From the El Maco to the Twister: The 5 most-requested nostalgic returns for McDonald's and KFC Australia

McDonald's and KFC Australia customers are asking for five nostalgic menu items to return. I myself have been campaigning for KFC Australia to bring back their potato wedges for some time, and it seems I am not the only one feeling nostalgic when it comes to our favourite fast food menu items.

Several Reddit threads have popped up in which KFC and Maccas fans have been reminiscing about menu items of yesteryear.

Each menu items bring back a flood of memories. We can only hope the fast food giants are listening to the little people, and bring back some of the delicious favourites we loved the most.

KFC nostalgic favourites fans hope will return

One thread has been dedicated to the KFC Original Twister, with the Redditor lamenting: "Still don't understand why that's not on the menu. All the ingredients are there, just make it."

KFC's Original Twister was made using original recipe chicken tender pieces, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise, all wrapped in a soft, toasted tortilla.

"My go to was a Sweet Chill Twister toasted for so long," another said.

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"I don't even care if there's no tomato the fact they stopped toasting the Twisters is the biggest crime," one KFC fan added.

Sadly, KFC stores no longer have sandwich presses so wouldn't be able to toast the Twisters, even if this was requested.

Tomatoes are also a thing of the past at KFC aside from the occasional return for limited edition menu items like the Tower Burger.

"I still remember biting into what I thought was a Twister, not realising they changed it," another said.

"Ugh it was horrible with all the cabbage. Nothing beats the original with the little juicy tomato cubes and lettuce."

The Tower Burger is another past KFC menu items customers would love to see make a return.

"The Tower Burger should be there permanently," one commented.

"Bring back the original 2000's Tower Burger," added another "That tangy tower sauce and super crunchy hash brown was amazing."

The KFC Tower Burger featured an Original Recipe crispy chicken fillet, a golden hash brown, tangy tomato sauce, creamy mayonnaise, fresh lettuce, and a slice of cheese, all served on a toasted sesame seed bun. It was last on the Australian menu in 2023.

Others called for the return of KFC Krushers which were discontinued in 2020.

KFC Krushers were popular crushed ice drinks, essentially thick, blended milkshakes with real mix-ins like Oreos, Golden Gaytime, Milky Bar, or Iced Mocha, featuring chunky bits and served with a big straw.

"It actually felt like a proper treat instead of just a soft drink," one KFC fan said.

"Still don't get why it disappeared when half the desserts now feel smaller and more expensive."

A quick survey of nine.com.au staffers found other KFC menu items fans would love to see return.

"Did you ever have the KFC Wrapstar over here? I think about it every day," one staffer said, to which we responded: "No, what's that?"

It turns out the KFC Wrapstar wasn't never released in Australia, just in overseas markets like the UK and South Africa.

It was basically a wrap made of Original Recipe chicken, cheese, sauce, and various toppings like bacon, pickles, or slaw, all wrapped in a toasted tortilla.

We'd love to try that!

Another called for the return of red onion on Zinger burgers.

"The fact that they removed the red onion from Zinger burgers is diabolical and I've never forgiven them," the onion-loving staffer added.

Maccas nostalgic favourites fans hope will return

Over to McDonald's, where the item most customers would love to see make a comeback is the Chicken McWrap with Aioli which used to KFC a run for its money.

While the aioli version was discontinued in early 2025, McDonald's still sells Spicy and Classic Chicken McWraps.

Another McDonald's product of the past is their McSalad Shakers which were a delightful shaker cup of salad paired with a delicious dressing you could pour onto the salad and shake to combine.

All McDonald's s were discontinued in early 2025 as part of a wider menu refresh.

Others would love to see the return of the Big Breakfast, a delicious fry up that included scrambled eggs, a sausage patty, an English muffin and hash browns.

This was discontinued in Australia in 2021, with the McDonald's breakfast menu streamlined and focused on less time consuming menu items like McMuffins, Hot Cakes, and Hash Browns.

The McDonald's Angus Burger is another classic menu items Maccas customers would love to see make a return.

The Angus Burger was discontinued officially for good in 2024.

Nine.com.au staffers would love to see McDonald's Loaded Fries and Shaker Fries return.

Loaded Fries were discontinued in 2021 and Shaker Fries made a brief reappearance in 2025, only to be discontinued again.

"The Bubblegum McFlurry with blue syrup and mini marshmallows!" another said. This is one of many McFurry flavours that have been discontinued.

Then, there was the Son of Mac burger, a smaller version of the Big Mac which had all the flavour of a Big Mac including the special sauce, but was smaller, and more affordable.

"I just want the sundaes back in the plastic cups," one staffer said, to which another added that they'd like any non-wooden spoon for both sundaes and McFlurries.

"The veggie burgers!!!!!!! Diabolical," added another, referencing McDonald's Veggie Deluxe which was officially discontinued in July 2021.

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