Whatever Happened To McDonald's Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich?
If you thought the Double Quarter Pounder or the secret menu Monster Mac was McDonald's beefiest sandwich, perhaps you've never heard of the discontinued Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich. According to Eat This, Not That, the sandwich was sold in select McDonald's locations in 1979, however, it was pulled from the menu only a year later after an unsuccessful trial run. Created to accompany Onion McNuggets, the onion version of what became the much more popular Chicken McNuggets, the Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich consisted of an extra long beef patty on a French roll instead of a hamburger bun. It was topped with slivered onions and served with steak sauce.
A scroll through the comment section of a YouTube video of one of the original commercials, and you'll quickly discover that the sandwich is still regarded as one of the best in McDonald's history by customers who were lucky enough to try it. The combination of ingredients was simple, but very tasty, especially for fast food. "The steak was more of a ground beef patty, but firmer," one comment described. "The slivered white onions gave it that little crunch, and the steak sauce was a sweet version of A1 steak sauce."
The Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich even had its own song
Judging by the various TV commercials introducing the new menu item (via YouTube), it's clear that McDonald's was expecting to add the Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich to their permanent menu rather than releasing it for a limited time. They even gave the sandwich its own song, a serious marketing move for a single product.
So why did McDonald's end up discontinuing the sandwich, even after positive reviews and a catchy jingle? It likely had something to do with the price. YouTube commenters remember the Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich being one of the most expensive on the menu, around $1.20 to $1.80. That might not sound like much now, but according to Insider, the average price of a McDonald's burger in 1980 was only $0.34. Though the sandwich itself tasted good, apparently it didn't taste good enough to justify the price. And considering the fact that the sandwich was only available after 4 p.m., McDonald's couldn't have possibly sold as many compared to items that were available all day. In the end, McDonald's had no choice but to pull it from the menu.