You Weren't Dreaming: Wendy's Had Country-Fried Steak In The '90s

For better or worse, many fast food items have come and gone over the years, leaving those who grew up with them feeling wistful for the old days. While certain products are popular and financially viable enough to find themselves joining the permanent menu (as seen with the fan-favorite Starbucks croissant), most limited-time-offer items end up permanently discontinued, living only in the memories of those lucky enough to have experienced them.

This can be said for Wendy's short-lived country-fried steak sandwich from the 1990s. Wendy's, a chain that has never shied away from experimenting with unique items, debuted the country-fried steak sandwich in 1990 and promoted it heavily throughout its first few years on the menu. However, despite having plenty of fans, the brand quietly discontinued the item at some point in the mid-'90s and, outside of fast food nostalgia posts online, country-fried steak hasn't seen the light of day since.

The rise (and fall) of Wendy's country-fried steak sandwich

The unique thing about Wendy's oft-forgotten entree is that, unlike many short-lived menu items, the country-fried steak sandwich wasn't initially created as a temporary meal. Instead, it was placed on the permanent menu and was sold continually for the duration of its run.

Furthermore, the country-fried steak sandwich was far from an afterthought. The item was marketed well, being a notable item on the 99¢ menu alongside Wendy's mainstays like the junior bacon-cheeseburger and the junior cheeseburger deluxe. The entree was popular among fans of the Southern classic it was derived from, and the marketing of the sandwich purposefully targeted this group. Wendy's released commercials featuring Wendy's founder Dave Thomas talking about his mother's country-fried steak that he loved during his youth, naming this as the inspiration for the sandwich. While some have theorized that the meal was discontinued due to its high-fat content and unhealthy nature, it will ultimately go down in history as one of the many questionable discontinuations in fast food history.

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