Top 20 Outrageous Fast Food Items
#20: The Double Down
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Since this controversial menu item was initially announced around April Fool's Day, people thought the sandwich was a joke. After all ,who would buy a sandwich where chicken served as buns to enclose bacon, sauces and cheese? But KFC shocked the World by going through with this product. Admittedly, the Double Down did have its fans and sold over 10 million sandwiches. However, those sales weren't enough to convince KFC to keep it as a permanent menu item. The sandwich would go on to inspire wilder variations such as a double dog sandwich that literally doubled down on the meat. Not to be outdone, the zany original has made several returns including a surprising comeback in March 2023.
#19: Bacon-Wrapped Deep-Dish Pizza
Little Caesars
On its own, a deep dish pizza makes for a tasty and fulfilling meal. But for those among us who are still hungry, Little Caesars decided to add a new layer of meat. Their take on deep dish has employees wrap the crust in over 3 feet of bacon. And since there’s clearly not enough meat here, the main pizza is covered with pepperoni and more crumbles. This limited menu item did manage to entice fans to come and carry it out. However, a portion of customers did admit that the pie gets overwhelming after a few initial bites. We think that’s fair to say when the amount of bacon used to make it can only be measured in feet.
#18: Buffalo Latte
Tim Hortons
While there are many kinds of lattes out in the world, a famous Canadian chain decided to break new ground with a revolutionary new idea. Tim Hortons took a standard blend of milk, mocha and espresso and decided to add some buffalo seasoning to the top. This drink was meant to be a homage to the New York town where the famous spicy sauce was created. But it seems like Tim Hortons would’ve been better off with a different tribute. For those who have tried it, the latte and Buffalo elements were apparently okay on their own but very lackluster together. It was probably for the best that this novelty tribute didn’t get further than Buffalo, New York.
#17: Baconator Triple
Wendy’s
After their new Baconator sandwich impressed the hungry masses, the fast food chain decided to see how far they could push their item. While this led to innovations like a breakfast variant of the meal, we also got a ridiculously stacked version. The Triple Baconator proudly packed 3 beef patties, 9 pieces of bacon, multiple slices of cheese and the usual burger toppings. The total calorie count of all these food items put together was an eye watering 1360 calories without sides. So, while people could get nearly all your recommended caloric intake from one sandwich, most chose to stick to the regular Baconator.
#16: Oreo Dessert Pizza
Domino’s
Oreos have consistently been one of the best selling cookies around the world. Fortunately, their reputation didn’t take too big of a hit when this dessert disaster dropped. Domino’s stores tried to push a pizza with a thin vanilla crust that was topped with cookie crumbles and vanilla icing. Unfortunately for the chain, the reviews were less than sweet. The crust was torn apart for being flavorless and bland. As for the toppings, 10 inches of icing and cookie seemed to be too overwhelming for most people. This ambitious and flawed treat saw all of its future prospects crumble in the court of public opinion.
#15: Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwich
Carl’s Jr.
You might want to call your dentist in advance before trying this very sweet treat. The sandwich was created by getting some vanilla ice cream and sticking it between two strawberry pop tarts. Although it was only available in limited quantities at first, there was a big enough demand to get it to over 1,000 stores. However, that push couldn’t get it to become a menu staple. Maybe the sugary sandwich was just too much for consumers to indulge in more than once. Additionally, people may have realized that they could easily recreate this dessert with items in their pantries. Whatever the case may be, this over-the-top treat largely melted from public consciousness after its debut.
#14: Chizza
Kentucky Fried Chicken
The Colonel tried to shake up yet another traditional food recipe by putting a new spin on pizza. Their revolutionary creation dared to put toppings you would traditionally find on a Hawaiian slice on top of a cut of chicken. For some consumers, the idea of basing this concept on one of the most controversial pizza orders was already too much. But even those who don’t mind Hawaiian pies had an issue with this. Not only did it fail to look as appetizing as the ads, but the sauce was reportedly too sweet and the ham topping didn’t make an impression. Despite all odds, this product got a second chance in 2023. But we doubt it’ll be replacing normal pizza orders anytime soon.
