9 Discontinued Fast Food Steak Items That Never Stood A Chance

Considering that even the cheapest steaks at popular chain steakhouses run in the $15-$20 range — and only a select few get in that ballpark to begin with — it might seem like a foregone conclusion that fast food chains wouldn't stand a chance at having steak items. Especially back in the days when fast food was actually, you know, cheap. But pretty much every major fast food chain that serves red meat has taken a stab at a steak sandwich or some other steak dish at some point or another.

No, we aren't talking about steakburgers or cheesesteaks, either — these were actually advertised as full-on steak in some form. Perhaps not surprisingly, most of them ended up being pulled relatively quickly after being introduced, though a few did hold on for a respectable amount of time. From a steak sandwich that was somehow sold for just 99 cents, to a chain that tried to cosplay as a premiere dining establishment in the evenings with a full-on steak dinner, these concepts were a big swing from the start, and it's not terribly surprising that they all ultimately missed. 

In an attempt to launch something a little more dinner-like, McDonald's introduced the Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich in 1979. The advertising for the sandwich prominently showcased the fact that it wasn't available until after 4 p.m., and the copy invited customers to "try one tonight," being sure to make it clear that this was meant to be a meal for the evening hours.

Further differentiating the sandwich from just being a type of burger — which, admittedly, is what it looks like in the images — the Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich came on a more substantial hoagie roll and included large slices of onion as well as a slathering of steak sauce. Notably, the ads also suggested pairing the Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich with Onion Nuggets, another recent (and subsequently short-lived) menu addition that not only predated chicken McNuggets but directly led to their creation. 

The Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich only stuck around for about a year, doomed in no small part because it was significantly more expensive than anything else on the McDonald's menu at the time at a then-pricey $1.80. The general consensus here at Tasting Table is that we hope the McDonald's Beefsteak never makes a reappearance, and you'd be hard pressed to find much nostalgia for it elsewhere — though, to be fair, it wasn't really around long enough for that many people to have tried it in the first place. 

In 1992, Burger King also tried to establish itself as more of an upscale restaurant in the evening hours, even going so far as to offer table service. This concept also included both a fried shrimp dinner and a steak sandwich, and side choices that included coleslaw, a baked potato, and a side salad. Needless to say, both of those meals would soon join the ranks of discontinued Burger King items, and the entire dinner menu/table service concept was gone within two years of its introduction. 

As for the steak sandwich itself, it seems to have followed in McDonald's footsteps by being a long burger-like patty on a roll topped with onions and sauce. Again, fast food customers just don't seem to want their fast food places to be premium dining experiences — especially alongside the higher prices that come with that — and prefer to just have the same options whether they go there for lunch or dinner. So, it's not a huge surprise that the Burger King steak sandwich, and the chain's attempt to transform itself into a full-service restaurant at night, didn't pan out.

It's worth nothing that in 1980, Burger King also attempted its own chopped beefsteak sandwich shortly after McDonald's did, alongside various other more premium sandwiches like deli roast beef and even a veal parmigiana sandwich. That line was also short-lived and surely necessitated being more expensive than people wanted to spend at Burger King in the 1980s. 

Unlike McDonald's and Burger King, Wendy's spent many years walking a more ongoing line between fast food joint and restaurant, offering heartier fare like chili and even having an actual salad bar for many years. Perhaps that's why Wendy's customers were more welcoming of its country fried steak sandwich, introduced in 1991 and lasting for about three years. As we are learning, that's basically an eternity when it comes to the life of a steak item at a fast food burger chain.

A fried breaded steak patty on a bun and topped with country gravy, the country fried steak sandwich was quite fancy and decadent for fast food fare. Even more impressive was that it was featured on Wendy's 99-cent menu (remember when fast food places had 99-cent menus?), which even when adjusted for inflation is only about $2.50.

It's hard to know for sure why the country fried steak didn't stick around, though commercials for it did specify that it was only intended to be a limited-time item. So, maybe the economics just didn't work out for it to keep being a 99-cent sandwich, and Wendy's wasn't confident it would sell as a regular-priced sandwich after customers already got used to it being a budget item.

While Sonic presents a classic drive-in type of experience, it nevertheless experimented with its own chicken fried steak sandwich starting back in the 1980s. And it seems to have a lot more fans than most of the sandwiches on this list. 

In a local St. Francis, Louisiana, Facebook group, for instance, an admin posted about the sandwich and got multiple people mentioning how much they missed it. After the main poster talked about having spent lots of money on the sandwich in the '80s, replies like "Omg it was so goooood!!!!" and "That one was always my fav as well!!!!" quickly followed. The love for the defunct sandwich isn't just localized to that social media group, as a Reddit post asking people for their favorite discontinued fast food menu item from their youth also had someone chime in with the Sonic chicken fried steak sandwich. 

Sonic did seem to quietly test out another version of a chicken fried steak sandwich between 2024 and early 2026, given that it saw a small spate of reviews on social media. But considering that the sandwich isn't currently on the menu, at the time of this writing, and that several people in those reviews and their associated comments felt that the latest version paled in comparison to the sandwich's '80s heyday, it's safe to say the relaunch didn't pan out. Only time will tell if Sonic has given up on this or if it still plans to bring it back (hopefully in a better version). 

