7 Must-Try Secret Menu Burgers From Fast Food Chains, According To Customers

Social media has brought out the best and worst in the world, so let's go for optimism here and talk about one of the best things: fast food secret menus. There's rarely a day that goes by that we don't see an attempt at adding something new to the seemingly endless list of so-called secret menu burgers, but to say that they're not all created equally is something of an understatement. Some are made to be shocking, worthy of posting on social media, and attention-getting. But which ones would you actually want to eat and order again?

We wanted to know, so we headed out to Reddit to see what secret menu items people actually liked. Honestly? There were fewer than we expected, but those that people do love are undeniable favorites you're going to want to keep in mind for the next time you head out for a burger. 

For the sake of our discussion here today, we're going to focus on fast food chains as well as a few worthy fast casual places. First, we have to say upfront that ordering secret menu items is something of an art form in itself. Please know what you want and how to order it, and don't assume that just because you saw a social media post about an Extra-Super-Duper-Mile-High-Deluxe-Godzilla Burger with bacon, the person trying to translate your request into an ordering system has heard about it. That said, please make sure to write these down.

It's no secret that prices are out of control, and McDonald's is one burger chain that has many people saying that it's just not worth it anymore. It's not surprising that people have been trying to figure out ways to hack the menu into something more affordable while still getting the burger they want — and let's look at the Big Mac. Data from 2024 showed that over the previous 10 years, the price of a Big Mac rose from $3.99 to $5.99, while the McDouble went from $1.19 to $3.19. That's a bigger jump percentage-wise, but that lower price is key.

Reddit users say that you can and absolutely should ask for a McDouble dressed as a Big Mac. While you can certainly feel free to leave in or subtract the ketchup and mustard, the important part is adding Big Mac sauce and lettuce. Voila! A Big Mac ... albeit without the sesame seeds and the center bun.

It's possible to do this with any burger, and some Reddit users say they prefer giving the Quarter Pounder or even the Double Quarter Pounder the Big Mac treatment. As far as what it's going to cost, your mileage will vary. There has been confirmation that, depending on your location and exactly what you order, you might be charged for the substitutions. Still, some say that it's worth it to save a bit overall, and we'd agree — especially if you're looking for a smaller burger with all that Big Mac flavor.

Of course, In-N-Out was going to be on here because the chain famously has a secret menu that is so popular and so well-known you can actually find it on the website. (At what point is it not a secret menu anymore? That's an existential discussion for another day.) In-N-Out's secret menu has some not-so-great items and some you shouldn't miss, and Animal Style burgers and fries are probably going to be at the top of most rankings as must-try items. For those not in the know, that's a burger with added pickle, extra spread, and grilled onions.

It's so good that it's inspired fans to post their own homemade attempts to social media, while the general consensus regarding the real deal might be best summed up by one Reddit user who responded to a photo by writing, "As beautiful as an art piece hanging in The Louvre."

If that doesn't quite hit the spot or if you're looking to mix things up a little bit, Gorilla Style burgers might be the next big thing at In-N-Out. In a nutshell, you'll order a Flying Dutchman (which is another, more common secret menu item that we'll talk about in a bit), a Double-Double, and Animal Style fries. Use those burgers as the "buns" around the fries, and you have your ooey, gooey, extra-meaty, definitely messy creation. Just be sure to grab some extra napkins. Lots of extra napkins. Seriously, we can't stress that enough. 

So, the Flying Dutchman. There's an old saying that all good things must come to an end, and that's sort of the case with this special In-N-Out burger. You can still order it — it's two burger patties with two slices of cheese and — if you like — onions replacing the buns. When the item first went viral, it quickly became a fan favorite. The problem was that In-N-Out had the individual components priced so low that it wasn't feasible to keep selling them, and it led to a chainwide price adjustment. 

So, while In-N-Out changed the rules on this particular secret menu burger, you'll find entire Reddit threads dedicated to customers who say that it's still delicious and an absolute go-to. We do have to add that the onions are the kind of thing that cause big feelings in some people who readily point out that it's not the original way of making it. In other words, if you want the onions, you'll need to be sure you specify that. 

Other Reddit users have their own additions, like chopped chilies and a variety of different types of onions, pickles, spread, and it's even been suggested to order the patties fried with mustard. Honestly, we're already ordering off the menu here, so we kind of feel that it's absolutely acceptable to make whatever additions you want.

