Ever had a neopolitan milkshake from McDonald’s?
One where they layer the chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla flavors in the same cup, creating a thick, icy, slow-moving light-brown-swirls-with-pink-flecks taste sensation? Yeah, my friend Chad was a regular customer of those. Of course, when he was working at McDonald’s he got sick of the regular menu pretty quickly and started tinkering in the back like a mad scientist with his coworkers, developing exotic, unstable, and unpredictable meal creations with the ingredients on hand. Yes, there were failed attempts, like the Chicken McNugget Flurry, but sometimes they struck gold and created a new off-the-menu line extension. I guess this is fairly common, because there are reports of online McDonald’s employee communities, where insider recipes such as the McBrushetta and McPancakeBatterFunnelCakes are shared.
Now, my world opened up when I first realized with Chad that you could order off-the-menu at fast food restaurants. Since that time I’ve learned about a few other secret options around. Like for instance:
• Wendy’s – The Grand Slam. If the single, double, or triple hamburgers at Wendy’s just don’t cut it for you, just go all out and order the massive four-patty grand slam. Also known as the Classic Quadruple or The Meat Cube.
• McDonald’s – Fries with Big Mac Sauce. Lots of people put fries right on the burger, which I agree tastes delicious. But this technique allows you to switch things up a bit and put some of your burger’s best feature right on your fries. Try to ignore protests from your arteries, and just ask for that a little cup of Big Mac Sauce on the side for dipping.
• Starbucks – The Red Eye. A cup of coffee with a shot of espresso dumped in. Now, I’m not a huge coffee drinker, but apparently you can even upgrade this to two shots which is called a Black Eye. I presume upgrading to three shots is called a Jumpy, Unblinking Eye.
• Most Fish & Chip places – Batter Bits. I knew a girl who was all over these. She’d lean in and guiltily ask in a hushed whisper and the guy behind the counter would nod slowly and hand over a wet, greasy paper bag full of all the batter drippings that fell into the oil by accident. Yeah, this is the bottom of the barrel of off-the-menu stylings. It ain’t always pretty out there.
• In-N-Out Burger – Animal Style Hamburger. The well-known ‘secret menu‘ at In-N-Out features this heavenly gem — their regular burger patty cooked in mustard, then topped with extra pickles, extra spread, and grilled onions. Yessir, In-N-Out will whip anything up — including messy Animal Style Fries or even a 100×100 order (100 patties and 100 slices of dee-licious cheese.)
• Subway – The Pizza Sub. Apparently this one’s like sasquatch. There are scattered sightings everywhere and a few grainy videos that may have been tampered with. Another favorite from Subway, though not technically a menu item, is simply ‘the old cut’, where they dig a trench in your bread instead of just slicing it, leading to better cold cut and veggie distribution. Also known for causing The Wing Effect, where your bologna hangs out the sides of your sandwich for some tasty pre-nibbles.
• McDonald’s – Big Mac with Quarter Pounder patties. One last McDonald’s fixture — the ol’ bun-heavy Big Mac surgically altered to become a meat-heavy Big Mac with Quarter Pounder patties instead. Now you’re much less likely to get that dreaded All-Bun first bite.
• Starbucks – The Short Cup. Even though the smallest size on the Starbucks menu is a ‘Tall’, they do offer a secret ‘Short’ size behind the counter. Perfect for that between-coffee-breaks coffee.
Now, I’m only one man, so I’m sure there are hundreds of great off-the-menu gems that I’ve never heard of or know about. But that’s the beauty! There are all these little surprises just waiting to be discovered. What possible fast-food mouth love will we discover next?
Ordering off the menu at fast food restaurants is a great deal. Maybe you’re the loyal customer looking for that new taste. Maybe you have strict dietary restrictions so it’s either off-the-menu or no-menu-at-all. Or maybe you’re just a grumpy guy who makes flippant off-the-menu requests with a deep scowl and a foot-stomp.
But whatever the case, whatever your background, whatever your taste, I think we can all agree that it sure is nice getting a little something special for lunch now and then.
AWESOME!
232 Comments
September 1, 2008 at 12:12 am
I get the kid’s hot chocolate at Starbucks because it’s just the right size and price (maybe $1.10).
Great blog!
September 1, 2008 at 1:13 am
When I used to work in a chinese food place, we had one lady who would come in and order the batter bits from our sweet & sour chicken. No actual chicken for her! Only artery clogging batter bits, as many as we could scrape together.
September 1, 2008 at 1:21 am
While the Chicken McNugget McFlurry may not have earned one of these coveted spots ‘off’ the menu, the Wendy’s Chicken-Nugget Frosty-dip is almost as good as the Wendy’s Frosty-Fry combo. Crispy and salty and creamy and chocolate-y … it may seem a contradiction of flavors for your unsuspecting taste buds, but it’s surprisingly delicious!
And then there’s the Starbucks Chantico that came in a mocha-colored cup even smaller than the secret short… that heavenly, delectable liquefied chocolate truffle. So sad that they pulled it off the menu a couple years ago, but occasionally you can still find a barista that will bend the rules and make it for you.
September 1, 2008 at 1:33 am
In-N-Out will do it protien style too. Just ask for any burger protein style and they will deliver a hot fresh burger sans the bun, but wrapped in a fresh, cool lettuce leaf.
September 1, 2008 at 1:58 am
When I was a kid they doled out the ketchup sparingly so I compensated by dipping my fries in the Neopolitan milkshake…. 20 years later it is the only thing I will order from MC D’s the once a year I go there
September 1, 2008 at 2:40 am
Where I live, the Pizza Sub is on the menu. It is listed under the “Local Favourites” section. I order it every time I go to Subway or Quizno’s.
September 1, 2008 at 4:55 am
I’ll have to try “the old cut” and “the wing effect” next time from Subway, I always order with extra cheese…
September 1, 2008 at 7:12 am
I believe that if you order a large soft drink from Burger King, then you are entitled to free refills. Don’t tell anyone else, though, for it’s a secret so secret that Burger King don’t want anyone to know about it.
September 1, 2008 at 11:19 am
I used to work at Subway years ago and remember doing ‘the old cut’ for customers.
I would also make one batch of ‘Jalapeno Italian Herbs and Cheese bread’ after they officially discontinued it after a month or so. It was the same as the Herbs and Cheese but with 8 jalapeno’s cooked in under the cheese.
September 1, 2008 at 11:22 am
In regards to the Red Eye at Starbucks, it’s also known by “A Shot in the Dark.”
September 1, 2008 at 11:24 am
When I worked @ Subway back in 96′ I experimented with the said Pizza Sub. My boss got pissed cause I was using the dough sticks wastefully in my attempts. It became to involved to be practical.
September 1, 2008 at 11:24 am
Most fast food joints around here have drink dispensers in the dining area and only fill cups for you if you purchase through the drive-thru. Makes no sense to get anything larger then a small if your eatting in. Even better would be getting a 32oz ice-tea for $1 and using that cup.
September 1, 2008 at 11:25 am
At Starbucks it is all about the dopio (2 shots of espresso) over ice. You add the milk yourself and get a ice latte for $1.90 instead of straight off the menu for $4++ ;)
September 1, 2008 at 11:25 am
there is also an all american at mcdonalds.
its just a burger with pickles and ketchup.
thats all my gf gets from McAwesome.
-Keegan-
September 1, 2008 at 11:28 am
The Big MacChicken is a Big Mac with McChicken patties replacing the bun. I have yet to find a McDonald’s that will decline this request.
September 1, 2008 at 11:29 am
I am too scared to go into my local fast-food places and ask for anything ‘off the menu’ however I do like the sound of a Neapolitan milkshake though.
I remember when my neighbour was younger he wasn’t a great fan of burgers from McDs and instead used to order a toasted bun which they used to put through as a 99p ice cream.
September 1, 2008 at 11:32 am
I can say with certainty that I’ve seen the subway pizza sub. I used to make them! Not for me but for one specific customer that would come in and request it. We even had a special button on our register for him.
Also, I worked at McDonalds and it was fun to make food concoctions. Best thing by far is the poor-mans-bigmac. You order a double cheeseburger with “mac-sauce” and lettuce (lettuce is free! tomatoes are not, but you don’t put tomatoes on it anyway) and you can ask for diced onions if you like. The ONLY difference between the 3$ sandwich and this $1 sandwich is the sesame seed bun!
September 1, 2008 at 11:35 am
Actually they SELL the big mac with quarter pounder patties up here in Alaska, it’s called the Mc Kinley Mac, it’s like a dollar or two more expensive than the regular one.
However, everytime I’ve tried to eat it, I’ve almost thrown up…
September 1, 2008 at 11:37 am
In Japan batter bits (or ten-kasu – Tempura dregs) are an ingredient used in other things – typically okonomiyaki (Japanese omelette). And they say it’s a healthy diet!
