Fast food chains tend to be pretty resilient against rising prices, but some items represent better value for money than others. We've scoured the menus to find the best bargains you can order at every major fast food chain. From the McDonald’s $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu to the secret dish you can order for under $5 at Pizza Hut, here's how to fill up for less.
Click or scroll on to find out how to get more bang (or burger) for your buck.
Prices often vary depending on location, so do check at individual restaurants.
Proving good things often do come in small packages, Arby’s has an impressive selection of sliders priced at $1.89 each (and just $1 during Happy Hour). We recommend going for the jalapeño roast beef, which features thinly sliced meat, Swiss cheese, and diced, fire-roasted jalapeños, all packed into a wonderfully soft slider bun. Other options include buffalo chicken and straight-up roast beef.
We love Southern chain Bojangles' all-day breakfast menu because it means you can eat brunch dishes at any hour. It’s also where some of its best-value items live. You can get a sausage biscuit for $2.39, a country ham biscuit for $3.29, or a Bo-Berry biscuit, shot through with blueberries and drizzled in sweet icing, for just $1.59.
Love the flame-grilled flavors of Burger King but find the prices a little steep? The Value Menu has plenty of tasty options, including the Rodeo Burger for $2.99 (a beef patty, barbecue sauce, and deep-fried onion rings, all in a toasted sesame bun). You can get a Crispy Chicken Jr. or a classic cheeseburger for the same price.
If your go-to fast food is fried chicken, chances are you’ve been to Chick-fil-A. In which case, you’ll have noticed there aren’t too many cheap eats on the menu here. If you’re looking for a bargain, the breakfast menu is your best bet. Here, you can get a chicken biscuit sandwich (pictured) for $3.55 and hash browns for just $1.55.
The Original ButterBurger – made with fresh beef and served in a lightly buttered, toasted bun – is what Midwestern chain Culver’s is famous for. It also happens to be the best deal on the menu, coming in at $3.99 at some US restaurants. You can add toppings including mustard, mayo, ketchup, pickles, lettuce, raw onions, and grilled onions at no extra cost.
Cheaper than the cheese curds, the cheeseburger, and the chain's Blizzard soft-serve ice creams, Dairy Queen’s hot dog costs $2.99. This classic consists of a beef wiener, ketchup, and mustard in a soft bun. If you’re extra hungry or want to share a snack, check out the 2 for $5 menu, which includes chili dogs, cheeseburgers, pretzel sticks, and fries.
Craving American-style Mexican fast food at bargain prices? Del Taco has you covered with its 20 Under $2 menu featuring tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, and cheesy nachos for the same price as a soft drink. Check out the simple but very tasty snack tacos (pictured) or the crispy chicken tacos, which feature a crispy chicken strip, shredded lettuce, Cheddar, and a choice of ranch, habanero, or chipotle sauce, all wrapped in a warm flour tortilla. You can also get fresh guacamole on top.
Although it’s most famous for its donuts, global coffee chain Dunkin' is becoming more and more recognized for its coffee and all-day breakfast menu, featuring wraps, grilled sandwiches, filled croissants, and bagels. The Wake-Up Wrap with egg and cheese will set you back around $3.40 at most locations. It’s small but just enough to satisfy hunger cravings. If you do want a little more, you can choose from extra fillings, like turkey sausage and bacon, for a few extra cents.
Many of us love the occasional Domino’s but it’s not always the most wallet-friendly option. If you can exercise enough willpower to not order a large pepperoni pizza, the Parmesan bread bites come in at 16 for $4.99 in some parts of the US. You'll have to pay extra for marinara or garlic dipping sauce, though.
Convenience store chain 7-Eleven sells more than sandwiches and Slurpees. You can get burgers, pizza, and tacos, too. The quarter-pound, all-beef Big Bite hot dog costs around $2.20, depending on location. You can customize it with sauces and condiments including ketchup, mustard, spicy mayo, relish, dill pickles, sauerkraut, diced onions, and nacho cheese.
