From the Big Mac to the Blizzard: These Fan-Favorite Fast-Food Menu Items Have Stood the Test of Time
It seems like the Big Mac has been around forever — and in a way, it has. Some fast-food menu items are so iconic that they define their brands, becoming part of pop culture itself. Imagine McDonald’s without the Big Mac, Wendy’s without the Frosty or Chick-fil-A without the Original Chicken Sandwich. It’s hard to picture.
A fast-food franchise can achieve legendary status for many reasons. A memorable mascot can create a sense of fun and family-friendliness. Even a flop — like McDonald’s spaghetti or KFC’s Double Down sandwich — can become a famous part of the brand’s story, offering lessons and a few laughs along the way. Even though fast-food franchises continually evolve, some menu items are timeless.
In fact, nothing cements a fast-food franchise’s place in the hearts (and stomachs) of customers quite like a wildly popular menu item. These favorites often tap into nostalgia, affordability and craveability — and sometimes even a little marketing magic (secret sauce, anyone?) — to keep people coming back again and again.
Below, we dig into the most iconic fast-food menu items of all time, exploring why they captured America’s taste buds and how smart advertising helped them become household names.
Most Iconic Fast-Food Menu Items of All Time
McDonald’s, Big Mac
- History: When it comes to iconic fast-food menu items, the Big Mac is at the top of the list! The fan-favorite burger creation was the brainchild of a Pennsylvania-based franchisee named Michael James “Jim” Delligatti. The World War II veteran, who had experience owning a drive-thru restaurant in California, became increasingly passionate about the fast-food industry after meeting McDonald’s franchise agent Ray Kroc at the National Restaurant Association show in 1955, according to Food & Wine.
Delligatti’s first McDonald’s location opened in western Pennsylvania in 1957, and he would eventually open 47 more in the Pittsburgh area. In 1965, he pushed the Golden Arches to let him offer a burger with two beef patties instead of just one. Food & Wine reports that after two years of reluctance, the corporate office gave Delligatti approval to test the creation at one of his locations. The Big Mac debuted on April 22, 1967, and was sold nationwide in 1968. - Famous ad campaign: According to The New York Times, early newspaper ads hyped up the Big Mac as a burger with “two freshly ground patties, tangy melted cheese, crisp lettuce, pickle and our own special sauce.” The iconic fast-food menu item has also been described in newspaper ads as “a meal disguised as a sandwich.” The Big Mac even has its own jingle!
- Why people love it: What’s not to love? It’s an irresistible creation of two burger patties and Big Mac Sauce sandwiched on a sesame seed bun with pickles, lettuce, and American cheese. No wonder Guinness World Record champion Donald Gorske ate one every day for 50-plus years! (That’s a lifetime record of more than 34,100 Big Mac sandwiches.)
- Fun fact: According to Business Insider, the name “Big Mac” was coined by Esther Glickstein Rose, a secretary for the advertising department at the McDonald’s Chicago corporate office. In 1985, the fast-food chain gave her a plaque and some coupons to commemorate her contribution. McDonald’s considered calling the burger other names, including the Aristocrat and Blue Ribbon Burger, Food & Wine reports.
Dairy Queen, Blizzard
- History: While Dairy Queen was founded in 1940, its signature Blizzard menu item (a delightful combination of soft serve and add-ons like cookies and candies) wasn’t introduced until 1985. The iconic fast-food menu item was introduced by a Missouri Dairy Queen franchisee named Samuel Temperato, according to Back Then History.
Temperato took inspiration from the offerings at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, adding cookie and candy pieces as distinguishing features of his creation. Ted Drewes also inspired the tradition of serving the Blizzard upside down to show off its thick, creamy texture. The Daily Meal reports that the iconic fast-food menu item was only available in two sizes (small and large), and customers only had four mix-ins (OREO, M&Ms, Heath Bars and SNICKERS) and 10 syrups when it first came out. - Famous ad campaign: Dairy Queen released a commercial to introduce the iconic fast-food menu item in 1985, helping launch it into fast-food history.
- Why people love it: The Blizzard is beloved because of the variety of flavors and add-ons that are available. For example, there are Blizzards that come with OREO cookies, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup pieces and HEATH and SNICKERS candies. Classic flavors include Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Mint OREO, and seasonal flavors such as S’mores and Cotton Candy delight customers for a limited time.
- Fun fact: The Blizzard was a hit from the start. The New York Times reported in 1986 that analysts predicted Dairy Queen’s net income would rise to $13 million on sales of $185 million due in large part to the popularity of the frozen treat.
Taco Bell, Cheesy Gordita Crunch
- History: Taco Bell introduced its own version of a Mexican gordita in 1998, according to a Daily Meal article. The new creation was originally just a loaded flatbread taco that came in three versions: Supreme, Fiesta and Santa Fe. It wasn’t until 2001 that the Gordita-inspired menu item evolved into the iconic Cheesy Gordita Crunch we know and love today. The Daily Meal describes it as a ground beef taco that is filled with lettuce, cheese and spicy ranch and coated with more cheese to adhere a warm flatbread shell to its exterior.
- Famous ad campaign: Taco Bell released a commercial for the iconic fast-food menu item in 2001 set to the tune of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”
- Why people love it: Texture plays a part in the iconic menu item’s popularity. The softness of the warm flatbread combined with the crunchy taco shell creates a tender, crisp sensation in every bite.
- Fun fact: According to Medium, the iconic fast-food menu item was introduced in a series of commercials in which it was described as a combination of crunchy, chewy and cheesy: “Cruncheweesy.”