September 1, 2008 at 11:39 am
I just barfed reading that article- was that the idea?
September 1, 2008 at 11:40 am
No one mentioned Tacos at Burger King…
September 1, 2008 at 11:41 am
I ordered a macaroni and cheese burrito from a Taco Bell/KFC restaurant once. It was practical and tasty.
September 1, 2008 at 11:41 am
Here in the UK (Northern England at least) we call Batter Bits ‘Scraps’ – they’re so nice and complement the meal perfectly :)
I’ll be sure to persuade the McDonalds staff to make me one of those 1/2lb Macs too! (wasn’t it an official menu item once, called the Mega Mac?)
September 1, 2008 at 11:42 am
@ Tracy
Actually starbucks can’t make the chantico. They don’t actually have the ingredients for it any more.
September 1, 2008 at 11:44 am
I had a stint at Jamba Juice and they have a couple of interesting drinks off the menu.
Try Strawberry Shortcake
Red or White Gummi Bear
Pink Starburst
Raspberry Rainbow
and a couple of others. Just don’t ask the cashier directly about the menu. We have orders to deny the secret menu’s existence. :-)
September 1, 2008 at 11:44 am
McDonalds french fries with no salt are much better. You can request them both with no salt and extra hot
September 1, 2008 at 11:44 am
The Red Eye from Starbucks is essentially just a Depth Charge (never heard of it called a Red Eye) from any other coffee joint. And at most any other coffee shop its on the menu usually grab them from Caribou.
September 1, 2008 at 11:45 am
Taco Bell has a “green” burrito, which is really spicy and good.
September 1, 2008 at 11:47 am
Pizza subs are a standard, on-menu item here in Canada.
September 1, 2008 at 11:48 am
Another favorite secret item at In-n-Out is the Flying Dutchman. This one will really get an older associate excited to make your order too as it’s a rare order. It’s a cheese and grilled onion sandwich with the burger patties for the “bread”. They serve it in the paper sleave no lettuce, no bun. Old School baby…
You mentioned Animal Fries, for those not ready for that kind of action you can get just cheese fries.
I used to love the old cut with Subway and never understood why they stopped as it made their sandwiches stand out. If you get a meatball or other messy sub like the teriaki chicken the old cut is a must.
September 1, 2008 at 11:50 am
The “Batter Bits” as you call them are actually (or were) quite common in Yorkshire, UK.
Commonly called “Scraps”, you’d have a bag of these for free, usually a single scoop thrown into a greaseproof bag and ate on the way home from school. If you were lucky, you’d sometimes get the tail end of a fish!
Not so common now unfortunately, but were a daily occurance back in the late 70’s and early 80’s if you wanted a quick nibble while walking home.
September 1, 2008 at 11:51 am
Try order Pepsi without the water at Burger King. It’s the sirup which is mixed with water at the location. Had a friend who would only drink this sirup. “Pepsi but hold the water”. He also went only to Burger King, Coca Cola sirup was just not the same he claimed.
September 1, 2008 at 11:52 am
IN-N-OUT also does animal style fries!
September 1, 2008 at 11:54 am
Starbucks also has a double expresso shot called an Undertow. It usually run around $2.30-2.50. Also some McDonalds that have the automated order machine you can order a Double Big Mac.
September 1, 2008 at 11:55 am
An even better Subway secret item would be the Subway Quesadilla. It involves the Subway Wrap (which was not long ago switched to the equivalent of a tortilla shell) then load chicken/steak along with shredded cheese and all the veggies you want onto one side, then fold the tortilla in half. Then pop the whole thing in the toaster for a melty inside and crisp outside. Add or dip into chipotle sauce for the extra mexican flare.
September 1, 2008 at 11:58 am
My friends who used to work at Arby’s made Big Montanas way before they were ever a menu item.
Apparently, if you can catch the eye of the guy making your sandwich, the universal sign for “hook me up with some extra roast beef” is to put your hands about a foot apart, like this: | | then move them together like you’re squishing a giant sandwich.
September 1, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Long John Silvers: Ask for an order of ‘crumbs.’ Those are the batter bits, and every LJS I’ve been to calls ‘em by the same name, though they’re not on the menu.
September 1, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Where I live the pizza sub is on the Local Favorites menu as well.
I grew up in a city that had no White Castle. We could go into McDonalds and get a cheeseburger or hamburger with grilled onions, steamed bun plus pickles and get a nearly “slider” substitute. Mac sauce in a cup is a standard with the McDonalds here. Some stores charge you a little, others don’t.
Also, the batter bits at fish places around here you can ask for “extra crunchies” to get.
September 1, 2008 at 12:13 pm
pizza sub is quite common in subway franchises in mexico
September 1, 2008 at 12:16 pm
McDonald’s has a few other hidden little treasures.
Root Beer Floats (most employees don’t even know this, but it’s in some systems!)
Plain biscuits
Plain griddle cakes
Sandwiches WITHOUT the bun
You can get side dishes of pretty much ANYTHING, like:
Sausage, Meat patties, Chicken patties, eggs (scrambled, folded, or round), condiments, bacon, canadian bacon…just to name a few.
There’s also been the occassional still frozen products for take home travel, like hotcakes and cinnamon rolls.
Also, Cinnamon rolls and hotcakes (just regular, no sausage or eggs) are available ALL DAY, because they just need to be heated up and they can be served.
I worked there a while. I’m pretty lame like that.
September 1, 2008 at 12:17 pm
I forgot Taco Bell. There was an old favorite called the Chilito. You can still order it, and some stores have put it back on the menu under the name “Chili cheese burrito”. Also, if you find one that will try things for you, get a tortilla and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture they put on the twists, roll it up and steam the crap out of it till the sugar is good and melted. It makes a nice little cinnamon roll.
September 1, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Here’s another Starbucks treat:
The Marble Mocha Macchiato. It’s a mocha with a layer of white, milk, and dark chocolate syrups. The flavor changes as you drink it! It’s delicious and every starbucks I’ve asked for it at has made it though it’s not on the menu.
The marking they put on the cup is “MMM” for “Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yum!” ;)
September 1, 2008 at 12:18 pm
The best is folded egg at McDonalds. Like a scrambled egg rather that a bite of white, a bite of white. Scrambled and folded and delicious on a breakfast sandwich.
September 1, 2008 at 12:19 pm
FYI, the “old cut” at Subway was called the “classic cut” internally – at least at the Subways around where I lived. They had signs up teaching employees how to do both cuts, so older employees could learn the old and newer employees would be able to do the classic cut if requested.
Unfortunately they no longer teach new employees about the classic cut, and every time I’ve had one try they always fuck it up and end up ruining the bread.
September 1, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Tia, you reminded me of 2 more from McD’s.
Where I live they don’t have root beer, but you can get coke floats and sprite floats…sprite floats are really good.
Also, the orange drink you can buy a gallon of the syrup for a reasonable price and make it at home. I love that stuff.
September 1, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Also, Chicken Nuggests with pickles and cheese were a personal favorite of mine. :D
September 1, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Not sure what you mean the pizza sub. There use to be a menu item called the pizza sub back in the early 90’s. It was basically just pepperoni with meatball marinara sauce. From your description though I think you mean how the bread is sliced. Again, back in the 1990’s and earlier that is the way Subway used to cut the bread. They would cut what was essentially a triangle wedge out of the top for the length of the loaf and fold all the sandwich ingredients into the the bread vs how the they just slice and pile now. It made for a much puffier and tastier sandwich.
May 14, 2009 at 8:41 pm
the way bread is cut has no bearing on how it tastes,… whally. the classic cut sucked, you couldn’t pile as much shit in them.
June 10, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I liked the old cut much better, mainly because the toppings were actually on top.
September 1, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Great post! I knew about In-and-out burger, but not about the rest. I don’t eat fast food as much as a used to out of a fear of cardiac arrest in my middle age, but I can just imagine the tastes of some of those gems. Quarter-Pounder Big Mac? Come on, who doesn’t want one of those. Or the Big Mac Sauce for fries. Anyway, thanks for the great post. Keep up the good work and I hope you’ll visit our site for your political fix of the day. Have a great day.
Jerame Clough
-Next Gen Politics
September 1, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Also, Jamba Juice has a huge selection of secret items.
My favourite is Strawberry Shortcake, but there are also some like White Gummy Bear :]
September 1, 2008 at 12:34 pm
My 9-year old son is an “off menu” professional! His favourite is Subway…honey oat bread, chicken teriyaki strips, bacon and white cheddar toasted with a squeeze of mayo…done!