Loved for its juicy, just-cooked burgers and crunchy, skin-on fries, Five Guys has something of a cult following. The cheapest deal is the vegetarian option. The veggie sandwich, with lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, mushrooms, and green peppers, all crammed in a soft, toasted sesame seed bun, is the cheapest option at around $5.30, depending on where you are. Here’s another secret: Five Guys' little fries are priced at around $4.99, and, despite the name, the portion is huge.
Southern and Midwestern chain Hardee’s has many tempting items on its menu, from charbroiled burgers to breakfast burritos. If you’re looking for something on the cheaper side, you should check out its 2 for $5 breakfast menu. Here, you can choose two items from a list of biscuits, cinnamon rolls, and our top pick, the fan favorite French toast dips – five French toast sticks sprinkled with powdered sugar and syrup.
Southwestern chain In-N-Out Burger is known for great-quality food at great-value prices. Oh, and a legendary secret menu. A regular hamburger, with a beef patty, fresh or grilled onions, lettuce, burger sauce, and tomatoes in a toasted bun, is around $3.15, depending on which branch you go to. Ask for it to be served 'animal style’ if you fancy a patty slathered in mustard before it's grilled. You'll get extra sauce and pickles, too.
Jack in the Box is famous for its epic two tacos for 99 cents deal. The two crunchy tacos come with melty American cheese, shredded lettuce, and taco sauce. What more could you want for such a low price? It's still one of the best fast food deals out there.
KFC is among the pricier fast food outlets, although it does have some bargains. Its cheapest sandwich is the Chicken Little, which costs around $2.89. It features a crispy chicken fillet, sliced pickles, and mayonnaise in a bun, and you can choose to have it prepared extra crispy, too. You can also grab a five-piece box of chicken nuggets for $3.49.
Known for its impossibly fluffy, light-as-air sweet treats, Krispy Kreme is hard to resist, but a full-sized donut will set you back around $2.50. To get the most bang for your buck, we say go for the pack of 10 Original Glazed Doughnut Holes for around $4. They’ll leave you immensely satisfied, and you might even have a few left over to share. Possibly...
The home of ‘hot-n-ready’ pizzas, Little Caesars has some cheap choices on its menu of side dishes. A portion of Stuffed Crazy Bread (garlic butter breadsticks filled with cheese and served with tomato sauce) costs around $3.99, depending on the location. If you’re looking for something more substantial, check out its lunch combo: four slices of Detroit-style deep-dish pizza and a drink for $5.99.
Finding a meal on a budget at McDonald’s is no problem. Its $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu, which includes the Sausage McMuffin, hash browns, Chicken McNuggets, and fries, has been running for nearly a decade. We reckon the best buy is the McChicken sandwich, pictured (though prices vary by location). The crispy chicken burger comes topped with shredded lettuce and mayo on a toasted bun.
Need a cheap bite while out and about? It’s easy to fill up for less at Chinese-inspired chain Panda Express. Its appetizers, such as cream cheese rangoons and chicken egg rolls, are around $2.50 each. We recommend the veggie spring rolls (pictured), which are beautifully crisp and packed full of delicious vegetables.
Papa John’s pizzas are well-loved but, if you want to save some cash, the best bargains are found among its side dishes. The cheapest option is a portion of Jalapeño Papa Bites. For around $6, you'll get eight hot, fresh dough rolls stuffed with cream cheese and jalapeños, served with ranch dipping sauce. There's a tasty chicken Parmesan version, too.
Maybe you didn’t even know Pizza Hut sold apple pies. The pizza empire is, of course, better known for its cheesy slices and salad bar than for its desserts. However, if you’re hungry and don’t have a lot of cash, do check out the sweet treats. You can get six mini deep-fried pies, packed with a warm, cinnamon-infused apple filling, for $4.99.
Surprisingly, the much-hyped chicken sandwich from fast food favorite Popeyes is one of its cheapest buys (excluding drinks and side dishes). It features a crispy fried chicken breast, pickles, and mayo or spicy Cajun sauce, served on a brioche bun, and costs $4.99. Or, for $3.99, you can get eight buttermilk chicken nuggets with two sauces.
