When considering fast-food options, the elusive “dollar menu” is at the front of everyone’s minds. It’s understandable; you can literally get a full meal, drinks and sides included, for less than $5 at fast-food chains all around the country.
Since Wendy’s launched their first dollar menu in 1989, fast-food chains have adopted dollar or value menus full of great deals and combos to entice their customers. Here are some of the most popular value menus in the United States:
- Wendy’s
- McDonald’s
- Burger King
- Taco Bell
- White Castle
- Del Taco
- Sonic
- Hardee’s
- Steak ‘n Shake
Knowing how to spend your money at these places usually isn’t hard, but we’ve still compiled a short guide for you down below. Continue reading to find out more about each of these places, and their dollar menus.
Wendy’s
Wendy’s pioneered the dollar menu in 1989. Obviously, it was a huge success, as other fast-food restaurants scrambled to create a menu that was equally attractive. Currently, Wendy’s Value Menu includes the 4 Piece Regular or Spicy Chicken Nuggets, the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, the Jr.
Cheeseburger, a small Frosty, and Natural-Cut Fries. Additionally, Wendy’s offers a 4 for $4 Meal, which contains fries, a drink, the 4 Piece Chicken Nuggets, and your choice of an entrée. The 4 for $4 is a great deal, as entrees at Wendy’s start at $4.
Wendy’s has additional menu items that are under $3 not located on the value menu and includes the Double Stack, 6 Piece Regular or Spicy Chicken Nuggets, a Chicken Go Wrap, or any of their sides.
Wendy’s also offers additional combo meals to feed the whole family like two Spicy Chickens, two Jr. Cheeseburgers, and four small orders of French fries for just $15.
Wendy’s also launched a loyalty program in 2020 to promote company growth and to encourage customers to return to Wendy’s.
Each dollar spent is worth 10 points, and you can start redeeming items at just 150 points. Redemptions are up to 700 points, in which you can redeem a Full-Size Salad or a Baconator.
McDonald’s
Nearly everyone is familiar with the Golden Arches and its Dollar Menu. While it has evolved since its official launch in 2002 (it was renamed $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu in 2018), it still features fan favorites, like the McDouble, McChicken, and Chicken McNuggets.
Since the launch of the all-day breakfast in October of 2015, McDonald’s Dollar Menu has expanded to include the Sausage Biscuit, Sausage McMuffin, Sausage McGriddles, and hashbrowns. Of course, the Dollar Menu would not be complete without beverages.
McDonald’s offers their specialty McCafé coffees, smoothies, and soft drinks on their dollar menu. As the new name suggests, all menu items are under $3.
Did you know that you can get a free order of medium fries from McDonald’s every Friday? Beginning March 31, 2022, you will receive a free order of fries after placing an order that is at least $1 through the McDonald’s app. Talk about a dollar menu steal!
Burger King
Burger King has been slow to the game when it comes to creating a value menu. However, Burger King offers a unique approach to a dollar menu by providing different offers and deals, including the 2 for $6, the 2 for $10, the $1 Your Way Menu, and the Wednesday Deal. However, Burger King still has a traditional value menu with items under $3.
The 2 for $6 and the 2 for $10 prove to be an incredible deal. With both of these combos, you can get two featured entrees, including the Italian Original Chicken Sandwich, the Whopper, the Impossible Whopper, the Big Fish, the Original Chicken Sandwich, or the 9 Piece Chicken Fries.
If you choose the $10 option, you will also get two orders of small fries and two small fountain drinks. For comparison, the Whopper starts at $4.99 and the Impossible Whopper starts at $6.19.
Not only this, but these combos accommodate a wide variety of diets, including vegan and pescatarian. These deals are only found at participating locations.
In 2018, Burger King announced their $1 Your Way menu, which featured the Rodeo Burger, Chicken Jr., fries, and a fountain drink for $1 each. Additionally, every Wednesday, a new deal appears in the Burger King app.
Burger King’s Value Menu is quite extensive, especially considering the other deals they have.
For less than $3 on the regular menu, you can order a Crispy Chicken, onion rings, chicken nuggets, soft-serve ice cream, soft drinks, or a cheeseburger (or a bacon cheeseburger… or a double cheeseburger… or a double bacon cheeseburger!).
Taco Bell
Taco Bell’s first dollar menu launched in 1990, with its menu items ranging from $0.59 to $0.99. Now named the New Cravings Value Menu, it features the Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito, the Spicy Potato Soft Taco, the ever-famous Cinnamon Twists, and a Cheesy Roll Up – each for $1.
