The 11 Best Fast Food Kids Meals For Adults To Order

Kids' menus present a whole untapped world of fast food options. Usually, you ignore the kids' section because, well, you're not a child. However, in the spirit of journalism, I tried a bunch of kids' meals to tell you what's available and why it's a good pick.

Before we dig in, please heed my advice. No matter where you go, order from the website or app. Tapping away at your phone might be annoying, but it solves several problems. One, in-store menus often fail to show what you can customize or the extent to which you can do so. Second, I was told something was not customizable in person (when it was able to be swapped online or via the app) or charged extra (luckily, I'd already researched online to ask for the correct price). So, for the best experience, order online. 

Okay, now that we've got the best practices out of the way, let's eat! These fast food spots made it onto the list because of the, the options, the food portions, and/or the value.

I hadn't been to Sonic in about two decades, so it was pretty amusing to head there as an adult. Sonic has a few kids' options called Wacky Packs that present a bit of variety compared to the popular hamburger, chicken nugget, or tender options that most places sell. Of course, it has those options too, but it also offers hot dogs, corn dogs, or a grilled cheese. I selected the corn dog for fun, and it was quite scrumptious.

Pick from crinkle fries (or Groovy Fries as Sonic calls them), tater tots, or an apple sauce pouch for a side. I went with the Groovy Fries, which are crisp, almost like they're fried twice. You can also change up your beverage, so I picked out the signature cherry limeade for a small extra cost, and it proved to be a favorite. It's sweet and tangy with a squeezed quarter of a lime and a maraschino cherry inside. You can also get a lemonade, which landed a spot in the middle of our fast-food lemonade ranking. I left entirely impressed with my Sonic kids' meal and can appreciate the menu's range. 

Wendy's has four children's options to choose from — four-piece chicken nuggets, four-piece spicy nuggets, a hamburger, or a cheeseburger. Given that this was the only kids' menu I'd seen with spicy nugs, I went with that. You can also upgrade to get a Frosty for a nominal fee, which is a huge win that makes it much more worth it for an adult. 

I knew how much to pay because I'd researched the customization online. However, the cashier tried to charge $15, roughly double what I expected. The manager fixed the customization, but I recommend ordering online or through the app to avoid misunderstandings. Staff assume you want an adult meal – you have to be clear that you want the kids' size. 

The chicken itself has a touch of heat, while the fries are crisp, delectable, and the only ones on my kids' meal crusade with a bit of potato skin, which I appreciate. The Frosty was the icing on the cake, adding a rich, sweet balance to the meal.

If you want to relive a moment of childhood, I encourage you to get a Happy Meal. You can pick from the hamburger, four-piece chicken McNuggets, or the six-piece. Even then, the McDonald's Happy Meal is surprisingly adaptable in the app. I ordered the hamburger but opted to pay extra for an added patty and cheese. I replaced the apple slices with another fry at no cost, which was wise because they are so incredibly small.

You can get a drink like chocolate milk or apple juice, or upgrade to a different type of soda or bottled water. There's something so classic and yummy about a McDonald's hamburger with the ketchup leaking through the side, and I thoroughly enjoyed this meal. It also comes with a toy (you can choose no toy if desired). Since I have a toddler at home, I selected the under-three toy, which turned out to be a board book (!!!). Although it's not a rare Happy Meal toy in any way, it was easily the best "toy" out of all the options from the places I went.

Jack in the Box has a handful of kids' or junior options, as they're called. There's a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, Jr. Jumbo Jack, and more based on how hungry you're feeling. Again, it helps if you know exactly what you want by researching ahead of time or ordering online, because when I went in-store and asked what kids' offerings they had, they only gave me a couple of options.

I ended up with the Jr. Cheeseburger with French fries and apple juice, but you can pick your choice of soda or even milk. I like the juice box because it is something that you can just take with you or place in your cubicle or in your pantry for later. This wasn't my favorite meal of the bunch because the bun was a bit dry, but there's still potential, especially if you get a larger meal. The bacon cheeseburger would be good, since other kids' meals didn't include bacon. 

As a fan of Popeyes' juicy chicken and crisp breading, I was interested to try the kids' selection, which offers a choice of four-piece boneless chicken, one leg piece, one chicken tender, or a kids' mac and cheese. The four-piece meal called my name, so that's what I got.

I ordered in person, and they did not allow me to swap out the kid's apple juice, even though online it says you can get any number of the soda foundation drinks (that's yet another instance where my tip(s) at the top of the article come into play). The applesauce is not swappable, no matter where you order.

I don't know if this is the standard amount (given some pieces were smaller) or if they felt sorry for me, but my kids' meal had six pieces of chicken. Without that, this is one of the smaller meals I tried for this article. However, the chicken is good, crispy, and succulent, which deserves a spot, and the Popeyes workers get bonus points because they gave me extra chicken.