#13: Pumpkin Spice French Fries
McDonald’s
Just in time for Halloween, McDonald’s restaurants in Japan scared consumers worldwide with the announcement that they were introducing Pumpkin Spice fries. Customers would be tasked with coating their side dishes with a black and orange sauce packet. People who were brave enough to try it complimented the chocolate coating that came with their meal. However, many reported that the pumpkin flavor never came through. When the main gimmick of a special menu item is lacking, you get the feeling that something went terribly wrong. The limited offering ended up being a very spooky example of a misguided attempt to cash in on pumpkin spice.
#12: Bacon Sundae
Burger King
Back when bacon had a stranglehold on the internet, several fast food chains decided to capitalize on the trend. One of the most eyebrow raising offerings was the meat themed sundae at Burger King. The straightforward dessert allowed you to savor the taste of bacon alongside the sweetness of ice cream at the same time. Packing around a quarter of the recommended calories for the day, this menu item split customers down the middle. For some, this combination seemed to work well together. But a number of other consumers thought the textures of bacon and ice cream clashed too much to be successful. While the bacon sundae is no longer available, adventurous eaters should find it easy to recreate this unique recipe.
#11: Crown Crust Burger Pizza
Pizza Hut
Are you having trouble deciding whether you want a burger or pizza for dinner? Well, then you probably wish you could call Pizza Hut for this head turning combination. Weighing in at nearly 3,000 calories, this cheesy pie’s crust was full of mini burgers. Another variant was available that swapped out the meat patties for chicken filets. According to multiple reviews, the tiny burgers didn't actually taste all that good. That made it hard for brave tasters to stomach the idea of having more than one slice. While food chains have gotten away with cheeseburger toppings on a pie, this Pizza Hut experiment suggests that the crust is better left untouched.
#10: Arby's Meat Mountain
Arby’s
Although we knew this restaurant was famous for having the meats, we didn’t expect them to pile almost all of them onto a single sandwich. The original version of this gargantuan menu item is full of seven different meats and two cheeses. Within one bite, you could taste chicken tenders, angus steak, brisket and more. This absolutely intimidating sandwich is proof that you can have too much of a good thing. Conquering it would require that a person either has no plans for the rest of the day or that they’re a professional competitive eater. Either way, Arby’s moved the Meat Mountain to their secret menu so that only those who have heard its legend can try it.
#9: Fritos Chili Pizza
Papa John’s
To recreate the feeling of having a heaping pile of chili in pizza form, this restaurant chain got beef, sauces, tomatoes and onions. And for some added razzle dazzle, Fritos were piled high on top after it was cooked. This bold combination attracted few fans and a lot of detractors who thought the sauce lacked kick. However, all would universally agree that the pizza had a major design flaw. If the Fritos that topped this pie didn’t get soggy on the way to a customer, they would definitely get gross overnight. This meant customers had no choice but to consume the whole thing in one sitting or remove the Fritos. The most surprising part of this chili pie is that its obvious flaw was overlooked.
#8: Exploding Cheesy Chicken Sandwich
Jack in the Box
We’ll give this sandwich credit for at least living up to its premise. This Jack in the box item required chicken, mozzarella sticks and lettuce to be placed between the buns. Once that was done, the entire product was smothered with an explosion of a cheesy sauce. The overwhelming amount of the topping severely reduced the crisp of the other sandwich components. Unless you were a huge fan of the sauce, this experimental item didn’t provide much in the way of taste. And with one sandwich pushing 1600 calories, it wasn’t exactly the healthiest option on the menu. The cheesy explosion only lasted for one year before it was completely put out.
#7: Pickle Juice Slush
Sonic
There’s nothing quite like a refreshing slushie on a hot day. But if you’re tired of traditional fruity flavors, get in a time machine, go back to either 2018 or 2022 and get a pickle slush. As the name suggests, this icy drink is infused with sweet and salty flavors. The result is a drink that has been reported as a bit sweet and every bit as tart as the average pickle. As strange as it sounds, the masses flocked to devour the slushy during its limited opening windows. The news of its popularity probably won’t sway those who aren’t big pickle fans. But those who dreamed of having this fruit in an icy form, this bright green drink should fulfill their needs.