September 1, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Gummi Bear from Jamba Juice is awesome!!! (not the healthiest choice as it contains 3 diff scoops of ice cream)
September 1, 2008 at 12:42 pm
In Japan they have “short” on the menu for all drinks :(
http://www.starbucks.co.jp/beverage/espresso.html
Also an extra expresso shot is 50yen (~50c). I usually have a Triple Grande Caramel Macchiato when its going to be a long day…
http://www.starbucks.co.jp/customize/index.html
September 1, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I work at Starbucks. If you know what kinds of syrups and such back there, you can mix and math into interesting things. If they’re selling Vivanno’s, try asking for a Blended Orange Mango Lemonade.
Also, Coffee + 3 shots of espresso is a Green Eye, at least at my store
September 1, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I have seen the pizza sub I used to order and once upon a time it was on the menu.
Also when I worked at pizza hut we made Cinnamon Rolls out of cinnamon stick ingredients, but good luck trying to order them.
September 1, 2008 at 12:46 pm
One of my favorites is the quesadilla from Chipotle. Use the hot sauce and a a little guac, it’s the best.
September 1, 2008 at 12:46 pm
A secret one up here in Canada at Tim Hortons is ordering the “Breakfast Sandwich” on a bagel instead of the tea biscuit bun. Makes the sandwich quite hefty! Also I know a lot of people who order their Ice Caps with chocolate milk instead of coffee.
Mmmm.
September 1, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Lol I guess I should have excepted the pizza sub to be a rare gem when I went another state and they had no clue how to make it. I just figured that people from Oregon were retards for putting chicken on there pizza subs.
September 1, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Really, I miss the days when everybody had some kinda corporate mascot. Well, In & Out doesn’t need a corporate mascott.. imagine if they just had some kind of ravagingly, angry blood-thirsty Vampire as their mascott. That would be great, but you would automatically think they’d need to go forward with some kinda ‘animal’ mascot since that’s what they’re known for – animal style.
A vampire is still a great mascot.. we’ll have to wait until later this year, maybe around Halloween, if anybody is going to grab this un-used, iconic mascot as their choice.
I’m all for tastier sandwiches, so however subway cuts it – use some knife with embedded cheese power.. for example, in Final Fantasy, you can have a sword with “Ice” or “Fire” power, how about “Cheese”? It doesn’t have to be a large knife, only large enough to cut some bread..
September 1, 2008 at 12:53 pm
[...] it, not “Ordering from the secret menu”, but it’s cool to see someone write up something I’ve been doing for years. The other huge benefit to ordering something not on the menu, or [...]
September 1, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Don’t forget that ordering the “short cappuccino” from Starbucks is, in fact, the only way to get a true cappuccino from the phenomenon.
September 1, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Don’t forget the Barnyard from Wendy’s. Spicy chicken breast, ham, bacon, and beef with cheese between each layer.
September 1, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Good post, I was inspired and wrote a little more of my thoughts on the topic, but wanted to add that the best part of ordering off the menu at a place like McDonalds is that they have to make your food fresh and you won’t get the BigMac that’s been under the heat lamps for an hour. It’s not just fast food either, you can order from the “secret menu” at places like Applebees and TGIFridays too. Most places are so eager to please they’ll give you whatever artery siezing combo you can come up with from the ingredients on the menu.
September 1, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Mcdonalds Apple pie + IceCream code = YUM!
September 1, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Wendy’s “Chili Chips and Cheese” is exactly like it sounds and is delicious. Basically a scaled down taco salad or nachos, it was dropped from the $0.99 menu in the mid nineties to make room for nuggets, potatoes, etc. They still have it though (that’s what those bags of tortilla chips are for, that they no longer use for the taco salad). Get some hot chili sauce with it for super extra delicious fun time.
September 1, 2008 at 1:13 pm
At my Starbucks they call three shots in coffee a “JFK.”
If you’re a fan of the pumpkin spice latte, there’s a combination of white mocha, hazelnut and something else you can get that tastes exactly the same and can get all year ’round. Your barista can probably make it.
You can put anything in anything, there. Try a Banana-Strawberry Vivanno or a black-and-white hot chocolate if you don’t like coffee like me.
September 1, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Panera Bread has the Panera Club.
Lettuce, onion, tomato, mayo, mustard, combo meat, swiss cheese, bacon, & avocado on rye. yum.
September 1, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Interesting post
September 1, 2008 at 1:51 pm
you can get a 2 cheeseburger meal at mcdonalds, it used to be on the menu but no more. at least that’s what i thought, now it’s all i ever get!
September 1, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Well, while I despise fast food, the ordering off the menu is a great idea for real restaurants–especially Asian.
September 1, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Years ago I worked at KFC for three years. I was the “head” cook and thus got bored with the normal day to day stuff. Some of the things I came up with was donuts on the weekend mornings (Take a biscuit, warm it up, mix in some sugar, kneed into a donut shape. Drop in fryer and glaze (mixture of butter and sugar)). In addition, I used to make grilled chicken strips. Would use the tender roast seasoning they used to have and put them in with the tender roast chicken. There was also the mashpotatoe and chicken strip burrito topped with gravy. We even took it to the next level and deep fried it. The possibilities were endless! On a side note, we used to take the Styrofoam containers and put them in the top of the warming cabinets. In about 10 minutes they would shrink down to 100th their normal size. Would you like a small? :)
September 1, 2008 at 2:02 pm
One great thing about Taco Bell is that you can order pretty much anything that they have offered for a “limited time only” at any time. Even if it isn’t on the menu, because they design their menu around things they already have in the store, all they do is adjust the levels of inventory.
Like the cheesy gordita crunch.
September 1, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I used to work at a subway (pre-toasted days) Depending on the subway, these former “Subs of the Month” may be available:
Pizza sub: 10 slices pepperoni per 6 inches, marinara sauce down the middle, cheese on top, sprinkle w/ parmisan & oregano. If they order peppers, onions, or olives, put them under the cheese, then microwave for ~25 sec.
Taco Sub:
Cheese, Taco meat, crushed tortilla strips. top with veggies of choice, salsa & sour cream.
Ceaser Sub:
Grilled chicken, crushed croûtons, an ceaser dressing with your choice of veggies.
Also- the “old cut” was the “U-cut”: proper technique DID NOT result in a “V”. The “Hinge” cut worked well if you tipped the sub on the side while eating with the cut on top.
September 1, 2008 at 2:11 pm
when i first tried jamba juice, my buddy gave me an off the menu pink starburst and it was amazing
September 1, 2008 at 2:14 pm
In my city, fast-food experimenting is commonplace.
We don’t have a Wendy’s, but if you go to McDonald’s or BK and order “The Quad”, they know exactly what you’re talking about.
Our favorite fast-food place to experiment at is DQ. My brother got the idea to order plain toast there. We also combine Blizzard ingredients (the best one is Cookie Dough and Peanut Butter Cups).
September 1, 2008 at 2:17 pm
It’s not really off the menu, but most people don’t order the fajitas at Whataburger, although they are delicious. Order it with steak and it will typically be made fresh because fajitas are the only thing on Whataburger’s menu made with steak. Ask for cheese – but make sure you specify shredded cheese or they’ll throw on a slice of American and ruin the whole thing. This was originally suggested to me by a very pregnant Whataburger employee.
September 1, 2008 at 2:17 pm
You can also order a “dbl cheeseburger dressed as a big mac” (no ketchup and mustard if asked)
September 1, 2008 at 2:20 pm
At Del Taco I get the bun taco. Used to be on the menu years ago. Not listed now, but they’ll make it if you ask for it. Basically it’s taco fixin’s between 2 buns. Kind of expensive for a taco, though. I think it’s $2 or $3. Back in the 80’s Taco Bell used to have something similar, I think called the bellbeefer.
September 1, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I’m a manager at Domino’s Pizza and the team members (and I) are always making crazy off menu items. One perennial favorite is a pizza with chicken kickers cutup and used as a topping. We also will sometimes go to the supermarket down the street and pick up toppings we don’t carry. The weirdest things always come from the managers during really slow shifts though. I’ve made everything from a form of baklava (dough, stretched out as thin as possible and then folded with butter and honey between every layer) to caramelized pineapple (pineapple bits with cinnamon sugar, run through the oven a couple of times).
September 1, 2008 at 2:26 pm
If a Big Mac at Mcdonald’s is too much get a “Mini Mac” its a regular cheeseburger dressed as a Big Mac.
Also I used to get Ice cream cones there but with a shot of hot caramel in the bottom of the cone. No special name but it was yummy.
September 1, 2008 at 2:32 pm
At Taco Bell, ask for the Chicken Burrito sans wrap…you can get it in the Fries Supreme container, with rice, chicken, and veggies. I developed this when I used to work there a long time ago, and actually suggested it to a customer–who often used to come back for the same order!