KFC, Family Chicken Bucket
- History: This iconic fast-food menu item is so beloved that it is featured on the National Museum of American History’s website. According to the listing, the KFC chicken bucket, which bears the image of the equally iconic Colonel Harland Sanders, was created in 1957 by Sanders and his first franchisee, Pete Harman. It contained 15 pieces of chicken, a pint of gravy and biscuits, reports the National Museum of American History.
- Famous ad campaign: The iconic fast-food menu item was originally advertised as a “wife-saver” to entice housewives to feed their kids without cooking.
- Why people love it: Who doesn’t love fried chicken?
- Fun fact: This iconic fast-food menu item is an international hit! According to the chicken franchise’s website, KFC Buckets in Australia have become synonymous with Cricket, the country’s most popular sport.
Subway, Footlong
- History: To help ease the sting of the 2008 economic downturn, Subway introduced an enticing deal: All footlong subs for just $5. Within a year, foot traffic increased across the franchise’s thousands of locations, leading to $3.8 billion in revenue, according to The Hustle.
- Famous ad campaign: The jingle for the $5 Footlong promotion is the definition of an earworm – a catchy or memorable piece of music that stays in your head long after being played.
- Why people love it: An entire footlong sub for only $5? Talk about a steal!
- Fun fact: Subs aren’t the only menu items that come in footlong form – Subway also sells footlong cookies.
Wendy’s, Frosty
- History: According to Wendy’s website, the Frosty formula was inspired by ice cream served at the Jack Thistledown Racino racetrack in Cleveland in the 1960s. Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas loved the idea of mixing vanilla into chocolate to make the chocolate a bit smoother and give it more of a malty flavor. Today, this iconic fast-food menu item can be enjoyed in a variety of flavors, including Strawberry Chocolate Frosty Swirl, Brownie Batter Vanilla Frosty Swirl and Caramel Chocolate Frosty Swirl.
- Famous ad campaign: Santa made an appearance in a commercial to advertise the Peppermint Frosty!
- Why people love it: The iconic fast-food menu item isn’t only delicious but has the power to elicit childhood memories of going to Wendy’s for a frozen treat on a hot day!
- Fun fact: According to Reader’s Digest, the Frosty is one of five original Wendy’s menu items.
Krispy Kreme, Glazed Donut
- History: According to Krispy Kreme’s website, founder Vernon Rudolph bought the now-famous glazed doughnut recipe from a French chef. By 1937, Rudolph had moved to Winston-Salem, N.C., where he opened the first Krispy Kreme store. He originally sold the doughnuts to local grocery stores, but due to high demand, he began selling directly to customers by cutting a hole in the wall of his shop.
- Famous ad campaign: Krispy Kreme launched the “Go for the Glaze” campaign during the 2024 Summer Olympics. On July 31, all Krispy Kreme doughnuts were offered for $1 each, and loyalty members could purchase endless amounts of Original Glazed doughnuts for $1 for a limited time starting Aug. 1.
- Why people love it: No matter your mood, it’s impossible to be upset after biting into a delicious, hot glazed doughnut.
- Fun fact: This iconic fast-food menu item is fried in vegetable shortening before passing under warm sugar glaze, reports Delish.
Chick-fil-A, Original Chicken Sandwich
- History: According to Chick-fil-A’s website, the iconic fast-food menu item was created in the 1960s as a quick way to prepare chicken for shift workers.
- Famous ad campaign: Chick-fil-A’s famous “Eat Mor Chikin” campaign features Holstein cows telling people to eat less beef. It’s safe to say that the Original Chicken Sandwich has helped make that message stick!
- Why people love it: From the buttery bun and two dill pickle chips to the handcrafted chicken fillet, it’s no wonder this iconic fast-food menu item is still a top seller.
- Fun fact: Chick-fil-A states on its website that the secret recipe for the chicken sandwich is hidden in a safe at the Chick-fil-A Support Center in Atlanta.
Arby’s, Roast Beef Sandwich
- History: Arby’s was founded by Forrest and Leroy Raffel in 1964. The brothers set out to create a fast-food alternative to hamburgers by focusing on the roast beef sandwich.
- Famous ad campaign: Try not to get hungry after watching a commercial for Half Pound Roast Beef Sandwiches! Arby’s really does live up to its tagline: “We Have the Meats.” This slogan replaced “Slicing up Freshness” in 2014 as a way to target millennials, according to Ad Age.
- Why people love it: This iconic fast-food menu item stands out because it features thinly sliced roast beef, served hot on a toasted bun.
- Fun fact: Arby’s got its name from a phonetic pronunciation of the letters “R” and “B,” which stand for Raffel Brothers — the founders who opened the first location in 1964.
Burger King, Whopper
- History: Tasting Table reports that the iconic fast-food menu item, which includes a beef patty, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup and sliced onion on a sesame seed bun, was dreamed up by Burger King co-founder Jim McLamore to give customers a bigger, meatier menu option. The burger was introduced to the public in 1957.
- Famous ad campaign: Burger King had fun during the 2023 Super Bowl by allowing fans to sing their own version of the revamped “Whopper Whopper” jingle. Loyalty members also received a complimentary Whopper with online orders of $20 and more during the Big Game.
- Why people love it: The Whopper stands out from its competitors with its unique smoky flavor that comes from being flame-grilled.
- Fun fact: During the 2023 Christmas season, Burger King Brazil offered the Hangover Whopper experience to help customers turn holiday regrets into discounts. Cutting-edge facial recognition technology was used to evaluate customers’ selfies to reward them with coupons based on the severity of their symptoms. The coupons reduced the prices of the Whopper, Whopper Double and Whopper Jr. Double, according to a report in Ads of the World.