Carl's Jr. is no stranger to bigger, beefier burgers than its burger chain competitors, particularly with its line of Thickburgers. With that in mind, it's not a surprise that it has tried several times to make a Charbroiled Steak Sandwich happen, with separate attempts in both the '80s (as the Charbroiler Steak Sandwich) and the '90s. The most recent was in 2008, when a Charbroiled Steak Sandwich was promoted as being a different kind of value item than the other fast food chains were promoting during that turbulent economic period. Rather than forcing its customers to settle for value menus full of unremarkable fare, which Carl's Jr. accused its competitors of doing, the Charbroiled Steak Sandwich was instead positioned as real restaurant quality at fast food prices.

Online chatter is full of love the various incarnations of Carl's Jr.'s Charbroiled Steak Sandwich, with people expressing frustration — not to mention confusion — as to why it keeps going away. "The best fast food sandwich ever!" shared one Redditor. "That was my favorite go to and the only reason I went there," wrote another commenter, with several others echoing the sentiment of only going to Carl's Jr. when the sandwich is available. Unfortunately, it seems like it has finally ridden off into the sunset for good this time, with this being a much longer hiatus than any of the previous ones.

This one got dangerously close to making itself ineligible for this list per our criteria of not considering cheesesteaks. But we ultimately deemed that, despite having "Philly" in its name, Culver's discontinued Philly Ribeye Steak Sandwich still calls itself a steak sandwich. In particular, it claims itself to be a ribeye steak sandwich to boot. With most of these other sandwiches not having the confidence to specify the type of steak that was being offered, it definitely spoke to the quality being promised by this sandwich.

As the name implies, the ribeye steak was sliced up the way it would be on a Philly cheesesteak, with the marketing selling it as having cheese and onions on top. The commercial that aired alongside the sandwich's late-'90s debut also showed raw steak being put onto the grill, suggesting that it was cooked fresh to order just like Culver's ButterBurgers. And that might have played into the sandwich's ultimate downfall.

According to a former Culver's employee on Reddit, "They were grilled from raw so getting them fully cooked without burning them was tough, especially during a rush." That was in response to another Redditor, who said of the sandwich, "As long as they were not overcooked these were fantastic," implying that it being overcooked was a very real possibility and something that customers could encounter. Fully cooking raw steak just isn't conducive to a fast food structure. 

Not to be left out, breakfast fast food chains have also attempted steak items over the years, typically in a sandwich-based interpretation of the hearty a.m. favorite, steak and eggs. For Dunkin', this meant the Angus Steak Big N' Toasted, a steaky twist on the original Big N' Toasted. Introduced in 2013 (two years after its predecessor), it promised to be heartier and more filling than its fast food breakfast sandwich competitors. The Angus Steak Big N' Toasted paired an Angus steak patty with two eggs and a slice of American cheese sandwiched between thick slices of Texas toast.

Unfortunately, both variations of the Big 'N Toasted were gone by 2018, when Dunkin' went through a major revamp of its menu in order to focus on food items that are quicker to get out the door. Speed doesn't mix well with steak or eggs, especially if those items are cooked and assembled to order — which was the case for the Big 'N Toasteds. 

As of this writing, the only meats available in any of Dunkin's various sandwiches and wraps are the typical breakfast standbys of sausage and bacon. So, it seems like Dunkin' is out of the steak business entirely for the time being. 

Starbucks is constantly introducing new food items, some of which become permanent staples but most of which either rotate in and out or are just given the boot entirely. And the Seared Steak, Egg, and Tomatillo Wrap would become one such item to eventually be removed from the Starbucks food menu. Just as its name describes, it was a grilled tortilla that housed scrambled eggs, hunks of steak, and tomatillo salsa. And to hear one Starbucks employee on Reddit tell it in response to the wrap's apparent discontinuation in 2018, "I won't be surprised if it's true, my store sells like 2 of them a month."

Feedback during the wrap's short-lived run (it was only introduced a year prior) wasn't great, either. Reviews called out pretty much every aspect of the dish, from the consistency of the tortilla and the eggs to the saltiness of the steak. And perhaps worst of all, folks knocked it for being lackluster despite its premium price tag. 

Not to keep belaboring this point, but this tends to be one of the biggest problems with fast food steak: Being able to balance cost with quality and then pairing that with being able to prepare it quickly enough. Good steak isn't cheap, nor is it quick or easy to cook properly. 

We saved this one for last because it is arguably the biggest swing that any fast food chain on this list took, as Jack in the Box once actually promoted a full-on steak dinner. Not a traditional steak sandwich, but a straight-up sirloin steak, served as an open sandwich with garlic bread and a garden salad. Just don't go expecting a baked potato or anything like that — the starch was still just wedge fries.

It was part of Jack in the Box's Dinner in the Box promotion, which was introduced in 1983, and yet another attempt for a fast food chain to become a casual dining establishment in the evening hours. As the marketing pointed out, fast food menus typically didn't change between lunch and dinner, so people were just expected to order lunch items at night and call it dinner. Of course, most people consider a burger and fries to be perfectly acceptable as a dinner meal, but we digress.

The ads showed waitstaff in suits and people playing the violin, but that was just for show. As far as we can tell, actual table service wasn't part of the deal like it was when Burger King tried its hand at this in the '90s. Surprisingly, the Dinner in the Box program stuck around for about five years before it was phased out alongside an overall simplification of the restaurant's menu.