The Unbeatable Arby's Deal Customers Wish Would Make A Comeback

Fast food is a wildly different game these days. What was once a convenient, budget-friendly way to fill up on a dime now often means shelling out near-restaurant prices. For longtime Arby's fans, the memory of those good old days is especially poignant.

Customers on Reddit are praising Arby's as "low-key goated" for its wallet-friendly deals, including the famous 5 for $5 promotion. "I miss Arby's 5 for $5," writes one fan of the fast food chain. "As a broke college student, that was a friggin value." Indeed, Arby's $5 for 5 was an economic icon. Customers could take home a heavy bag stuffed with five classic roast beef sandwiches for just $5, making each sandwich $1. Many customers say Arby's array of sandwiches also reheat famously well in a microwave or air fryer, making this deal a great choice even for folks who can't eat all five in a single sitting — a value concept that actually left customers with full bellies. 

As fast food portion sizes shrink and prices rise, there's no shortage of social media commentary from fans lamenting over the disappearance of this deal. Another Reddit post dedicated to Arby's beloved $5 for 5 promotion of yore reminiscences about ordering the bag "at least two times a week for lunch." However, the chain has revisited different versions of this promotion several times throughout the years.

Arby's first launched the 5 for $5 deal in the '90s, but variations on the promo also popped up over the years with different menu items included in the deal and a slight price increase to $5.95. Then, in an industry-shaking tidal announcement, Arby's brought back its 5 for $5 once again in 2024. It was a limited-time promotion, and orders had to be placed through the app; orders placed in-store charged $10 for four classic roast beef sandwiches. Taking inflation into account, the 2024 revival was an even more cost-effective deal than it was in 1993 at its launch. A 2024 TikTok by @jordan_tries raves, "Arby's brought one of the best deals in fast food history," noting how spectacular the deal was in light of the sky-high prices sweeping the rest of the fast food industry.

Alas, this limited-time deal didn't last, and 2024 seems to be the last time the 5 for $5 was spotted at Arby's. At the time of publication, a single classic roast beef sandwich costs $5.49 at a location in Chicago. At least modern epicures can still enjoy the chain's venerated Jamocha Shake — which fast food lovers on Reddit call the hands-down best fast food milkshake of all time. To help steer budget-conscious customers right, we've rounded up the 15 best new fast food deals of 2026 (so far) – at least until the 5 for $5 (hopefully) makes another return.