One Italian-Inspired Vintage Wendy's Menu Item Barely Saw The Light Of Day

Wendy's is arguably most recognized by its uniquely square burger patties and its rich, creamy Frosty lineup. But, like any successful eatery, a range of food choices is important, too, which is why you can also order chili, salads, and chicken nuggets. Of course, the restaurant giant has also introduced concepts that eventually fizzled out, like the chain's epic self-serve salad bar, the Biggie fries and drinks, and the short-lived chicken cordon bleu sandwich — all of which I vividly remember. But one item I can't recall ever seeing is the Baked Italian Sandwich (also called the Stromboli). It was only available for a brief window of time in 1991, and was likely only test-marketed since there are no photos of the entrée to be found. Sadly, it joins the list of forgotten Wendy's menu items from the '90s.

Wendy's described the Italian-inspired sandwich in promotional material as, "Pepperoni, Italian cheeses, and a touch of tomato sauce, wrapped in Italian bread dough and baked up hot and delicious!" (via X). The item was priced at $1.99 unless you wanted the Sausage and Pepperoni Deluxe Stromboli for $2.19. Based on the description and what we know about stromboli, we can assume these ingredients came rolled up in a pizza-like dough and baked, as opposed to tucked and folded into a pocket like a calzone. With no photos or old commercials to refer to, it's hard to say for sure. All we know is that if you blinked, you probably missed it.

Several burger-centric chains have introduced Italian-style sandwiches over the years, but most of them have been axed, or simply made available only for a limited time. In 2022, Wendy's debuted another Italian-inspired entrée, but this time it resembled the type of classic sandwich that the chain is known for. The Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich and Italian Mozzarella Cheeseburger both came on toasted garlic knot buns. The chicken version featured a fried, boneless chicken breast, and each sandwich was topped with fried mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce, and Asiago cheese.

Burger King got such excellent feedback from its Italian Chicken Sandwich that debuted in 2014, that the chain brought it back to the menu in 2021 and again in 2023. BK's version resembled more of a hoagie; a fried piece of breaded chicken on a long sesame seed bun, topped with melted mozzarella and marinara sauce. The 2023 version was a bit different from the previous two sandwiches, but offered the same familiar flavors.

Even McDonald's tested the Italian waters in 2016 when it released McTasters in Canada. The snack-sized sandwiches came in Greek and Italian varieties with the latter featuring a fried chicken patty, parmesan cheese, a creamy parmesan and Italian herb sauce, tomato, and lettuce on an herbed bun. At least all of these were around long enough to get some photographic evidence, unlike the fated Wendy's stromboli.