For $2, you can order a Beefy Melt Burrito, the Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito, and the Fiesta Veggie Burrito. Finally, Taco Bell also offers a combo meal for $5, which includes a large fountain drink, a Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, a Crunch Taco, and chips with nacho cheese sauce.
The combo can be modified to fit your personal food preferences.
Even with Taco Bell’s New Cravings Value Menu, there are still several menu options for under $3, such as the Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco, The Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos Supreme, a variety of burritos, and a side of nachos.
Combo meals start at $5, cost no more than $8, and feature up to three tacos or burritos, a soft drink, and in some cases, a side of nachos. Taco Bell proves to be a fast-food restaurant that has incredible menu deals.
White Castle
White Castle’s menu will have you eating like a king. While there is not a dedicated value menu, nearly everything can be purchased at White Castle for less than $5. Sliders start at $0.99 and range up to $2.99. In fact, most of the sides cost more money than the sliders!
White Castle also offers combos that include your choice of sliders, an order of fries, and a soft drink. Most breakfast combos average around $5, while the Original Slider Combo costs $7.50.
If trying to save a few bucks when eating at White Castle, forgo the $2.09 for small fries and get another slider or two, instead!
Del Taco
Taco places always hit the spot, so it makes sense that another taco fast-food restaurant offers a value menu.
Under the 20 Under $2, Del Taco features menu items such as the Chicken Del Carbon Taco, the Crispy Chicken Taco, a Bean and Cheese Burrito, a Chicken Roller, the Crunchtada Tostada, the Snack Queso Quesadilla, and the 3 Layer Queso Nachos.
Finish your meal with 4 Donut Bites, also found on the 20 Under $2 menu. The remaining items on the menu include soft drinks, milkshakes, and teas.
Sonic
The iconic 50’s themed restaurant where food is delivered on roller skates is also unique with its deals. Sonic encourages customers to place orders online or on their app to receive special deals.
Sonic Cheeseburgers are half off on Tuesdays after 5 PM, drinks and slushies are half off all day, and through February 27, you can get a soft pretzel twist for $1 as a one-time offer.
If you choose to place an in-person order at Sonic, all drinks and slushies are half off from 2 PM until 4 PM as part of their Afternoon Happy Hour.
Going along with the theme of “deals,” Sonic’s value menu, formally known as Everyday Deals, features the Quarter Pound Double Cheeseburger, the Grilled Cheese Sandwich, a vanilla ice cream cone, and the Jr. Bacon (or Sausage), Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Burrito.
All of these items are less than $3, with the exception of the Quarter Pound Double Cheeseburger, which is priced at $3.29. While Sonic’s value menu is a little more expensive than its competitors, Sonic frequently offers incredible coupons through their app.
Hardee’s
Hardee’s scrapped the $1 Dollar Menu in favor of the $2, $3, More menu, which features the French Toast Dips, the Breakfast Platter with Sausage, and the Sausage Biscuit.
While limited, Hardee’s also offers $5 meal combos, which include an entrée of the 3 Piece Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders, the Big Cheeseburger, or the Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwich, a small soft drink, and a small order of fries.
Additionally, Carl’s Jr., which is owned by Hardee’s, offers two combos: the same 3 Piece Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders as Hardee’s and a Double Cheeseburger and Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Like Hardee’s, these combos include fries and a soft drink, but also include a chocolate chip cookie.
Steak ‘n Shake
The place famous for its juicy Steakburgers and ultra-thick milkshakes offers a value menu of 4 under $4. These combos allow for the choice of the Original Double ‘n Cheese Steakburger, the Single Garlic Steakburger, the Single Butter Steakburger, or the Steak Frank.
All options come with a side of fries, applesauce, or potato chips, or you can upgrade your side to a larger order of fries, onion rings, or a cup of chili for an additional cost. While Steak ‘n Shake calls their menu the 4 under $4, it is a bit misleading, since you only get an entrée and fries.
Looking at the rest of the menu, Steak ‘n Shake does a good job of staying under $5 for their meals. For less than $5, you can get any single or double Steakburger, a grilled cheese, or 3-piece chicken fingers.
Their kids’ menu is also under $5. And the cherry on top? All regular-sized shakes are priced at $4.49 or less.
The Takeaway
Who has the best value menu? It is hard to say, considering each restaurant offers different deals to suit different preferences. At the end of the day, you can go to any of these fast-food chains and fill your stomach with a hot meal for cheap.
These menus are a great way to eat out without breaking the bank or needing to spend hours searching for recipes, shopping, and cooking. Sometimes, a good drive-thru burger is just what you need!