6 ms·

Secret menus: Fast food 'hacks' for in-the-know customers

18 points by schrofer 12y ago

mgkimsal 12y ago
Best 'hack' I know of at BK is to ask for the fries with 'no salt' - that means they have to cook up a fresh batch just for you. :)
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- barsonme 12y ago
  Definitely going to try this next time I go to BK... which is hardly ever. Does this work at McDonalds/Wendys too? If/when I eat fastfood, I usually go there.
  - joezydeco 12y ago
    It does work at McDonald's. You can pretty much request anything as "no salt" and they will have to cook it from scratch for you. Most of the burgers and fried objects are salted when removed from the grill/fryer before being placed into the holding cabinet. If you comb reddit you'll find previous discussions on this[1], but note that some crew members have mentioned that they premake "no salt" fries during rush periods, so you might actually be getting older fries than the ones being made continuously during that rush. Also don't try this in the drive-thru, especially late at night, where you can't really see what's being made. Sometimes you're getting fries just re-dunked in the shortening to wash off the salt. Or worse. [1] http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/s376a/my_uncle_orders_his_mcdonalds_fries_with_no_salt/ http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/s376a/my_uncle_or...
    - ytjohn 12y ago
      I will say that Wendys does not put burgers in any sort of holding pan. I know Burger King used to, not sure if they do any more. I've kept an eye on McDonalds and I'm pretty sure it all comes straight from the grill. But definitely this works for the fries - when the place is slow. If it's slow, the fries have probably been sitting. If it's busy, then all those fries probably came out within the last 5 minutes, if they're not actually behind.
      - joezydeco 12y ago
        Wendys uses a staging grill, a lower-temperature grill that holds the burgers at serving temperature for a set amount of time. Burgers not used in that time period are turned into chili. McDs uses heated holding cabinets that are also sealed to keep most of the product moisture in place. This was a change from the original system where burgers were fully assembled in the kitchen, wrapped, and held in an open-air heated cabinet for 10 minutes and then trashed if not served in that time.
    - ploxiln 12y ago
      I'm skeptical. I've been to McDonald's very few times in my life (never really my choice). The first time, I asked for a burger without ketchup, and it came with ketchup. I took it back, and they replaced it for free, with another burger with ketchup. That repeated again then I gave up. The next time, I asked for a chicken wrap thing, without the dressing/sauce. It came with sauce on it, but it was like 1 am and very slow and the cashier unusually considerate, and she noticed before it got to me, and manually supervised one being made without the sauce. The final time I ended up at McDonald's, I got a container of apple slices (with a side container of caramel which I could avoid using). So, uh, these are just my unlucky anecdotes. Perhaps as a result, I avoid all traditional fast food whenever possible. Chipotle and other non-traditional fast food are fine.
    - moonka 12y ago
      I've had luck just asked for fresh fries. They always either say it'll be a few minutes and I get it, or that they just made some fresh fries. It's rare that they say it was just made and they are stale, I'd say it happens about 10% of the time.
- gwillen 12y ago
  The last I heard about this 'hack' was a fast food employee claiming that it's stupid, because (1) the fries turn over so fast that they're basically just as fresh anyway, (2) you're stalling the line and creating headaches for everyone, and (3) the salt doesn't stick properly if you apply it yourself after the fries have cooled, so your fries will taste bad.
  - mgkimsal 12y ago
    if i really don't want salt (or want as little salt as possible), it's good. Unless you're going there right at 12:15 or so, almost every BK I've ever been in is generally slow most of the time. Airport and turnpike locations are exceptions. source: i used to work at bk.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
Implicated 12y ago
An article about fast food secret menus with no mention of the In-N-Out Animal Style burger? Blasphemy.
- dylz 12y ago
  i'm more confused about this: >Popular secret menu items: Burger King: The Rodeo Burger (a cheeseburger topped with onion rings and BBQ sauce) It's not secret at all, they are publicly advertised: http://mms.businesswire.com/media/20131230005187/en/397069/5/Rodeo_Burger_JPEG.jpg http://mms.businesswire.com/media/20131230005187/en/397069/5...
- error54 12y ago
  Last time I went they asked me if I wanted my burger animal style so I don't think it's really a hack. Now a quesarito is true hack.
- evanb 12y ago
  It's on BBC and In-N-Out is famously only in the western US. Why In-N-Out doesn't expand is the truly inexplicable thing.
  - MonkeyIsNull 12y ago
    I remember reading some pamphlet they had 20-some years ago about this, they had one (or two?) distribution centers for all their stores and wanted to keep the quality at a very high level. I assume they feel they can't expand and keep things the same. Then again, maybe the owners are just content with the way things have been going and see no reason to expand.
    - krisdol 12y ago
      I mean, they're in Dallas and Austin now. They're definitely expanding quite a bit.
  - peterwwillis 12y ago
    They don't freeze their ingredients so it all has to be super close by to remain fresh.
damian2000 12y ago
One of these dates back to 2006 ... http://consumerist.com/2010/06/10/meet-the-mcgangbang-the-chicken-sandwich-between-two-burgers/ http://consumerist.com/2010/06/10/meet-the-mcgangbang-the-ch...
ctdonath 12y ago
Starbucks: there's a "short" cup available. If "tall" is more than you actually want (remember, one standard serving of coffee is about 5 fl oz), ask for a "short". It's cheaper, about half the stores have the cups, and those that don't may offer you a "tall" at the "short" price.
brandonmenc 12y ago
No mention of the "broke Mac": McDouble plus Mac sauce. Pushes a two McDouble meal past the 1000-calorie mark. Used to be free, but they wised up and started charging thirty cents per. Not really a hack, I guess, but one of the best menu mods ever.
- tracker1 12y ago
  I used to get the "Big Cheeseburger" from Jack In The Box when it was $0.99 and before they charged for lettuce and tomato... was way cheaper than adding cheese to a Jumbo Jack.
ytjohn 12y ago
Here's the real secret: they'll make whatever you order. Want your Wendys fries placed in a potato boat with cheese sauce poured over them? Just ask. New employees may be confused or not sure how to ring it up, but most will know how to ring up individual items.
- Shish2k 12y ago
  > Here's the real secret: they'll make whatever you order. I'm shocked by how totally un-known this is. Reminds me of ordering pizza with one menu between 10 people; everybody wanted to have a look at the menu because they didn't know if their preferred combination of toppings was on the pre-set list... even when their preferred toppings was "pepperoni" x_x
callmeed 12y ago
The perfect In-n-Out meal: - Protein style double double (lettuce wrapped) - Well done fries - Root beer float

