, bacon, a selection of sauces, and a couple ingredients that had never before been served at McDonald's, like cucumbers. #block-footer .menu-layout-vertical .field--name-menu-items .brick--icon-menu-item img { width: 50px !important } } Here are 14 of the most embarrassing failures in the history of fast food. At noon, PBS started a long block of nothing but cooking shows. A fresh-cracked grade A egg on a fluffy buttermilk biscuit with grilled sausage and melted American cheese. But what if we told you that soon, you could get this beloved tomato-based beef chili at a grocery store near you? Remember all the good times you had with the Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger? .field--name-field-history-media .media-image .field--name-field-image, Turns out, the best appetizer platter is a single sandwicha single, incredible Italian sandwich. RELATED: Sign up for our newsletter to get daily recipes and food news in your inbox! The most popular of these, the Chicken Caesar pita, is luckily pretty easy to make on your own and there are plenty of copycat recipes out there. Real Wendy's lovers know to order the chili. As other chains caught wind of Wendy's initial success in the salad market, some worked to add their own spin on more healthy fast food offerings. As I write this, I have on a Swatch watch and a purple Kelly Kapowski Saved by the Bell t-shirt. You could even purchase a baked potato option that allowed you to use the Superbar for the toppings. There are some Wendy's classics, like the Frosty and the Dave's Single cheeseburgers, that will never go away. My Mom was sold, I didn't even have to ask, so it only took a couple of nights to pass for us to go to the nearest Wendy's, about 45 minutes away. Just as we are committed to serving the best quality food every single day, we are committed to serving you during this time. The buffet consists of various hot foods, salads, and a make your own Frosty sundae bar and the selection varies by locations that have the SuperBar buffet. With 100% conviction, I can say that I may very well have never become a chef if not for that crappy, pre-made, boil-in-bag-sauced fettuccine Alfredo. It was the first time that I got to experience a dish that others enjoyed in different walks of life and in larger places, far away. header .menu--utility li.hide-link { display: none !important; } So when the all-you-can-eat buffet trend started to fade only to be replaced by the "wrap craze" of the late '90s, Wendy's stepped up to the plate. display: none !important; In 2010, Wendy's rolled out what the restaurant chain deemed its series of "Garden Sensations Salads," in a clear attempt to appeal to the consumer who wanted a healthier fast food option (via Brand Eating). The Fine Art of Becoming Your Server's Favorite Customer. xhr.send(payload); Related:The Fettuccine Alfredo at the Wendy's Superbar Turned Me into a Chef Chain restaurants are also generally going to be more affordable than a one-off restaurant that has a select menu and . .field--name-ingredients > .field__item { Italian Mozzarella Chicken, che bella! margin-top: 20px; What Is Everyone Doing For Lunch These Days? .field--name-field-history-media .media-image .field--name-field-image .media--background { 7 Foods You'll Never See at Wendy's Again, 15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback. Not so much. Though they were always marketed as being available only for a limited time, that doesn't make it any less sad that they're gone. According to a press release at the time of their debut, "The deli sandwich category, which continues to expand, represents a growth opportunity and another way for us to meet our customers' needs." Back in 2017, Wendy's offered three queso-themed items: a Bacon Queso Burger, the Bacon Queso Chicken Sandwich, and Bacon Queso fries. While it may be a forgotten relic of the past, Wendy's used to have a salad bar that, in design, was to beat the band and it certainly did, though at a far messier and over-the-top cost. But that wasn't the end of things for Wendy's. Since phasing out their Big Classic, the company does not have a signature sandwich, such as the Burger King Whopper or the McDonald's Big Mac . Intended to offer some competition to Subway, these deli-style "artisan sandwiches" were rolled out in 2006. Just take the tag line: "You've had fries. I cant imagine there is much call for alfredo on say a Tuesday afternoon, but they needed to keep the SuperBar full all the time and put it out anyway. I hit some form of mental overload and was rendered speechless. Deli sandwiches? We'd love to try it if it ever came back, though. Despite a Facebook group demanding its return, Wendy's has given no indication the Wild Mountain Chicken Sandwich will ever be coming back. As a child, I was surrounded by wonderful food, most all the time.