September 1, 2008 at 2:36 pm
a guy I knew used to get a 911 burger from wendy’s. That’s right it had 9 patties. Pretty impressive
September 1, 2008 at 2:37 pm
And we wonder why there’s an obesity epidemic.
September 1, 2008 at 2:47 pm
The next step after a black eye at Starbucks is called a brown eye. That’s right, three shots in your brewed coffee.
September 1, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I used to live in California and at In N’ Out you can order just a plain Grilled Cheese (no onions). They will do just about anything you want because it is all made fresh right there.
I used to get the green sauce at Taco Bell if I couldn’t get to Del Taco for their green bean burritos, but here in Georgia I have tried to get the green sauce and they don’t even have it :(
My husband and my son have been dipping their McDonalds french fries in chocolate milk shakes for years.
September 1, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I work at a Wendy’s and I have seen Quintuple’s and Octuple’s (8 burgers) ordered on rare occasions.
September 1, 2008 at 3:38 pm
The extra shot in your coffee is called a Turbo Hot at Dunkin Donuts.
jay: Is the Barnyard at Wendy’s for real? That sounds fantastic!
Carzand: The Big MacChicken sounds delicious as well.
September 1, 2008 at 3:39 pm
The Burger King sauce is what Utahn’s call Fry Sauce. It’s basically a mix of ketchup and mayonnaise. The things I’ve learned since I’ve moved to this weird backwards state!
September 1, 2008 at 3:43 pm
When I worked at Poppa John’s I brought in eggs and made a breakfast pizza with eggs, sausage and other common omlette ingredients. If you work at Poppa Johns try throwing some eggs (pre-scrambled or mixed) and Italian Sausage on top of a thing of dough and send it through. That oven cooks eggs perfectly!
I also would make faux calzones sometimes by throwing one pizza on top of the other.
September 1, 2008 at 3:44 pm
[...] Juice] then this blog post will be your dream come true. With secrets from Starbucks to Wendys, 100 Awesome Things gives you the insiders scoop on what to order while you’re out in the [...]
September 1, 2008 at 3:44 pm
starbucks:
passion tea lemonade with half lemonade half apple juice, and for the tall 1 pump classic syrup, 1 pump melon/ grande 2 classic 2 melon/ venti 3 classic, 3 melon.
its the BEST, used to make these for friends all the time.
and a customer favorite:
strawberries n cream frap with a pump of mocha syrup and chocolate chips.
September 1, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Pizza sub at subway is standard up here in canada yes, but next time you order one ask for the chicken on top with extra cheese.
Chicken Pizzola or some such, most will do it, and it’s like chicken parmasan in a sub, great stuff.
September 1, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Up until a few years ago, our Wendy’s around here had hand-battered fried chicken. They started carrying it around 1990 when I was a manager. I had experimented with a spicy blend of the chicken using the standard breading mix and a small bit of the dry chili seasoning (hot stuff!). The blend I used pretty damned tasty. I tried to tell upper management (district managers et al) about it, but got in trouble for wasting product; such actions were for the test kitchens to create, based on consumer trends and demands (blah, blah, blah). Wendy’s stopped carrying the best chicken ever a few years ago.
One concoction that most employees still know about is the “suicide.” It’s a shot of Coke, Sprite, Orange and Mr. Pibb or Dr. Pepper. Keep alternating shots until the cup is full. That’s some sweet stuff.
Speaking of sweet, if Wendy’s still sells their big cookies (single serve 4″ cookie), ask for one out of the freezer. Or, order a Frosty and a cookie (warm it up) and crumble the cookie into the Frosty. They made me the fat guy I am today!
September 1, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I’m not sure if it’s all of Canada, or just Alberta, but all Subways have pizza subs on the menu…
September 1, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Make sure you order “Sparkle” spice mix with your Popeye’s Chicken and when at Wendys, get a ketchup packet and mic it with one of their chili packets for your fries for some spicy ketchup…
September 1, 2008 at 4:56 pm
[...] #949 Ordering off the menu at fast food restaurants Share and Enjoy: [...]
September 1, 2008 at 5:16 pm
I hardly ever order off-menu except at Chinese Restaurants. I order the the sweet and sour shrimp but instead of the sweet and sour sauce I ask for the sesame sauce (which I only ever see on the menu with chicken) and it’s delicious!!! Every Chinese restaurant I’ve been to where I asked has always done this for me.
September 1, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Yeh. I worked at Subway in ‘89 and ‘90. Love the old cut. The new cut is just so pedestrian!
September 1, 2008 at 5:37 pm
The U cut at Subway is the way to go. Unfortunately most “sandwich artists” these days look at you stoned and stupid if you try to explain it to them.
Robert, when I worked at Wendy’s we made the Barnyards a few times a week.
September 1, 2008 at 5:38 pm
My Mom orders the McDonald’s Big and Tasty “dressed like a Big Mac”. It’s basically a single patty 2-piece of bread Big Mac that’s also a buck or two cheaper.
September 1, 2008 at 5:45 pm
My cousins in Oregon said a friend at the Dutch Brothers coffee drive thru was mixing hot chocolate and eggnog and calling it nignog. Mmm… warm drinks with a side of racism.
September 1, 2008 at 6:18 pm
I work at a local Subway and the Pizza Sub is not on our menu. It only appears on menus under the Local Favourites when/if it becomes popular at the location.
Another secret sub is the Chicken Pizziola. On a footlong, its 8 pieces of pepperoni, topped with 5oz of chicken strips and coated with marinara sauce and cheese before being toasted. Really good stuff.
September 1, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I have always seen the Pizza Sub here in the south. Also my roomate in college once got the Pizza Sub with Balls. Guess what that is…
wait… hang on….
My wife just said something about ordering Chicken Livers at KFC. ouch!
September 1, 2008 at 6:26 pm
At Jack in the Box you can order Swiss style for a jumbo jack with cheese all it does is change the cheese from American to Swiss. Also you can order Seasoned fries with bacon potato wedge cheese setup on your fries if you don’t like the potato wedges.
September 1, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Dude, I love the three shake mixure in teh same cup. Awesome.
Just
http://www.useurl.us/17n
September 1, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I absolutely LOVE the three shake mix from Mickey Dee’s. Totally rocks my world! http://www.FireMe.To/udi
September 1, 2008 at 6:34 pm
The only sandwich I’ve ordered from Subway over the past nine years is the Pizza Sub. It used to be right on the regular menu, but it’s since been pushed off by recent additions.
These days, half of the Subway employees I talk to have never heard of or made the sandwich. It’s easy enough. I’ve always had mine on Italian bread with marinara (out of the meatball pan), extra provolone and pepperoni, toasted.
September 1, 2008 at 6:37 pm
What the hell is wrong with all of you?? There’s like 30 to 40 items on the average fast-food place menu, and most fast-food places are located within a close proximity to other fast-food places. So if you don’t see anything you like – GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! The last thing the underpaid, over-worked, most likely ex-con or recovering drug or alcohol addict behind the counter wants to do is play a role in your stupid game of trying to make yourself feel “cool” by being a dick and ordering something “special”. It’s goddamn McDonald’s for Christsakes… You are not unique. You are not special. Order something normal like everyone else. Why do you feel you’re so important as to justify inconveniencing everyone in the whole damn store with your inane requests?? I honestly wish I could punch all of you…especially the jackass who tried to “describe a u-cut at subway.” If I were behind you in line while you wasted everyone’s time with this bullshit, I’d have beaten you down and taken your lunch money.
September 1, 2008 at 6:42 pm
@ Angry Food Service Worker
At our Subway, while both the Pizza Sub and Chicken Pizziola are not on the menu, our staff are trained to know how to make it, and a button for it is located on our register. So, at least for my case, your argument is unjustified.
As for the “U-Cut”, you’re right, its an absolute pain in the ass, and when a customer orders is, i give them fewer veggies so I can actually close the thing. But guess what? Since Subway used to make their subs that way, our employees are still expected to be trained to know how. So, pain in the ass or not, the customer is in the right.
September 1, 2008 at 6:52 pm
When I used to work at McDonald’s we would put the frozen grilled chicken breast in the fryer before putting on our sandwich. Was the most delicious creation EVER! And not healthy at all.
September 1, 2008 at 6:59 pm
sounds like an extremely obese person wrote this shit
September 1, 2008 at 7:36 pm
I worked at Dairy Queen where they used to sell “Frozen hot chocolate.” It was the same price as a shake, only slightly larger and it was basically the same thing as a chocolate, caramel, or another non fruit flavored freeze… It was pretty much the best thing on the menu. Sugared ice water, ice cream and the flavoring mixed together topped with whip cream. It isn’t on the menu but at least the Dairy Queens in my area all know it if the person has worked there more than 6 months. Also, most things can be made cheaper if you know how to order them “correctly” such as ordering a hotdog add chili rather than a chili cheesedog without cheese.
