We have to hand it to Burger King: On paper, deep-fried wads of macaroni and cheese doused in Cheeto dust probably sounded like a great idea. But there have been few times in limited-time offering fast food history when the gulf between “idea” and “finished product” has been so broad, and also disappointing.
On May 18, 2017, Burger King returned the Mac n’ Cheetos to its menu for a limited time.
Pop Rocks
There are very few food experiences that come close to that of the sugar blast in your mouth that we know as Pop Rocks. When you eat Pop Rocks, the moisture and heat in your mouth will melt the candy, and the subsequent popping sounds are a result of the high-pressure CO2 bubbles being released into atmospheric pressure, now isn't that cool! Though patented in 1961, Pop Rocks only hit the shelves in 1975, and they immediately became part of the spirit of that time.
Pop Rocks may have been discontinued in the '80s, but they've made a comeback and are thankfully available today.
Slo Poke Lollipops
Back in the day, one of the best lollipop options was called Slo Poke caramel pop. A nice feature this candy had is that it took forever to finish. These little pops were a childhood staple during the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
But times change and candy preferences have evolved since then. Soon enough, Slo Poke caramel pops fell out of favor with the younger generation and are now only remembered as a classic candy.
Fish McBites
The logic certainly seemed sound enough: Chicken McNuggets are nearly universally beloved, and the Filet o' Fish is arguably one of the finest sandwiches that McDonald's offers. So what could go wrong, using the magic McNugget machine to miniaturize Fish into poppable bites of seawater-scented deliciousness? McDonald introduced Fish McBites in three sizes in 2013, each conveniently packaged to fit into your car's cup holder, so that consumers could finally live their unrealized dreams of "eating fish" and "driving cars" at the same time.
Most reviews at the time were positive, but Fish McBites just weren't meant to be. McDonald's pulled the item from menus shortly after their debut, citing poor sales and a lack of consumer interest.
Candy Cigarettes
It's hard for us to imagine this in today's world, but there was a time when these chalky sugar sticks that look like cigarettes were sold to children. For those who grew up in the '70s, '80s, and even the '90s will likely remember these strange sugary snacks. The United States considered banning candy cigarettes, both in 1970 and 1991, but neither passed.
The chalky, hard candy cigs and the paper-wrapped bubble gum smokes that puff out that white powder stuff, are shockingly still made and sold despite having fallen out of favor.