Fried chicken chain Raising Cane’s keeps things simple with an ultra-short menu of meals based around its signature chicken fingers. The cheapest option (apart from the kids' meal) is the sandwich combo with three chicken fingers, Cane’s own sauce, salad, a toasted bun, crinkle-cut fries, and a fountain drink or tea, all for around $9.80, depending on where you live. The 3 Finger Combo, with Texas toast in place of the fries, is typically under $9.50.
Shake Shack may make some of the tastiest burgers you can buy, but they don’t come cheap. With a basic hamburger coming in at around $6.40 depending on where you visit, you’re better off sticking with the much more affordable hot dog, which costs $4.29 and is an underrated gem that’s wonderfully juicy and beefy. It makes sense, as the fast food franchise actually started out as a hot dog cart in New York City’s Madison Square Park back in 2004.
Retro fast food chain Sonic Drive-In isn’t loved only for its juicy burgers, customizable drinks, and carhops. It also offers great prices on its Everyday Deals menu. Here, you'll find a double cheeseburger, choice of breakfast burritos, and ice cream cones, for under $4 each. The menu also includes this epic grilled cheese sandwich, with American cheese melted between two hefty slices of crispy Texas toast.
It's hard to imagine a city or even a street corner without a Starbucks – and it's all too easy to spend more than planned. Luckily, there are some wallet-friendly options on the coffee giant’s menu. We recommend opting for a cup of Pike Place Roast filter coffee and a chocolate chip cookie. Depending on where you live, that should come in at around $5.
For lunch on the go, sandwich chain Subway often hits the spot with its freshly baked footlong subs stuffed with meat, salad, sauce, cheese, and pretty much anything else you'd like. If you’re looking for something under $5, it'll have to be one of the six-inch sandwiches. The hearty 6" Pizza Sub, with spicy pepperoni, cheese, and marinara sauce, comes in at around $4.99, depending on location.
Tex-Mex favorite Taco Bell has kept up the tradition of dollar menus. Its Cravings Value Menu was recently revamped and has 10 budget bites including tacos, burritos, and loaded beef nachos. The spicy potato soft taco, featuring seasoned potato, Cheddar, lettuce, and chipotle sauce, is a great snack for $1.29. Look out for the amazing value $5 Cravings Box (pictured), too. It’s limited edition but pops up pretty frequently and includes a Chalupa Supreme, Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, Crunchy Taco, Cinnamon Twists, and a soft drink.
There are many great deals to be had at Mexican-inspired Taco John’s. The Valuest Menu is where you’ll find its lowest-priced items, including loaded potatoes and a taco with chicken, bacon, and guacamole. The biggest bargain? The cheesy snack quesadilla, a warm tortilla filled with Cheddar, priced at just $1.
With its Biggie Deals menu featuring eight value sandwiches, it’s easy to dine for a great price at Wendy’s. The cheapest item on offer is the Jr. Hamburger, a small beef patty with mustard, ketchup, pickles, and onion slices, served on a bun. Prices vary, but it’s usually under $2 and you can add lettuce, tomatoes, and ranch sauce at no extra cost. We also love the Biggie Bag, which is a $5 meal deal that includes a sandwich, four chicken nuggets, small fries, and a small soft drink.
Texan favourite Whataburger doesn’t offer a value menu, but there are decent deals to be found day and night on its breakfast and dessert menus. Its hot apple pie, chocolate chunk cookie, and sugar cookie are priced at around $1 each. Hash brown sticks are a little more at $1.54, while a biscuit with bacon is just $1.99.
A historic American brand, White Castle has been in business for more than a century. The secret to its success? Its signature square, steam-grilled beef slider with a pickle slice. Prices vary but it's usually around $1. It’s such a great deal, people often buy them 'by the sack.'
There are some great bargains on this list that'll fill you up without breaking the bank. Our favorite, though, has got to be In-N-Out Burger's stacked, generous hamburger for around $3, especially if you order it 'animal style' for extra flavor at no additional cost. But if you're looking for a complete meal with a main, side, and drink, you can't go wrong with the Wendy's Biggie Bag for $5.
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Last updated by Natasha Lovell-Smith.