McDonald's has grown exponentially since its humble inception in San Bernardino, California in 1940. These days nearly every country around the world boasts its own unique McDonald’s menu items, but it's often those solely available in the USA that get mouths watering the most. From mouthwatering pies to special Big Macs, we've put together a list of the greatest McDonald's dishes you'll only find in America.

Read on as we reveal the 21 tastiest US-only McDonald's menu items, counting down to the one global diners wish they could try the most.

We've based our ranking on the popularity of each food item in its place of origin and beyond, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

The tastiest McDonald's dishes you can only get in America