13 Fast Food Items We Sadly Lost In 2021

Unfortunately for any vegetarians who rely on getting their morning cup of coffee from Dunkin' Donuts on the regular, the breakfast chain said goodbye to its Beyond Breakfast Sandwich this year, according to a report from Business Insider. Dunkin claims the sandwich is still available at select locations, but its limited to just 10 states

The Beyond Breakfast Sandwich was a staple on its menu since 2019 and included the plant-based sausage patty, an egg, and a slice of cheese on an English muffin. It was a solid option for non-meat eaters in a sea of fast food menus full of meat. For now, though, vegetarians looking to stop through the Dunkin' drive-thru will have to stick to the sweeter menu items. That is unless you're one of the lucky people to live near one of those select locations that still have the patties in their kitchens.  

Every fast food restaurant with a breakfast menu is obligated to serve hash browns. The side item is the only acceptable way to eat fried potatoes before lunchtime. McDonald's variety might be the most popular, but Arby's potato cakes have always been an underrated option. Or should we say, they were underrated. 

The folks over at Arby's confirmed to The Takeout that potato cakes were taken off the menu in 2021. What a shame. Arby's might be known for its roast beef sandwiches, but they rock the potato game pretty hard — just take a bite of their curly fries and try to tell us differently. But now the meat-centric restaurant is down an option and while the potato cakes may be gone, they surely won't be forgotten. If you're particularly passionate about Arby's bringing back the item, there is a Change.org petition floating around the internet calling for Arby's to bring them back. 

Wendy's is basically the only option when a craving hits for fries dipped in a Frosty, or some always-delicious spicy chicken nuggets. Over the years, the chain has tried to keep things interesting by offering unique sandwich combinations, especially on their fresh, never frozen square patties. One surprisingly delicious option was their Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger, complete with beer cheese sauce, fried onions, and all the fixings. The burger was accompanied by a chicken sandwich version and some Bacon Pub Fries. But as of this fall, the unexpectedly tasty Pub menu is no more, according to Thrillist. 

Wendy's discontinued the unique offerings from their menu, making it no longer possible to enjoy one of their tasty burgers on a pretzel bun. Currently, on the menu, they are offering two unique burgers — the Big Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger (with bacon jam and a cheddar bun) and the Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger. It's an acceptable replacement for the Pub Burger for now, but we can still mourn the loss. 

Foodies across the U.S. know by now that 2020 was the year of the fast food chicken sandwich wars. Popeyes kicked it off with their internet-breaking offering, and everyone followed suit. Even those chains that already had chicken sandwiches on the menu decided to revamp, add some spicy sauce, and announce to the world their entirely novel idea. 

Unfortunately for Burger King purists, that included the loss of the classic Crisp Chicken Sandwich and its spicy variety back in February, via Chew Boom. They revamped it by adding the word "hand-breaded" in front of the title and slapped it on the menu, raving of its newness. While the differences are up for debate, it's an important change on the menu to recognize, particularly for those customers who preferred the original Burger King chicken sandwich. However, one would hope that the "new" option would be an improved version of the basic original. 

Along with the loss of its beloved Potato Cakes, Arby's also decided to remove a few sandwich options from the menu, the most significant being the Loaded Italian Sandwich. This monster was loaded with deli meat, LTO, banana peppers, melty cheese, and more. The sandwich has now fallen victim to the Arby's chopping block along with a handful of other staples. 

According to Brand Eating, the fast food chain was attempting to streamline its menu and remove unnecessary ingredients in its kitchens. The chain also saw the loss of the Pizza Slider and the Ham Slider, as pepperoni, salami, and ham were taken off the menu. So if you like Arby's but roast beef isn't up your alley, you'll have to find another already option on the menu that is without the Italian flair. Honestly, if you haven't tried the turkey gyro, it's a total underrated gem at Arby's. 

In another effort to streamline its menu, Chick-fil-A made a one-size-fits-all for its frozen beverages, according to the company's website. As of this year, Chick-fil-A only serves its milkshakes, iced coffees and frosted beverages in a 16-oz cup. While we're not exactly losing any menu items, it does take away the option to enjoy a large milkshake and waffle fries when that kind of mood strikes, as Chick-fil-A milkshakes are surprisingly amazing. And as pointed out by some people on Reddit, sometimes when you want to indulge in a milkshake, it's go big or go home. Now, there's only one option and that takes the fun out of ordering one big shake for yourself. 

Additionally, Chick-fil-A got rid of the option for large cups of Icedream cups and cones, which is also just a bummer. It seems like a change that could be temporary, or easy for customers to get used to, but it does sting a bit to lose the option. 

Wendy's has introduced and removed many beloved items from its menu over the years. Spicy chicken nuggets were probably the most controversial. In fact, there was so much backlash online that Wendy's put them back on the menu after a massive outcry on Twitter. While 2021 didn't see anything nearly as drastic, the chain did remove one item that had many fans up in arms. Well, it's not exactly a menu item, but an underrated sauce that many Wendy's enthusiasts loved dunking their nuggets into. 

If you were a fan of getting your Wendy's chicken nuggets and drowning them in as many packets of Creamy Sriracha that you could find, those days are over. Wendy's very subtly removed the sauce from its menu this year, as reported by Entrepreneur, and Twitter was up in arms. The outcry might lead to Wendy's bringing it back one day, but for now, fans of the dip will have to find a new favorite on the menu.