The Discontinued Wendy's Stuffed Pitas That '90s Kids Will Never Let Go

Fast food items come and go, usually with little fanfare involved, but some items leave an indelible mark upon our memories. Our nostalgia for these things can span decades — my version of the discontinued fast food Holy Grail is McDonald's Cheddar Melt from back in the day — and there's a certain Wendy's item from the 1990s that people still miss. 

While handheld, interestingly, these things didn't come in a bun. They were made of pita bread stuffed with veggies and chunks of chicken, tossed in various types of sauces like Greek, Caesar, and ranch dressing. I have a feeling a few bells are ringing right about now. They were called Wendy's Fresh Stuffed Pitas and were a fresher alternative to items like Wendy's square-shaped burgers. Sure, burgers are great and all, but every now and then, it's hard not to crave something fresh and veggie-forward, especially because we don't exactly associate fast food chains with lighter fare.

Even now, people complain about the fact that Wendy's Fresh Stuffed Pitas are gone. Users lamented this fact in a post in the r/nostalgia subreddit, saying things like, "I couldn't get enough of them. So disappointed when they stopped making them." One commenter said that they worked at Wendy's when the Fresh Stuffed Pitas came out and hated having to make them — but loved eating them. The pita sandwiches were around for three years, between 1997 and 2000, but haven't made a reappearance since then. 

The closest item on Wendy's menu as of this writing is the Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap, which we found to be a pretty miserable showing when it was released. And if you want something remotely fresh on Wendy's menu, the Cobb Salad is really the way to go, since it's got a varied amount of ingredients that add up to a satisfying meal. Unfortunately, there's no pita involved, and you'll just have to settle for a fork to shovel the goods into your mouth.

Fortunately, recreating Wendy's Fresh Stuffed Pitas at home is pretty easy, if you're fine with putting in just a touch of work. They're essentially just various salads tucked into a pita, and if you're not in the mood to chop lettuce, a little bit of bagged salad mix can do some of the heavy lifting for you. All you need to do is supplement the greens with things like chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, feta, and chicken, such as in the case of the Greek salad version, or just use a Caesar salad kit to stuff a warmed and softened pita. 

Sure, some of the fillings will inevitably tumble out, and it won't quite have that Dave Thomas flavor to it since it's not in that signature Wendy's packaging, but that's where your memory has to step in. Close your eyes, think of those bright yellow colors on a tray, and transport yourself back to the late '90s. And since fast food brands are big fans of cashing in on nostalgia, we can never say never to the possibility of a limited-time comeback. Just don't get your hopes up too much.