Everyone has an opinion about Five Guys these days, but let's talk about one reason you might want to stop there — or rather, what you can order if you find yourself outvoted and there with friends. We found Reddit users who swear by the Five Guys grilled cheese hack, which is basically replacing your standard burger buns with two grilled cheese sandwiches. That's three whole sandwiches — count 'em, folks! — which is an important footnote.

That makes this one a little different than another highly-recommended secret menu burger, the so-called Fatty Melt. That one uses a single grilled cheese and puts the burger patty inside, which sounds just as amazing. As a bonus, some Reddit users say that this is a surprisingly affordable option when it's ordered as a grilled cheese with a burger patty (although that will probably vary by location).

And yes, it's just as messy as it sounds. Experienced Five Guys customers recommend that you smush it a little bit to make it more manageable, and say that whatever you do, plan on finishing it before you put it down to avoid tragedy. (If you think Five Guys just isn't worth its 2026 pricing, keep in mind that some Reddit users have had a ton of success recreating this at home.)

Secret menu items don't have to be complicated to be delicious, and in fact, we'd argue that sometimes it's the simple ones that guarantee you're not getting something that's too big or too messy to eat without turning everything into a production, ruining your shirt, and possibly ruining your dining companion's shirt as well. Enter: Burger King's Rodeo Burger, a regular menu offering that disappeared around 2003 and is surprisingly easy to recreate.

Reddit users recommend ordering a Bacon King without ketchup. Add onion rings and barbecue sauce, and you have your Rodeo Burger. (Others use a Double Whopper and replace the usual toppings with onion rings and Swiss. Or, you can keep them. You do you!) It's so good that it has entire threads dedicated to its existence, with some pointing out that there is — in theory — no real limit to the number of onion rings you can add. 

We would, however, also like to point out that if you find yourself missing some old-school, discontinued burger, consider whether or not the fast food chain in question still has the ingredients. If they do, you can absolutely remake that old favorite, and there's a pretty good chance you can. Using regularly stocked ingredients, making a few simple upgrades to a burger, and then introducing it as a whole new item is a menu trick that fast food companies often use, and we're all about using that leverage to remake old favorites.

We're going to head over to Shake Shack for this one, and in a way, to Missouri. This is the home state of a magical, wonderful burger that's actually as delightful as it is strange-sounding, and it's one of a number of regional burgers that deserve national attention. The state's guberburger traditionally has peanut butter on it, and sometimes adds bacon.

If you love peanut butter, it's one that you don't want to miss — and when you order the peanut butter and bacon SmokeShack off the secret menu at Shake Shack, trust us when we say you'll be a peanut butter burger convert. It's another wonderfully easy order: just get a SmokeShack Burger with peanut butter.

We get that this one can be pretty polarizing, but we're not the only ones that dig the blend of sweet and salty. Some Reddit users chimed in to say just how underestimated the combination was — especially if you opt to add cherry peppers as well — and you don't actually need much peanut butter at all. Too much, in fact, can be overpowering, but a little dab will melt into that burger, and when mixed with the bacon, that gives you a very easy upgrade.

Carnivores who can't get enough protein — or who are incredibly indecisive in the moment you pull up to the drive-thru speaker or step up to the counter — might find the perfect solution at Wendy's. It's the Barnyard Burger, and if you want to order this one, you'll need to ask for a burger that has a spicy chicken patty, bacon, and cheese in addition to that standard beef patty.

Sure, it's a lot, but we'd also argue that it's one of the more underappreciated secret menu items that we've come across — especially if you dress it up with some other cheeses, lettuce, tomato, or get funky with some dipping sauces. The difference between this one and other secret menu burgers that pile a stack of meat onto a burger is that each one of these works really well with the other elements. You're not adding a weirdly overpowering fish patty, and you're not stacking patties to inconceivable heights; instead, you're simply getting one of each of Wendy's already outstanding meats.

Some recommend starting things off with a Big Bacon Classic, and we're on board with that. You'll need something that can hold up to those extra patties, after all, and if you're going to get something that has all the meats, you might as well go all the way.

There are a ton of secret menu burgers out there, but many of them seem to be meant as a challenge rather than a regular thing you might order and find you love. In order to pick the best ones that should make it into the mix the next time you consider a fast food burger, we used a dash of personal experience recreating some of these. (We're customers, too, after all!)

We also headed to Reddit and looked for the burgers that had a ton of recommendations as an order that customers said was worth the splurge, that had fans who said it was definitely good enough to be a regular order, and had some calling for them to be elevated to a regular menu item. Since there were some fast casual spots with outstanding secret menu burgers that fit the bill, we also included those in the list.