KANSAS CITY — Restaurant chains are bringing fan-favorite items back to menus.
McDonald’s is rolling out a cheese Danish, which was last on menus in the 1980s. The flakey pastry is filled with a sweet cream cheese and topped with streusel and a vanilla drizzle.
Wendy’s is adding to its Made to Crave menu with the reintroduction of the Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger, after it left menus in 2021.
Piled on a pretzel bun, a quarter pound of beef is topped with Muenster cheese, applewood smoked bacon, as well as a smoky honey mustard, beer cheese sauce, crispy-fried onions and pickles.
“Our Made to Crave menu is a place for our culinary team to experiment with new concepts and introduce fans to latest flavor trends in a familiar, yet unique-to-Wendy’s way,” said John Li, vice president of culinary innovation for the Wendy’s Co. “But sometimes, when you land on a hit like the Pretzel Bacon Pub, the culinary magic lies in bringing items back to the menu, instead of creating a new flavor profile. With flavor combinations like beer cheese sauce and honey mustard — the Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger creates an elevated cheeseburger experience you’ll want to try again, and again.”
Panda Express is taking things in a plant-based direction with its Beyond The Original Orange Chicken. Made with Beyond Meat’s chicken, the plant-based alternative is tossed in the company’s signature sweet and spicy orange sauce.
“We are thrilled to offer Beyond The Original Orange Chicken to consumers nationwide for the very first time,” said Dariush Ajami, chief innovation officer at Beyond Meat. “By partnering with Panda Express to introduce new and innovative plant-based options that deliver the delicious taste and experience of their iconic menu items, we’re enabling people to enjoy their favorite dishes with the upsides of plant-based meat.”
