BURGER King fans are begging the chain to revive a nostalgic sandwich that saw its heyday in the 1970s.
While the fast food giant is known for its flame-grilled Whoppers, foodies are looking to score another taste of Burger King’s “Yumbo.”
Burger King is well-known for its signature flame-broiled burgers, especially the iconic Whopper[/caption]
Burger King fans are begging the chain to bring back a popular discontinued sandwich from the 1970s[/caption]
Burger King was launched back in 1954, with its beloved Whopper burger coming even before the iconic McDonald’s Big Mac.
Its menu has seen many switch-ups over the years, with some popular items inevitably dropped from the menu.
Burger King, for example, used to serve up a hot ham and cheese sandwich called the Yumbo, which quickly spiked in popularity when it was rolled out in 1971.
While the concept of a warm ham and cheese sandwich may not seem all that revolutionary today, in the ’70s, the Yumbo was a crowd-pleaser, with its hot temperature being its biggest draw.
The sandwich – made with a seeded burger bun, melty cheese, and savory ham – came in a special Styrofoam container that retained heat while you waited to eat it.
Burger King launched the popular sandwich at roughly $0.80, which may seem like a deal in today’s economy, but was relatively pricey in comparison to competitors like McDonald’s Big Mac, priced at just $0.45 when it first hit the market four years prior.
Despite the chain’s high hopes for the Yumbo, its popularity was short-lived, and Burger King started to phase out the sandwich at many locations in 1974, just years after its launch.
The sandwich saw spotty availability throughout the early 1980s, with a brief revival in 1988 thanks to a commercial featuring actor Christopher Meloni, but the Yumbo was gone for good by the 1990s.
YUMBO UH-OH
Forty years after the beloved Yumbo was dropped from Burger King’s menu, the fast food giant launched a limited-time revival of the sandwich for its 40th anniversary.
In 2014, in response to both fan nostalgia and franchisee requests, the chain temporarily revived the Yumbo – but to the dismay of customers, it was not the same as the original.
With the relaunch, the new version of the sandwich was modernized, featuring lettuce and mayo as well as a long hoagie roll instead of the regular burger bun.
Many foodies were disappointed and angered by the changes to the Yumbo, craving the version they remembered from their youth.
“This is for people who want to enjoy damp, spongy sandwiches without the expense and trouble of finding an airport kiosk,” said Peter Sagal via NPR Illinois.
Some customers even accused Burger King of trying to be like Subway, with the new Yumbo quickly pulled from the menu.
Interesting Burger King Facts
Burger King has been around for over 70 years, and there are at least several things many fans might not know about the burger joint, per Yardbarker.
- Burger King first opened in 1953 thanks to the Insta-Broiler, a way to cook multiple burgers at once.
- The chain was first called Insta-Burger King because of the revolutionary appliance.
- Its headquarters is in Miami, Florida.
- The Whopper arrived in 1957 and only cost 37 cents.
- Luis Arenas-Perez effectively created the Whopper Jr by accident before opening the first Burger King in Puerto Rico in 1963.
- Regular buns for the Whopper didn’t arrive in time, so Perez used smaller ones and it became a hit.
- In Australia, Burger King is known as Hungry Jack’s.
- There’s a spa at a Burger King restaurant in Finland.
- Burger King was the first fast food franchise to promote a feature film with products based on Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1977.
THE YUMBO LIVES ON
While the Yumbo’s 2014 revival was short-lived, the beloved sandwich’s story is not necessarily over.
Back in 2021, Hungry Jack’s – Australia’s name for Burger King – temporarily brought back the original hot ham and cheese sandwich to celebrate the fast food chain’s 50th anniversary.
Meanwhile, Burger King fans in Puerto Rico can still order a Yumbo Jr. as of June 2025, although it is not the same as the original.
While it is served on a round hamburger bun like the OG Yumbo, it comes with lettuce, mayo, and a tomato slice.
Foodies in the States may be able to get their hands on a Yumbo as well.
Some Burger King workers on Reddit have recommended attempting to order the sandwich via the breakfast menu.
They have said that customers can order a ham, egg, and cheese croissant, asking to remove the egg and substitute the croissant for a burger bun.
Other Redditors have recommended trying your luck at any Burger King location and ordering a hot ham and cheese sandwich.
Although it is not guaranteed that the workers will fulfill your request, it’s worth a shot considering that Burger King’s slogan is “Have It Your Way.”
As Burger King fans reminisce on the beloved Yumbo, several changes are going down in the fast food industry.
For example, McDonald’s recently made a “misleading” french fry swap as a US state is hit with a January plastic ban.
Meanwhile, an American fast food joint “better than Chick-fil-A” is set to open seven new locations in a mammoth 100 store expansion by the end of 2025.
Burger King temporarily brought back the beloved Yumbo in 2014, but fans were disappointed that it was different from the original[/caption]
Story idea?
If you have an exclusive idea or story tip for The U.S. Sun, feel free to reach out to me at maya.lanzone@the-sun.com!