#6: Firecracker Burrito
Taco Bell
When this famous food chain wanted to spice up its ordinary burrito offerings, they decided to incorporate…pop rocks. Dubbed “cayenne popping crystals” by the food chain, these sweet and hot garnishes were meant to be poured onto a burrito. Consumers could simultaneously feel the novel crackle of cayenne in their mouth while consuming a familiar “Taco Bell” meal. If you could look past the bizarre setup to create this meal, there was still an issue. Apparently, adding too many cayenne popping crystals made the entire burrito taste too sweet to enjoy. But it seemed like customers didn’t want to add any in the end. The pop rocks have been kept away from their burritos in the years since the item was announced.
#5: Doritos Crunchy Crust Pizza
Pizza Hut
If you’re lactose intolerant, you might want to skip ahead past this extremely cheesy offering. Pizza Hut’s Doritos themed pizza featured a crust that was stuffed with mozzarella cheese and covered in pieces of the nacho cheese snack. And don’t worry, you were free to have whatever topping you wanted! But the freedom to adorn the pie with whatever you desired didn’t change the fact that the people were mixed about the doritos themselves. The fact that the chips were baked with the pie meant that customers could get a few burnt morsels on the crust. Additionally, the nacho taste didn’t always blend with the pie’s other cheeses. Overall, it seemed like customers preferred that the Doritos stay in a bag away from their pizza.
#4: Hula Burger
McDonald’s
Sometimes less isn’t more, it’s just less. That’s the main lesson McDonald’s learned after it launched its doomed Hula burger. Created to offer a vegetarian alternative to customers, the sandwich consisted of pineapple and american cheese. That’s it. There was no fish, lettuce or any other filling. All customers got was a cheesy bite of a tropical fruit. It’s unbelievable that McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc actually thought people would go for such a lazy effort meal. Although the hula burger failed to win anyone over, it successfully helped the Filet O’ Fish look like a more desirable catch. When the sandwiches were pitted against each other, a sad showing for the pineapple cuisine encouraged McDonald’s to back its seafood offering instead.
#3: Mac n' Cheetos
Burger King
In 2016, Chester Cheetah himself was brought into a fast food kingdom to promote a truly jaw-dropping hybrid food. The Mac N’ Cheetos item took a cheesy helping of macaroni and stuffed it inside a crunchy mozzarella stick exterior. For the final step, the entire thing was layered in cheeto dust that came in creamy cheddar and flamin’ hot varieties. Against all odds, people were actually able to withstand the cheesy onslaught of these snacks. They even enjoyed a brief comeback after the initial rollout. Despite their short lived success among certain audiences, a large amount of customers just couldn’t stomach this wild concept.
#2: T-Rex Burger
Wendy’s
This hulking menu item might be more intimidating than the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs. The T-Rex Burger consists of nine beef patties, nine slices of cheese and an utter disregard for your arteries. It was originally available at a single Wendy’s location in Canada. However, it was officially removed once corporate officials got wind of the sandwich. Maybe that’s because it had an astounding 3,000 calories. Or it could be because no human alive could bite into the entirety of the T-Rex burger’s massive size without unhinging their jaw. Fittingly, the only reason this exists is because of a fake joke advertisement printed in a magazine. We firmly believe that this sandwich should’ve remained as a work of fiction.
#1: Kentucky Fried Chicken & Donuts Sandwich
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Decades after chicken and waffles became a popular menu item, KFC got sweet and savory with its own sandwich. Chefs took a piece of their classic chicken and stuck it between two full glazed donuts. This allowed customers to experience the savory entree with all the icing they’d expect from the sugary treats. If that wasn’t enough, another variation of this item was released in Australia and dubbed the “doughnut zinger burger”. This overindulgent sandwich feels like a cross section of the worst fast food impulses. It’s a combination of multiple junk foods, vigorously unhealthy and brings two different taste sensations together. Whether it’s consumed for breakfast, dinner or late at night, this doughnut sandwich will always be outrageous.