As I mentioned earlier, I have a tot, and we get the Chick-fil-A kids' meal more than any other fast food option. You can pick from the five-count nuggets, the five-count grilled nuggets, or two chicken strips. These come with the protein, a small side, a kid's drink, and then a toy. You can get the side of waffle fries, potato chips, apple sauce, fruit cup, or pay a bit extra for a small mac and cheese.

The chain's nuggets receive the top position in a fast-food chicken nugget ranking, so I got the five-count of succulent nuggets. I went with the side of fries just because it's a classic, and the fresh, hot, salted fries are nothing short of a delight. But the nominal fee for the mac and cheese upgrade is perfect if you need added sustenance. You can decide from any number of kids' size beverages for no added charge, like chocolate milk or Coca-Cola. But you can upgrade to other items, if desired. Snag yourself a kids' toy or swap it for the Icedream cone or cup. Icedream is the ideal choice, but only if you're dining in, as it's such a small portion that it will melt on the drive.

Kids' meals at Burger King include the cheeseburger, hamburger, or six or four chicken nuggets. There's also a double cheeseburger option, which would be the way to go for a more filling kids' meal (but I didn't see this in person, only online). If they ask if you want everything on it, that'll be the usual American cheese, pickles, ketchup, and mustard. You can also purchase add-ons like bacon, lettuce, or even onion rings. 

The meal comes with a drink and a side of your choice (fries, onion rings, a combination of those two, or applesauce). I selected milk because I'd had too much soda and juice by this point in my taste test expedition. The hamburger patty has the flame-broiled flavor, and the fries are hot and crisp. This was the cheapest meal out of everything I tried, and it is wonderful if you want a meal on a budget. It came with a toy, too.

I have had many adult meals at Raising Cane's, so I was curious about the kids' version, called the Kids Combo. This comes with two of the company's iconic chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, one Cane's Sauce, a kid's drink in a reusable plastic cup, and a small toy. None of the other places had a reusable plastic cup, so I thought this was a fun touch that set it apart.

Like Popeyes, I don't know if the workers were being generous or if this is just a standard portion, but I got more than my two chicken fingers, and they went very well with the Cane's Sauce. All in all, I thought this was a flavorful meal and a great value. This was the only menu that said it was for kids 12 and under on the physical menu, but I don't see that anywhere online.

Panda Express has its Panda Cub meals for children, which brought about some fantastic offerings. It allows you to pick one of three different bases: orange chicken, broccoli and beef, or grilled teriyaki chicken. You can pick from one or two (for a half-half scenario) of four sides: white steamed rice, fried rice, chow mein, or the super greens. I did orange chicken and then half chow mein, half fried rice. It enjoyed the sweet and tangy flavors, but next time I'd do half super greens just to get some veggies into the mix (also not really an option on other kids' meals I tried).

My meal also came with dried apple crisps, a fortune cookie, and your choice of drink, such as bottled water, iced juice, or a fountain drink. I've eaten this in the adult portion, so I like that the combination is a unique child option compared to the many hamburgers and fried chicken tenders I sampled throughout my adventure. 

At Carl's Jr., you can choose from a hamburger, a cheeseburger, or the Chicken Stars. The meal comes with fries, a drink, your choice of sauce (I went with honey mustard), and a cookie. I opted for the cheeseburger and got a fountain drink, but you can go with milk or whatever makes sense for your nutritional needs. The burger is satisfying and surprisingly tasty with a soft bun and pickles to give it a touch of tanginess. 

I liked the little cookie, as that isn't something the other fast food places provide. The cookie is packaged so you can eat it right away or keep it on your work desk when you need a random snack. Carl's Jr. is the only place that actually brought my food out to me; I don't know if this is standard practice at all locations, but it is a nice touch. 

This was my first KFC kids' meal, and I was pretty impressed. To start, you can pick from the two-piece tenders or five-piece nuggets (I opted for the former). It automatically comes with an applesauce, but I wanted something more adult and filling. After reading the KFC sides ranking, I swapped the standard apple mush for the mashed potatoes and gravy, but you can get anything from coleslaw to mac and cheese.

The gravy is salty, while the spuds are smooth. The chicken is tender and tasty. It comes with milk, but you can switch it for a soda foundation beverage or Capri Sun. Lemonade costs a smidge extra, and I went with that for something refreshing to wash it down. Although I was able to get a sauce, I liked dunking the chicken in the mashed potatoes for added savoriness. It also came with some stickers, which I knew my toddler would enjoy. The meal is a pleasant mix of protein, carbs, and a little sweet/tart combo from the lemonade. 

I looked at all the fast food places in my area to see which had kids' options. There are likely others out there, especially if you consider regional fast food establishments, and some, like Taco Bell, don't currently offer kids' meals. 

To make it on this list, items had to strike a balance of flavor, options, portion size, and value. Because of the sheer scope of eating all these meals as well as driving here, there, and everywhere, it took me four days to try all the places.