September 1, 2008 at 7:38 pm
At McDonalds you can order a grilled cheese. It is just a bun with cheese. I think they put it on the grill to cook it.
September 1, 2008 at 7:54 pm
I only saw one mention above but Taco Bell in Canada has the Fries Supreme which the stores I’ve visited in the US do not have. Taco Bell stores that I have seen in the US don’t even have fries on the menu at all. Whats up with that?
Anyway, fries supreme is basically the guts of a taco supreme spread over fries. It’s the only reason worth going there if you ask me.
September 1, 2008 at 8:01 pm
I read the article from reddit and brought back some good times. I emailed this to the blogger and he suggested I post it here, so…
“Hi, I read your blog about stuff you can do at McDonalds, like ordering off-the-menu items. I’ve worked at McDonalds for two years now and frequently experiment with them all the time. Some can be quite complicated and some are just awesome (but take a while to make). In fact, experimenting with the food in ways not meant to is sort of a McDonalds tradition among us degenerate workers. I know in every store you find lazy workers with too much time on their hands can give you great results and new food ideas. Everything from deep-fried bacon to the perfect fountain drink combinations.
For instance, if you mix half vanilla shake and half orange juice (a little more vanilla than orange), you make a creamsickle shake. Pretty simple creation, but it definitely tastes great. Another great one was told to me by a former McDonalds worker who invented the “Big Flac”, which is a Big Mac with Filet patties. Apparently it’s really good, but I don’t eat fish so I wouldn’t know. Those creations may sound ho-hum, and that’s because they are. But here’s where things get interesting and really fun.
McQuesadillas are a great example. Take fajita chicken, about 7 or 8oz and place it evenly on top of a tortilla (which will be your base). Now put green pepper, tomatoes, onions, and lots of cheese (and any other toppings you may want), and put another tortilla on top. Set the oven to “apple pie” and leave it for a few minutes until the cheese is nice and melted. Take it out and serve for a nice crunchy and cheesy treat. If you want to give it more of a kick, try adding the Spicy Buffalo Snack Wrap sauce to it before or after putting it in the oven.
Deep fried grilled chicken has to be one of the greatest tasting chickens McDonalds has, but nobody would ever know because only a moron would deepfry something like that (unless they had the intention of breaking the fryer). But lo-and-behold, it works great. If you set the deepfryer to “junior chicken” then dunk the meat in the fryer, it comes up tasting like heaven.
But above all is the grand-daddy of McDonalds testing ass-holery, the McDonuts. First put on rubber gloves and take the middle of a big mac bun and squish it into a small ball, and dunk it into the deepfryer (preferrably not the filet deep fryer unless you want it tasting like fish). After it’s golden brown, go to the shake machine and cover it in the caramel intended for the sundaes. After the hot caramel hardens a tiny bit (not too much), then sprinkle sugar on top. They’re fantastic. You can subsequently make the donut tasting like several flavors, like chocolate (with the caramel topping), or raspberry. There’s usually promotional flavors too to try like cherry or blackberry from time to time. If you want even more fun, put the sundae topping on then replace the sugar coating with oreo crumble, kit-kat, peanuts, granola or smarties from the McFlurry toppings.
There’s a bunch more, but this should give you some fun stuff to work with. It’s not always easy to work at a McDonalds, but it can be fun if you see just what’s available to you.”
September 1, 2008 at 8:12 pm
The pizza sub is real. My brother gets it every time we eat at Subway. It’s made with marinara sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and optional veggies. It IS on the menu.
September 1, 2008 at 8:17 pm
There are several interesting and unusual things in the article and subsequent comments (we used to make various forms of taco pizzas at pizza hut – some are still on franchise menus) but none were as entertaining as Angry Food Service Worker. :)
September 1, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Most delicious McDonalds item:
Apple pie with breakfast icing.
September 1, 2008 at 9:28 pm
The pizza sub is actually on the menu at the Subway near my work under “local favorites.”
It’s pretty much fantastic. I don’t even get veggies on it. Bread, huge pepperonis, marinara, American cheese and parmesan.
September 1, 2008 at 10:01 pm
You can still get the discontinued Cheesarito at Taco Bell. It has Mexican Pizza sauce, two helpings of cheddar cheese and green onions, all nicely steamed and melted.
September 1, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Starbucks:
You can order a Captain Crunch that tastes exactly like the Berries and Cream Captain Crunch cereal.
Strawberries and creme frappuccino with toffee nut syrup and java chips!
September 1, 2008 at 10:21 pm
The Pizza Sub is on the menu at all the Subways in Canada, but there’s also a Chicken Pizzaiola sub, which is their “Chicken Parmesean” sub, or pizza sub +chicken. Damn good if you want the extra calories haha
September 1, 2008 at 10:36 pm
What a fun post!
The Subway here has an actual personal pizza on the menu (but not a pizza sub) and it’s one of the best pizzas around. I’ve never seen it on the menu at any other Subways.
I’m not a huge fan of Taco Bell, but my local one will make me a guacamole taco. Most of the time they know what I want when I order it, but sometimes I have to order it as a taco with no meat, but guacamole in place of the meat. It’s really pretty good.
Also, did you know McDs sells bags of ice? Not really an off the menu item, but it was surprising to me when I found out. :)
September 1, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Ah, so it was called a black eye.
When I used to work for a coffee house, that was what I would make for myself to keep me going. A combo of work, school and an insidious addiction to mah-jong kept my sleep time to about 2 hours a night.
As for off menu stuff, it would depend on what restaurant you’re at, right? I was with a guy in San Francisco when he ordered fried pig bung at a chinese place. I’m Chinese too and I’ve eaten some pretty out there stuff, but damn if that dish didn’t smell like they forgot to clean the chute out before frying it.
September 1, 2008 at 11:09 pm
I love pizza subs from Subway! I, too, order them almost everytime I go there. :O)
May 14, 2009 at 8:47 pm
here’s one for ya, at subway order the hot chicken sub ask them to put the meatball sauce on it and then cheese, kind of like a chicken parmigiana, they’re wicked, i call it a pepino…
September 1, 2008 at 11:11 pm
I used to work at a Max & Erma’s, and one of the really popular off-menu treats was simply taking the Black Bean Roll-ups (one of the “healthy” menu items) and having ‘em deep fry it. SOOOOO good.
September 1, 2008 at 11:20 pm
here in victoria the pizza sub is on all the menus, i was surprised that it’s not a staple everywhere else!
i used to work at subway, it was actually one of our more commonly requested sandwiches
September 1, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Some friends of mine would get a jr. double bacon cheeseburger from Wendy’s on Frescata buns. Depending on who your cashier was they would either hook you up or stare at you blindly.
Unfortunately the Frescata sandwhiches are now discontinued.
September 1, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Hardies used to have a veggieburger off menu, you had to ask for it, and maybe only the shift manager might know about it.
September 1, 2008 at 11:45 pm
What? No McRib mods? No Big MacRib?
September 1, 2008 at 11:48 pm
A great beverage to order at Dunkin’ Donuts is a Creamsicle Coolata. Its just the orange and vanilla coolata’s mixed.
September 1, 2008 at 11:52 pm
The 2 cheeseburger meal from McDonalds and only under extreme stoned or desperate cirumstances!!!
http://andthisismyamerica.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/first-thing-these-girls-thought-of-when-they-bought-that-laptop-and-signed-up-for-myspace/
September 1, 2008 at 11:53 pm
My bf gets this at the local Dunkin’ Donuts: bacon/egg/cheese between two jelly donuts. Oy.
September 2, 2008 at 12:57 am
@ Angry Food Service Worker
I work customer service in retail, and I’ll admit I’ve never worked fast food, but I have had my fair share of Idiot customers, and I have to say, IT’S YOUR JOB. If you don’t like it quit, if you don’t want to quit, stop your complaining. I don’t like people who think their special and different from all the other customers either, but I at least keep my mouth shut because I’m being paid to deal with them, so take your entitlement attitude somewhere else, no one wants to hear it.
also, like a lot of posts, we also have the Pizza Sub where I live. Also, Arby’s has taken the chicken Cordon blu off the menu, but they’ll still make it if you ask, at least everywhere I’ve been.
September 2, 2008 at 2:24 am
[...] Source [1000 Awesome Things] [...]
September 2, 2008 at 2:35 am
Starbucks has Chantico which is super rich hot chocolate – almost melted chocolate.
