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.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover 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.

American McDonald's menu items the rest of the world wants