McDonald’s Bringing Back Retired Menu Item

McDonald’s fans who are still mourning the early retirement of the Breakfast Bagels are about to get an early Christmas present — if they live in the right area. The Golden Arches are reportedly bringing the fan-favorite menu item, which was permanently pulled from the menu earlier this year, back, but not everyone will be lucky enough to get their hands on the beloved menu item. According to Chew Boom, Breakfast Bagels are set to return in three different varieties – Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel, Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bagel, and Sausage, Egg & Cheese Bagel – at select McDonald’s locations in Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New England.

Essentially the same as McDonald’s famous McMuffins, Breakfast Bagels sandwiches offer the ingredients between a toasted bagel with butter rather than two fluffy McMuffin buns. The Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel boasts a tender, juicy steak patty, a fluffy folded egg, two slices of melty American cheese, and savory grilled onions placed between the bagel. The Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bagel, meanwhile, features a toasted bagel with butter, thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, a fluffy folded egg, and two slices of melty American cheese. The Sausage, Egg & Cheese Bagel comes with a pork sausage patty, a fluffy folded egg, and two slices of American cheese between freshly toasted and buttered bagel.

Breakfast Bagels were first introduced in 2011 and were a staple on the McDonald’s menu for nearly a decade until the chain announced quietly removed them from the menu in 2020 amid the pandemic, which prompted many restaurants and fast food chains to slim down their menu offerings. In January 2022, McDonald’s UK confirmed that both the Breakfast Bagel and Breakfast Wrap would not return and would instead be permanently removed from the menu, announcing, “It is with love and deep respect for one another that we announce that we are parting ways with breakfast bagels and breakfast wraps. Despite speculation and following a trial separation period, they will not be returning to the menu… we want our fans to know this is a mutual decision, to the extent that a bagel can make its own decision.” Similarly, Breakfast Bagels did not reappear on menus in the U.S.

Over the summer, however, Breakfast Bagels began reappearing on menus in some locations, including in Ohio, where McDonald’s shared, per Fox8, “Fans asked, McDonald’s answered: breakfast bagels are back in Ohio!” The Breakfast Bagels only returned for a “limited time,” though, before once again disappearing. Now, Chew Boom reports customers in Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New England have reported seeing Breakfast Bagels back on the menu. McDonald’s has not said if the return is for a limited time only or if Breakfast Bagels are returning permanently in these locations. It is also unclear if the menu item will roll out again nationally.