Also, the double chocolate chip blended creme which isn’t always on the menu. “Peppermint hot chocolate” and “caramel apple cider” is also good.
September 2, 2008 at 2:36 am
McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chickens, Dunkin’ Donuts, Pizza Hut, We are from Indonesia, like to have same break fast on that place… So far there is no problem…all is good !!! Let see some handicrafts from our town in my blog :
http://www.mylistcraft.wordpress.com
September 2, 2008 at 3:12 am
Black eye, brown eye, brown star, whatever. Here in Seattle a drip coffee with ’spro shots is called “shot in the dark.” JFK is pretty damn funny, tho.
September 2, 2008 at 5:12 am
My favorite:
Arbys has the awesome “Beef n’ Cheddar” and the much cheaper “Arby’s Melt”, but the melt is dry without the sauce that comes with the beef n’ cheddar. Order an Arby’s Melt with a side of “Arby’s sauce” to complete this tasty sandwich.
September 2, 2008 at 5:17 am
fark off 8itch
September 2, 2008 at 6:18 am
“Gimme eat”
- Catch 22
September 2, 2008 at 6:29 am
I worked at a Pizza Hut restaurant in Australia and among the many things we invented were:
A bowl of bolognaise sauce on top of creamy pasta salad.
Turkey pizza with no cheese, extra chilli and jalapenos.
Creaming Soda (red drink) with pepsi.
I also have a lot of friends that dip Maccas fries in the sundaes.
September 2, 2008 at 6:39 am
Here in the North East UK, batter bits are practically compulsory when you get anything at the fish shop, they’ll ask if you want ‘batter’ on it. We often ask for a bag of batter and sprinkle it as and where when we get home.
Starbucks here offer the ’short’ cup too, and it’s ideal and cheap…
September 2, 2008 at 7:21 am
You can’t get it unless you know someone, but pizza hut has the ability to make a chocolate pizza. It’s delicious. Also, they have pan style dessert pizzas upon request.
September 2, 2008 at 8:01 am
[...] Digg there is an article about these secret menu’s at fast food restaurants. Like the Napolitean [...]
September 2, 2008 at 8:04 am
I always order the Charamel Sundae, a sundae ice cream with chocolate and caramel sauce and the vegetarian burger I always order asswell, that isn’t on the menu too. I think you can order a lot of expired limited products :)
September 2, 2008 at 8:05 am
http://uselessbrain.com/2008/09/02/mac-donalds-secret-menu/
September 2, 2008 at 10:57 am
The pizza sub was taken off the menu at Subway when they started the whole Jared ad campaign. You can’t brag about having X amount of items on your menu that have less than 6 grams of fat in them when you have a pizza sub. Just ask for it instead.
Dairy Queen had a Peanut Butter Blizzard that is no longer on the menu. I sometimes try to order it and explain to them what’s in it but they hardly ever get it right.
Peanut butter cups, Peanut Butter Sauce, and Cone dip.
September 2, 2008 at 11:02 am
[...] was reading the post about ordering off the menu at fast food restaurants over at the 1000 Awesome Things blog and was thrilled to see that they had included [...]
September 2, 2008 at 11:08 am
I get a Black Eye from Starbucks every morning. 3 shots is called a ‘Bloody Eye’ by the way.
What should also be added to this list is the McSurf & Turf. This entails ordering a quarter pounder and filet of fish and putting the fish patty in the quarter pounder.
http://foodfightblog.blogspot.com/
September 2, 2008 at 11:22 am
Any vegetarian fast food suggestions?
:)
September 2, 2008 at 12:49 pm
And to think I was ordering the Kids Happy Meal just to avoid the Big Mac all this time! Apparently I had a gazillion other awesome options…
September 2, 2008 at 1:17 pm
@ AnbroK
I have a vegetarian friend that frequents Taco Bell, and no matter what he orders, he always modifies his request with a simple “beans, no meat”. Cheesy Gordita Crunch- beans, no meat. Crunchwrap Supreme- beans, no meat. Mexi-Melt- beans, no meat. Double Decker Taco- beans, no meat. Just because you don’t eat meat doesn’t mean that you should be stuck eating boring bean burritos when you only have time for fast food.
But, the order isn’t always filled as requested and he ends up with a mouthful of moo, and has to go back and explain the error, which they apologetically replace, and then he usually gets his food free and/or coupons for his next meal.
September 2, 2008 at 1:17 pm
AnbroK: yea… don’t eat fast food.
September 2, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Didn’t see if anyone suggested this but try a “surf and turf delux at McDonalds. Take a fish patty and put it on a QP.
September 2, 2008 at 4:16 pm
You can order extra grilled chicken breasts for salads at mcdonalds. Chicken nuggets with cheese kicks butt too.
September 2, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I just tried the trick of replacing the big mac paddies with those found in the quarter pounder.
Here are some pictures. Great idea, as long as you don’t mind paying almost 5 dollars for the sandwich alone! (They added 2 dollars for the extra patties, but still charge you for the original big Mac patties, .. even though you don’t’ get them!)
http://flickr.com/photos/nickskitch/sets/72157607079193469/
September 2, 2008 at 4:23 pm
As a McDonald’s employee who loves experimenting myself, I’d just like to say that I don’t mind if you order off-menu. In fact, I love hearing the different combinations you come up with, and I’ve starting using some of them myself. This isn’t as big a deal as some other things, but in Ontario at least the chicken salads come with a lot of lettuce. Most people don’t know, but you can order the smaller side salad, and add cheese for 50 cents, and a grilled or crispy chicken patty for $2. This saves money if, like most people, you don’t eat the whole salad anyways.
September 2, 2008 at 8:00 pm
[...] #949 Ordering off the menu at fast food restaurants Ever had a neopol [...]
September 2, 2008 at 10:26 pm
I worked at a Pizza Hut with a salad bar during college and we always made veggie pizzas with all of the veggies and sunflower seeds with ranch dressing instead of sauce. Sounds crazy but I made it for my wife years later and now we have to make it at least once a year.
September 3, 2008 at 1:10 am
yummm… off-the menu foods sounds awesome indeed, i’m salivating already *drools*
it’s a shame we don’t have such things at the fastfood restaurants here in Malaysia.
… or maybe we do, just that no one knows it? *shrugs*
September 3, 2008 at 9:07 am
Taco Bell was the shit before the ecoli nonsense…
http://andthisismyamerica.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/primetime-folks/
September 3, 2008 at 6:06 pm
We used to use the power sprayer at Arbys and spray off the breading of chicken breasts. Then marinade in Italian salad dressing. Also marinated chicken in orange juice. Serve with extra blueberries from the muffins. Oh yeah baby.
September 4, 2008 at 9:41 am
I’ve gotten every Dunkin’ in Hoboken, NJ to make this… you just need to pay for the donut up front so they don’t feel bad about screwing it up… Sausage, Egg & Cheese on a Boston Creme Donut. The creme actually splits right in half. No mess. Salt and sweet, meat and chocolate. Delish. We’ve been doing it for about 5 years… longer than those stupid krispy kreme donut burgers which you can’t even order at the store.
September 4, 2008 at 2:39 pm
this is awesome. i hate how wendys doesn’t have the texas menu everywhere. same with dq. i know they have stuff that is basically the same but a texas double cheeseburger sounds better than something junior. I don’t know why they decided to make it so small when naming it texas though.
September 4, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Try taking crushed snickers like what you would put in a milk shake and wrap it in a tortilla, stick toothpicks in it to hold it together and deep fry it. Comes out like some kind of pastry crispy flaky with melted caramel and chocolate excellent with cinnamon butter. also Carl’s Jr has a Hawaiian teriyaki burger, much better with grilled chicken than beef.
September 5, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Dude, at In-N-Out, you can order such artery-clogging off-the-menu specials like a 3-by-3 (3 patties and 3 slices of cheese), 4-by-4, or even X-by-X!
Just make sure you chase that down with some fiber bars or something…
September 6, 2008 at 6:52 pm
How could I forget…the classic…White Castle!!!!
http://andthisismyamerica.com/2008/09/06/inside-the-psyche-of-the-college-freshman/
- this one is for my college brothers and sisters…
September 7, 2008 at 11:42 pm
God, I love White Castle. I’ve always wondered if there’s a secret menu to that, but I’m lobbying for it to be an awesome entry in itself.
It does, however, make me pine for In-N-Out. Living on Long Island, I have none. I have heard of its wonders, its animal style, and the rest of the secret menu, but I’ve never been there.
http://galileo908.blogspot.com
September 9, 2008 at 7:29 am
I keep hearing about In-N-Out but I live in the Bronx so I guess I would have to go to Cali to try it out = )
Hey guys I’d love to get our opinion on this post below…
I’m trying to get the true voice of the people….
thanks
http://andthisismyamerica.com/2008/09/08/lets-see-how-this-pastor-issue-plays-out/
September 9, 2008 at 1:58 pm
My husband brings his own bottle of hot sauce (Captain Redbeard’s brand, of course) where ever we go to eat. He can never be sure they will have one hot enough for him. And they general don’t! He puts hot sauce on everything. I sweat just watching him eat!
