From Unicorn Smoothies to Secret Menus – 25 Fast Food Restaurant Hacks

There are two ways to ensure you get the best fries possible: ask the employees for fresh fries – they will usually comply, although you might have to wait a few minutes. Alternately, you can ask for fries with no salt – then they will have to make another batch!

Are you someone who loves unicorns, rainbows, and anything ultra-colorful? Then this hack at Taco Bell is especially for you. Taco Bell offers delicious frozen drinks called “Freezes”, in a variety of flavors like Mountain Dew Baja Blast, Lemon Quencher, Strawberry Smash and more. But if you ask to have all three flavors in one cup and in that order, you’ll end up with something looking like a blended drinkable rainbow! Highly Instagram-able, and incredibly delicious!

Almost every fast-food chain has a secret menu. Although these items don’t appear anywhere on the menu, employees will usually make items from this list if you ask them nicely. More famous examples include In-n-Out Burger’s “animal-style fries”, but there are many more places – from Arby’s to Whataburger – that have secret menus filled with unusual dishes that you won’t find anywhere else. Just do some research before you go and have a blast ordering weird things that your friends will have never heard of!

Everyone knows that sometimes, fast-food restaurant chains don’t always have the freshest food at times. That’s mostly due to the fact that sometimes, the food is pre-assembled and left sitting for quite a while before it gets to your mouth. How to ensure that you get fresh food that’s been made on the spot to order? Get there during a busier time, like closer to noon instead of three pm. The turnover is faster which means they’re making the food fresh!

Did you ever want the magical taste of apple pie with vanilla ice cream, but didn’t have the time or budget to pick up a real order at a sit-down restaurant? Just head over to McDonald’s and order this secret item, which you will never find on their actual menu: an apple pie McFlurry. That’s right, it’s exactly what it sounds like – chunks of apple pie blended into vanilla soft serve, resulting in a quick, easy and cheap to-go version of America’s favorite dessert.

Everyone knows this dilemma – you’re on the go and you want to enjoy some french fries. But since you’re not sitting in the restaurant, you have nowhere to put your ketchup when you squeeze it out of the little pack. Someone figured out that you can just pull down and fold one side of the fries carton, making it lay flat, and use it as a little tray to hold your ketchup or other condiments of choice. Pure genius!

Most fast-food chains are not the best place to be a vegetarian. Burgers, fried chicken, tacos and bowls – the number of meat-free options are few when you’re visiting most run-of-the-mill fast-food chains. But there is a secret hack that will come in handy if you or your kids are vegetarian. Ask for a grilled cheese sandwich! Most fast-food chains can make you a grilled cheese by using two buns inside out, with cheese in the middle.

Do you love McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches? They sure are delicious, and as one would expect from breakfast food, many of them have eggs inside. The eggs usually come in the form of some kind of folded-up omelet-style egg product that’s not always the freshest. But if you request a round egg while ordering, they’ll make the sandwich with a fresh egg in an egg ring on the spot! It’s tips like these that can really upgrade a fast-food meal.

Want a Big Mac, but short on cash? With some smart ordering techniques, you can get a delicious burger that includes almost exactly the same ingredients, but end up paying between $2.50-$3.00 less! Simply order a Double Cheeseburger or McDouble, and then replace the ketchup with pickles, extra lettuce, and the special sauce. What you’ll get is something that is almost exactly the same as a Big Mac, without the extra bread inside. And let’s be honest – you didn’t need that extra bread anyway!

Everyone knows that disappointing feeling when you get your fast food burger or wrap and it kind of feels like it’s not really that fresh. After all, this food was made for efficiency, so it’s often made ahead of time and can sit around for a couple of hours getting soggy. One surefire way to make sure you get the freshest ingredients is to customize your burger order. Holding the mustard or adding some onions means they will assemble your sandwich on the spot.

There are apparently entire Reddit threads dedicated to hacking fast food items, and this particular combo from Taco Bell has fast-food junkies raving. Order their Naked Chicken Chalupa – or “NCC” as devotees have come to refer to it – and wrap it in a Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadilla. Then take one of their Doritos Locos Tacos and nestle it into the Naked Chicken Chalupa. What you’ll get is something, according to those who’ve tried it, that is absolutely mindblowing.

Crispy, golden, delicious – who isn’t a fan of chicken nuggets? If you’re a nugget lover, then we have the perfect secret for you. It turns out that at McDonald’s, McNuggets end up being cheaper if you order them in quantities of four off the value menu, rather than buying a larger quantity. And there’s an added bonus to buying them four at a time – you’ll end up getting more sauces, as you’ll get one with each order.

The Philly Cheesesteak Sub at Subway is known as something of a cult favorite, and it’s easy to see why: with shredded steak, gooey melted cheese and fresh veggies, what’s not to love? But did you know you could get essentially the same ingredients, with more meat, for the same price? If you order the Double Steak and Cheese, you’re getting more meat for less. And if you order it on a flatbread instead of a classic baguette, you’ll end up getting a longer sandwich, too!