18 points by schrofer 12y ago

Best 'hack' I know of at BK is to ask for the fries with 'no salt' - that means they have to cook up a fresh batch just for you. :)

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
barsonme 12y ago
Definitely going to try this next time I go to BK... which is hardly ever. Does this work at McDonalds/Wendys too? If/when I eat fastfood, I usually go there.
- joezydeco 12y ago
  It does work at McDonald's. You can pretty much request anything as "no salt" and they will have to cook it from scratch for you. Most of the burgers and fried objects are salted when removed from the grill/fryer before being placed into the holding cabinet. If you comb reddit you'll find previous discussions on this[1], but note that some crew members have mentioned that they premake "no salt" fries during rush periods, so you might actually be getting older fries than the ones being made continuously during that rush. Also don't try this in the drive-thru, especially late at night, where you can't really see what's being made. Sometimes you're getting fries just re-dunked in the shortening to wash off the salt. Or worse. [1] http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/s376a/my_uncle_orders_his_mcdonalds_fries_with_no_salt/ http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/s376a/my_uncle_or...
  - ytjohn 12y ago
    I will say that Wendys does not put burgers in any sort of holding pan. I know Burger King used to, not sure if they do any more. I've kept an eye on McDonalds and I'm pretty sure it all comes straight from the grill. But definitely this works for the fries - when the place is slow. If it's slow, the fries have probably been sitting. If it's busy, then all those fries probably came out within the last 5 minutes, if they're not actually behind.
    - joezydeco 12y ago
      Wendys uses a staging grill, a lower-temperature grill that holds the burgers at serving temperature for a set amount of time. Burgers not used in that time period are turned into chili. McDs uses heated holding cabinets that are also sealed to keep most of the product moisture in place. This was a change from the original system where burgers were fully assembled in the kitchen, wrapped, and held in an open-air heated cabinet for 10 minutes and then trashed if not served in that time.
  - ploxiln 12y ago
    I'm skeptical. I've been to McDonald's very few times in my life (never really my choice). The first time, I asked for a burger without ketchup, and it came with ketchup. I took it back, and they replaced it for free, with another burger with ketchup. That repeated again then I gave up. The next time, I asked for a chicken wrap thing, without the dressing/sauce. It came with sauce on it, but it was like 1 am and very slow and the cashier unusually considerate, and she noticed before it got to me, and manually supervised one being made without the sauce. The final time I ended up at McDonald's, I got a container of apple slices (with a side container of caramel which I could avoid using). So, uh, these are just my unlucky anecdotes. Perhaps as a result, I avoid all traditional fast food whenever possible. Chipotle and other non-traditional fast food are fine.
  - moonka 12y ago
    I've had luck just asked for fresh fries. They always either say it'll be a few minutes and I get it, or that they just made some fresh fries. It's rare that they say it was just made and they are stale, I'd say it happens about 10% of the time.
gwillen 12y ago
The last I heard about this 'hack' was a fast food employee claiming that it's stupid, because (1) the fries turn over so fast that they're basically just as fresh anyway, (2) you're stalling the line and creating headaches for everyone, and (3) the salt doesn't stick properly if you apply it yourself after the fries have cooled, so your fries will taste bad.
- mgkimsal 12y ago
  if i really don't want salt (or want as little salt as possible), it's good. Unless you're going there right at 12:15 or so, almost every BK I've ever been in is generally slow most of the time. Airport and turnpike locations are exceptions. source: i used to work at bk.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