September 9, 2008 at 4:47 pm
[...] Continue Reading… [...]
September 9, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Hot Sauce on scrambled eggs and cheese on a roll is amazing…
hilarious…
http://andthisismyamerica.com/2008/09/09/natalie-dylan-is-a-pioneer-and-a-real-woman-i-can-believe-in/
September 12, 2008 at 10:04 pm
@science: i live in hoboken, and am amazed by your idea! im going for an egg and cheese on a boston creme tomorrow!
i’m a vegetarian, and before burger king started making real veggie burgers, i would order a “veggie whopper” which was a whopper without the meat. There was even a button for it on the register. Throw some onion rings on that baby and you’re in fast food heaven…
now if only they would actually pay attention when i said extra pickles…
September 14, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Unfortunately Tracey, whether or not you can nab a Chantico at Starbucks isn’t up to rule-bending baristas at all. Stores simply don’t stock the product anymore. Chantico can’t be “made” with what we have behind the counter. :( -Ex-Barista
September 18, 2008 at 10:03 pm
[...] seed bun. September 18, 2008 2:39 PM Subscribe The Ghetto Big Mac Awesome thing #949: Ordering off the menu at fast food restaurants posted by carsonb (42 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite ima have a getto [...]
September 19, 2008 at 10:03 pm
I’m always interested in items that are already on the menu but only in certain regions. It’s too bad you can’t get poutine at fast food restaurants in the US, too bad. Fries, gravy and cheese… but a specific kind, white but not mozzarella?
On the East Coast/ Maritimes you can get a McLobster sandwich (ew) and same with Subway…(ew) and what’s up with this.. I heard that Subway’s costs like $30!?
September 21, 2008 at 4:10 am
You can also ask McDonald’s for a “double-cheeseburger dressed like a Big Mac”, which is basically a Big Mac without that awful middle slice of bread in there…tastes even better seeing as it’s a whole heck of a lot cheaper than a Big Mac.
September 22, 2008 at 12:19 am
As a former Burger King employee, my favorite was a BLT – order a whopper junior (or whopper) with no meat, add bacon. I made mine with extra onion and pickles – yum!
September 22, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I’ve worked at BK and Subway, and the Pizza sub is an actual item, it’s just pepperoni and marinara on bread, as for making pizza with the dough… yeah you could do it, but we’ve got real pizzas now.
There’s also the subway quesadilla where you use a wrap, cheese, chicken, onions, and green peppers then toast it.
At burger king they used to sell tacos, so that’s no secret item.
But I started a trend at the one I worked at where you make Navajo tacos or pizza, they’re both made by thawing frozen biscuit dough.
for the navajo tacos, you stretch the dough out, then fry it till it’s dark brown, then cover it in chili, onions, lettuce, diced tomato, and whatever else you want.
For the pizza, you stretch it out, put some italian chicken sauce (marinara) on it, then cheese, crumbled bacon, hamburger, breakfast ham, onions, tomatoes, sauted onions and or whatever else you like then bake it in the oven.
delicious
September 30, 2008 at 10:42 pm
I work at a Tim Hortons in Canada, and an off menu choice is making an Ice Cap without cream or milk, but asking for them to whip it with our whipped cream topping. Or be more creative with the whipped Cap and ask for it with brownie pieces, and chocoloate drizzle. Mmmmm…
Oh yeah, got an idea for a donut, as for it, you may get a baker that will make it then and there. At Christmas time we have a candy cane hot chocolate, but you can order it all the time. Try a toasted cinnimon bun. There a lots of things to try. Believe me, I’ve seen a lot of strange requests. I even had someone come in and ask for our used coffee grinds for the garden. We just filled a foundant bucket up and handed it over at no cost.
October 1, 2008 at 11:28 am
Where I come from, we call the batter bits or crumbs “cracklins.”
October 1, 2008 at 2:29 pm
damn this is making me so hungry right now
October 1, 2008 at 3:46 pm
If you go to Olive Garden, we can make a lot of old menu items that aren’t offered anymore; some might be slightly different, but generally the same. I.E: Sausage and Peppers Rustica, Chicken Vino Bianco, and the Mediterranean Shrimp Scampi can all be (pretty closely) recreated. We don’t, and won’t, have the chocolate lasagna back, so don’t ask. And as always, make sure you tip your server.
October 4, 2008 at 10:35 am
At the Local A&W, they make a “monster burger”. Its a Mozza burger with 7 Patties.
When I used to work at Pizza Hut, we sold sub sandwiches, one that was really good but not on the menu was the Meatball sub. It was different from the Subway one because of different meatball recipes.
Great ideas on here, My wife works at the local Mcky D’s so I think I’ll get her to make me the Big mac with Quarter Pattis, and try the neo shake….
October 4, 2008 at 5:41 pm
[...] Full article is here. [...]
October 8, 2008 at 11:55 pm
A big mac with quarter pounder patties is called the McKinely Mac, named after Mt. McKinely and can only be ordered off the menu in Alaska; just an interesting fact for you all.
October 9, 2008 at 2:15 pm
bah.. Brad beat me to it… I order a McKinely Mac at least once a week here in Anchorage, Alaska.
October 14, 2008 at 12:54 am
the best is a chicken quesadilla from taco bell with a side of the sauce that comes on it.
October 17, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I want some Jack in the Box off the menu suggestions. I love their spicy chicken sandwich with a side of Franks red hot dipping sauce… drench that sandwich with the sauce and THAT’S A SPICY CHICKEN SANDWICH… Also take the chicken strips and dip them in the Franks then the ranch… nothing better.
October 28, 2008 at 9:08 pm
For vegetarians -you can order any of the burgers at McD’s or BK w/o the burger. At McD’s order the big mac w/o the burger and put the fries in instead – mmm. The McD’s fries with the special sauce to dip in is awesome! At some BK’s you can even get a veggie burger. You can order the veggie burger instead of meat on any of the specialty burgers, plus they they don’t charge extra for extra pickles, tomatoes, etc. just cheese. If no veggie burgers available, order the whopper w/o meat and ask for extra stuff.
At taco bell try ordering rice instead of meat in any of the items. I recommend the crunchwrap supreme with rice instead of meat.
At subway, try the veggie sub w/cheese, the sweet onion sauce and mayo. (they also have veggie burgers)
October 30, 2008 at 3:17 am
I used to work at Sonic Drive In and we would come up with all sorts of concoctions that turned out rather tasty.
You know our ‘famous’ onion rings? Add cheese to those. They’re amazing. Oh, and dip in ranch.
We used to have this on the menu for Halloween but they eventually took it off. It’s called the Boo-Berry shake. Get a strawberry shake and add Blue Coconut flavoring too it. It tastes amazing. It’s the only shake I ever get there, and all the car hops look at me weird when they deliver it. It’s my favorite off menu item.
If you want a cheap (and smaller) sonic burger with mayo or mustard, order a junior burger dressed as a sonic burger. They should do it for you.
For drinks — root beer with grape flavoring. It tastes like purple skittles. Oh, and green apple with mellow yellow is ridiculously tasty.
One day we also got bored and made our own wrap. We put down a tortilla, fried chicken strips, ranch dressing, bacon, and extra cheese. We then put it in the warmer for a minute or so, and man was it good!
Oh the corn dogs dipped in honey mustard are good too!
October 31, 2008 at 10:04 am
when i worked at Subway i would add pizza sauce to chicken tikka, pepperoni, lots of cheese and bacon and have the mother of all pizza subs. it was fabulous. either that or just have a full meat extravaganza…all the meats! mmmmmm.
November 2, 2008 at 7:29 am
the subways where i live have pizza subs on the menu mmmmm….one of my favorites
November 3, 2008 at 4:54 am
Oh man! I’ve worked on different fast food places and I’ve come up with different recipes. When I was working on Burger King, I used to put BBQ sauce on the pattie before cooking it on the broiler… MMMm!
On Long John Silver’s I grab the jalapeños, open them up and put one of the cheese sticks inside, then dip them in the batter (the same one for the chicken and fish) and fry them for a few minutes, the result? a mini version of Chile Rellenos.