Speaking of nuggets, one person came up with the most amazing hack to make yourself a Chinese meal using fast food. Using chicken strips or nuggets from your favorite fast-food chain (Chik-fil-A was used in the example, but other places would work too), you can add the orange sauce from Panda Express to make your own “orange chicken”. Serve atop a bed of white rice and voila! An easily assembled, and way cheaper, Chinese orange chicken dinner.

Taco Bell is one of the most popular fast-food chains in America, and it’s easy to see why. Americans love their tacos, burritos, nachos and more, and Taco Bell makes them cheap, fast and delicious. But did you know you could improve on something already great by making one simple request? If you ask to have your favorites grilled a second time, it will make them extra crispy and delicious! Try it and you’ll never eat Taco Bell the same way again!

Pineapple on pizza is one of those divisive topics – either you love it or you think it sounds absolutely disgusting! But if you’re a fan, here’s another smart ordering tip that will save you a few dollars at Domino’s pizza chain. Instead of ordering their pricier, premium Honolulu Hawaiian Pizza, do the following: order a large three-topping pizza with pineapple, ham, and bacon instead. It’s more or less the same exact pizza (minus the peppers) and it’s significantly cheaper than its branded counterpart.

Here’s one dessert recipe you can achieve by ordering two items off the McDonald’s menu – and it will blow your mind (and possibly give you a little bit of brain freeze). Start with a McDonald’s frozen Coke, and order a cone of their soft serve vanilla ice cream. Drink a bit of the frozen Coke to make some space, and then turn the cone upside down and dunk it straight into the frozen Coke. Voila! An extra-frozen ice-cream float at a great price.

Chicken and waffles is one of those dishes you crave for brunch on a Sunday morning after a long weekend of partying. The problem is, while waffles are easy enough if you have a waffle iron at home, it can be a real chore to prepare fried chicken from scratch. One chicken and waffle lover realized that you could make your own waffles, and then just pick up some chicken strips from Chick-fil-A and place them on top. Add maple syrup and you’re good to go!

Do you love smoothies? Jamba Juice is one of the most popular smoothie chains in the US, offering a huge variety of flavors. But there’s a secret hack that even the most seasoned Jamba Juice fans might not realize – the employees there are required to abide by substitution requests. That means you can pretty much change any ingredient in one of their pre-made recipes, instead of paying extra money to create your own shake. Now that’s a smooth move!

Have you ever tried poutine? It’s one of Canada’s most famous and delicious specialties, consisting of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. Unfortunately, most American restaurants don’t carry this delicious dish, and it’s a shame. If you want to try it but aren’t planning a trip to Canada anytime soon, you can order french fries with gravy and cheese at KFC, and it’s pretty much the same thing! Some KFC locations even have cheese curds to make it extra authentic.

For all Nutella lovers out there, this one is for you. There is a secret recipe to create a Starbucks drink that tastes just like everyone’s favorite chocolate-hazelnut spread. Start by ordering a Cafe Misto, and customize by adding one pump of chocolate and hazelnut, and top it with a caramel drizzle. It’s practically one step away from eating Nutella right out of the jar, except this way you can do it in public and still appear civilized.

Some Chipotle aficionados claim that they have found the secret to getting more food for your money at this popular restaurant chain. If you ask for two kinds of meat in your bowl or wrap, you’ll end up getting more like 3/4 of a portion of each instead of a half-portion. For those of you who are bad at math, that means you’re getting an extra half portion of meat in your bowl or wrap, for the same amount of money!

There are whole website pages dedicated to Chick-Fil-A hacks, and it’s easy to see why. With their coupons, apps, and large combos, there are many ways that you can hack their menu to save money and even get free food for you and your family. You can use their app to see which Chick-fil-A location gives out the best free treats and make it your “favorite” – but then use the freebies at any branch. Taking surveys and accruing points will also save you money – that means more delicious Waffle Fries for you!

Do you have a date you want to impress but have no idea how to cook even the most basic of dishes? Well, you can pretend you’re a classy person with knowledge of French cuisine with a little help from Colonel Sanders. The Double Down, which is fried chicken stuffed with cheese and cured pork, can easily be classed up and presented as chicken cordon bleu – which is pretty much the same thing! Just re-plate it, add some sprigs of parsley, and serve with a cloth napkin and a wink!

Being out and about can really get pricey, especially on a hot day. While we recommend always carrying a bottle of water with you, sometimes you end up having to buy a bottle of water for some reason, and it’s an annoying expense and a waste of money. Well, next time you’re out and fancy a trip to Starbucks, you can just ask for a Venti cup filled with water when you order – it’s free of charge! You’ll save yourself two dollars or more on that bottled water you might have needed later.