Implicated 12y ago

An article about fast food secret menus with no mention of the In-N-Out Animal Style burger? Blasphemy.

dylz 12y ago
i'm more confused about this: >Popular secret menu items: Burger King: The Rodeo Burger (a cheeseburger topped with onion rings and BBQ sauce) It's not secret at all, they are publicly advertised: http://mms.businesswire.com/media/20131230005187/en/397069/5/Rodeo_Burger_JPEG.jpg http://mms.businesswire.com/media/20131230005187/en/397069/5...
error54 12y ago
Last time I went they asked me if I wanted my burger animal style so I don't think it's really a hack. Now a quesarito is true hack.
evanb 12y ago
It's on BBC and In-N-Out is famously only in the western US. Why In-N-Out doesn't expand is the truly inexplicable thing.
- MonkeyIsNull 12y ago
  I remember reading some pamphlet they had 20-some years ago about this, they had one (or two?) distribution centers for all their stores and wanted to keep the quality at a very high level. I assume they feel they can't expand and keep things the same. Then again, maybe the owners are just content with the way things have been going and see no reason to expand.
  - krisdol 12y ago
    I mean, they're in Dallas and Austin now. They're definitely expanding quite a bit.
- peterwwillis 12y ago
  They don't freeze their ingredients so it all has to be super close by to remain fresh.

damian2000 12y ago

One of these dates back to 2006 ... http://consumerist.com/2010/06/10/meet-the-mcgangbang-the-chicken-sandwich-between-two-burgers/ http://consumerist.com/2010/06/10/meet-the-mcgangbang-the-ch...

ctdonath 12y ago

Starbucks: there's a "short" cup available. If "tall" is more than you actually want (remember, one standard serving of coffee is about 5 fl oz), ask for a "short". It's cheaper, about half the stores have the cups, and those that don't may offer you a "tall" at the "short" price.

brandonmenc 12y ago

No mention of the "broke Mac": McDouble plus Mac sauce. Pushes a two McDouble meal past the 1000-calorie mark. Used to be free, but they wised up and started charging thirty cents per. Not really a hack, I guess, but one of the best menu mods ever.

tracker1 12y ago
I used to get the "Big Cheeseburger" from Jack In The Box when it was $0.99 and before they charged for lettuce and tomato... was way cheaper than adding cheese to a Jumbo Jack.

ytjohn 12y ago

Here's the real secret: they'll make whatever you order. Want your Wendys fries placed in a potato boat with cheese sauce poured over them? Just ask. New employees may be confused or not sure how to ring it up, but most will know how to ring up individual items.

Shish2k 12y ago
> Here's the real secret: they'll make whatever you order. I'm shocked by how totally un-known this is. Reminds me of ordering pizza with one menu between 10 people; everybody wanted to have a look at the menu because they didn't know if their preferred combination of toppings was on the pre-set list... even when their preferred toppings was "pepperoni" x_x

callmeed 12y ago

The perfect In-n-Out meal: - Protein style double double (lettuce wrapped) - Well done fries - Root beer float