On Pizza Hut, I was more creative. I started eating P’Zones (calzones) way before they had it on the menu, I grab a personal pan pizza dough, stretched a little and put ingredients on one side only, then just closed the other half by putting it over the top (like a taco) made some holes so it won’t inflate in the oven and there you go. I also made a personal Stuffed crust pizza by stretching the personal and using a couple of the Mozzarella sticks that are using for the large stuffed crust, then I will put BBQ sauce, then 2 packets of crushed peppers, a layer of cheese, a layer of Pizza Mia cheese (it has 3 different types of cheese) and then the toppings. The crushed peppers add a kick to the pizza.
November 3, 2008 at 5:13 am
Have anyone ever noticed that if you order a hamburger on McDonald’s (On Drive Thru and on those ones with the little screen that shows what are you ordering), they ring it as a cheeseburger, no cheese?
November 3, 2008 at 9:12 pm
How come no one said anything about the Buffalo Chicken sub at Subway? They took it off the menu here, but you can still order it.
The best way to get it, is to get the chicken they use on the chicken and bacon sub and then add your cheese and what have you and ask for Buffalo sauce and then maybe some Ranch. I love it.
Then again, does Subway count as an “off the menu” place considering it’s a sub place so you could really put whatever you wanted on your sub and they’ll just charge you accordingly.
November 4, 2008 at 8:04 pm
i have always ordered the chili, chips, and cheese at Wendy’s…but i get it on fries. i am also familiar with the pizza sub at subway, it was my fave for years!
November 5, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Point of fact: A three-shot espresso dumped into a cup of house coffee is called a “JFK”.
November 5, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Stan Wingson’s comment was the funniest thing I’ve read in ages. I almost barfed from laughing so hard.
I used to work at Subway years ago (1990) and we’d grub on the frozen cookie dough balls used for making the cookies. So good. You prob can’t order those- unless you know someone working there.
McDonalds will do a sundae with half caramel and half fudge.
My fave DQ treat: Blizzard with cherry dip and Heath.
November 5, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Oooh- one more thing..I always rock the Cherry Limeade from Sonic (you can get it diet too) and bring home to add vodka.
The Powerade slushy at Sonic is also deeeelish with vodka. Try any drink and syrup combo with vodka! Too bad they don’t sell booze right there!
November 10, 2008 at 6:43 pm
You really want to wake up at starbucks or badass coffee, try a Blackwidow 6 shot of espresso in a 20 oz cup topped with coffee traditional drunk with out cream and sugar
November 12, 2008 at 3:38 pm
my friends who used to work at wendy’s used to make the “farm buster”… the spicy chicken burger with a beef patty added and bacon. it’s SO good. chicken beef and pork!
November 14, 2008 at 7:53 pm
This blog is Awesome!!!
November 19, 2008 at 1:33 am
I am not sure if it was already mentioned above but in my town McDonald’s serves a litte thing called a “McDizzle” which is a McChicken patty surrounded by two cheeseburger patties which are in turn surrounded by two buns. It is the most delicious concoction I have ever had the privilege to digest.
November 20, 2008 at 2:37 pm
For clarity, Subway’s “old cut” is technically named the “U-gouge.”
December 4, 2008 at 3:59 am
Cheesy Gordita Crunch From Taco Bell is the best fast food item in the world!!!
December 17, 2008 at 12:40 am
the Red Eye coffee drink is also known as a Shot in the Dark or a defibrillator.
a flavored au lait is a poor-mans latte and its just as delicious.
December 18, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I currently work at an A & W’s and we make what we call a Breakfast 2×4 or a Regular 2×4. The breakfast 2×4 is 6 Eggs, 6 sausage patties and 4 pieces of bacon. The regular is 12 beef patties, 12 pieces of bacon and 12 slices of cheese. Beware, as the regular will run you up 20$ while the breakfast will run you up near 15$.
December 27, 2008 at 2:26 am
Nice post. “Red eye” is actually commonplace coffee-shop slang for coffee with a shot (at least, they use it at my local independent shop, which is very much anti-Starbucks). I’ve also heard it called a “voodoo”.
December 30, 2008 at 1:49 am
My mouth is watering…too bad I live out in bumblefrick…I need something to eat! =D
December 31, 2008 at 4:44 am
working at Bennigan’s we used to have chips, or you could make your own plate cuz you could ask for plain shrimp skewers, salmon, chicken, 6oz steak, whatever, and add your own sides they had a 10 item list of sides….
also pastas can be transformed by changing the sauce or dressing… or adding shrimps etc…
for employees we would just ask ( & pay ) for chicken, about 1.50 ( w/discount) and “Steal” guacamole, tortillas, buns, sauce, dressing, or whatever to build a meal
also, heating a sweet bun from a salad, with butter was a great starter when working the morning shift. add a free capuccino to that! mmHmm
January 1, 2009 at 9:04 am
My mum used to ask for batter bits at the chippy. A gross idea if you ask me!
I once asked for extra extra pickle at McDonalds and they filled a mini cup for me and that was the best burger ever! I adore that zing they have!
At a pizza place I asked if I could have a trip to the salad bar to get beetroot to go with my ice cream. Sure they said, you can have it for free if we can watch you eat it! It was inspirationally good!
I must be a vinegar fiend!
January 23, 2009 at 11:03 pm
One surprisingly nice combanation, for the Australians out there, is Vegemite on pancakes. I thought it would be disgusting. It was surprisingly good. Puts you in mind of crumpets.
January 25, 2009 at 10:45 am
When I used to work at Subway, in about 2004-2006, we had the Pizza and the Chicken Pizziola subs. The Chicken Pizziola was actually REALLLLLY popular.
Whenever I go to Macca’s though, I love to order a hamburger, minus the patty with EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA x 20 pickles.
Its basically a whole lotta pickles with sauce and onions. DELICIOUS.
Ps. I don’t get the whole ‘classic cut’ thing everyones talking about though ? Maybe this was pre-2004 ? What exactly IS the ‘classic cut’ ?
February 1, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Batter bits are probably as good as the cookie crumbs when you bake them in the oven.
February 6, 2009 at 12:06 pm
My dad always gets the veggie burger at Wendy’s… which is, of course, a junior deluxe with no meat.
February 7, 2009 at 3:12 am
my dad would and still does order a malted at dairy queen, even though its not on the menu. its SUPER good.
February 7, 2009 at 3:14 am
ooh and i second the cheesy gordita crunch being the BEST thing in the world!!!! unless they don’t put in enough cheese between the pita and the hard shell and/or they burn it.. (That happened to me 2 days ago) :(
February 17, 2009 at 8:22 pm
OMG…when my friend worked at McD’s, we came up with a 6-meat patty, 7 cheese slice, 8 bacon slice burger of death. we called it the Ronald B, which was some crazy acronym that we made but i cant remember. he actually made this burger, too.
instant heart attacks. awesome!
February 20, 2009 at 3:19 am
Starbucks:
Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino, with 2 pumps of Toffee Nut=Captain Crunch (soooo good)~
White Mocha with Java Chips, Whipped Creme and Chocolate swirls on top=The Datamation
2 pumps White Mocha and 2 pumps of Mocha=Tuxedo
The short cup is NO SECRET!
There is a cup smaller thats used for samples but they are not sold.
February 26, 2009 at 4:39 am
Um, to the lady who thinks ice caps from Tim Hortons are made with coffee… Um, what one do you go to??? Don’t you think the coffee would make it melt??????????? There is NO coffee in ice caps. Sorry.
February 26, 2009 at 10:11 pm
jamba juice also has a secret menu. delicious! the best is white gummy bear.
March 20, 2009 at 9:11 am
also starbucks does drinks like marble mocha macciato which isnt on the menu- and some holiday drinks we have year round because we keep peppermint syrup year round.
March 30, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Starbucks will make anything they have the ingredients for. If the Bartista denies you what you want, ask for a manager. They’ll get you what you want.
March 30, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Oh totally.
March 30, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Just so you know- Chipotle DOES do quesidillas.
Also, you can ask for plain white rice (no cilantro, lime, or salt) . You can also get some items, such as chopped jalapenos, cilantro, or diced onions, or limes because they’re prepped fresh every day.
At some Denny’s they’ll still let you do a taco salad, and the flavor shots are free so don’t be afraid to mix up your coffee or water (if you’re really that cheap).
April 26, 2009 at 12:55 pm
There is also a morning mac at McD’s which is a Sausage mcmuffin in the style of a big mac i.e. two patty’s and extra english muffin slice and something like 4 slices of cheese…………. mmmmmmmm.
A cop fav
April 29, 2009 at 6:42 pm
After reading all the comments, I see one was missed. Go to Burger King and mix 50% vanilla soft serve shake with 50% Coke flavored Icee.
Representin’ the BK
May 4, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I love this blog!
Three shots of espresso in coffee is a Purple Eye. Tell it to the Starbucks employees, and they will always remember your drink! Another level of AWESOME!