KFC Customers Dearly Miss This Discontinued 1990s Menu Item

KFC has been around since 1952, so it's no surprise that, over the decades, the chain has experimented with plenty of unique menu items. Some made very little sense for a fried chicken restaurant — like its short-lived attempt at barbecue ribs. Others, however, are still remembered fondly by nostalgic customers. One such item that many '90s fans wish would make a comeback is the Colonel's Rotisserie Gold chicken.

Yep, you read that correctly: KFC once sold rotisserie chicken. These days, the dish is more commonly associated with grocery titans like Costco or Sam's Club, both of which have built competing cult followings around their ready-to-eat birds. But for a brief period, KFC was attempting to jump on the craze, too. Debuting in 1993, unlike the chain's signature fried chicken, the Colonel's Rotisserie Gold chicken was slow-roasted and basted in its own juices for a succulently rich flavor. It was also seasoned using KFC's famous seasoning blend and served alongside purpose-built sides like barbecue baked beans, garden rice, and cornbread muffins.

Yet despite being an interesting departure from the chain's usual fried fare, the rotisserie chicken didn't stick around for long. One former employee took to Reddit to share several logistical headaches that came with it: "This chicken was a pain ... [it took] forever to cook, pieces weren't uniformly at the proper temperature, and it wasn't a huge seller in the store I worked for. That said, it was delicious." Other former employees have also shared similar stories online about the item's poor sales performance, which likely explains why KFC ultimately pulled the plug on Rotisserie Gold chicken in 1995, just two years after it was first introduced.

The decision to introduce the Colonel's Rotisserie Gold chicken wasn't random on KFC's part. During the 1990s, so-called "home meal replacement" foods (convenient ready-made dinners) were booming in popularity. In response, KFC introduced its rotisserie chicken as a way to compete for customers looking for a quick dinner that felt closer to a scratch-made meal than a bucket of drive-thru fare. Unfortunately for the chain, the Colonel's Rotisserie Gold didn't live up to expectations, but KFC wasn't going to give up on baked chicken that easily.

It didn't take long for KFC to introduce another roast chicken item after Colonel's Rotisserie Gold disappeared. Just a year later, the chain debuted Tender Roast chicken — a product that, at first glance, seemed remarkably similar to its predecessor. Like Rotisserie Gold, the chicken was slow-roasted rather than fried, and KFC's advertising leaned heavily into cozy family dinner imagery rather than the usual fast food restaurant setting. The meal was also designed to feel more like a complete homestyle dinner, often paired with classic comfort-food sides like mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cornbread. 

When it was first introduced, two pieces of Tender Roast, two sides, and a cornbread muffin would set customers back a mere $2.99, but KFC later expanded the concept even further. By 1999, customers were able to purchase the Tender Roast sandwich, which retailed for just $1.99. Unfortunately, despite having a much longer run than its predecessor, it was eventually phased out sometime in the early 2000s.