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Lacey Muszynski is a staff writer at Cheapism covering food, travel, and more. She has over 15 years of writing and editing experience, and her restaurant reviews and recipes have previously appeared in Serious Eats, Thrillist, and countless publications in her home state of Wisconsin.
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New Fast-Food Items To Try
Fast-food restaurants are always innovating(and competing), and that means there's always some new menu item to try. McDonald's, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, Subway, and other big chains regularly introduce limited-time offerings to entice customers to keep coming back. Here's what's new this month in the fast-food world.
Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.
1. Burger King: Philly Melt, Birthday Pie
Burger King is celebrating its 70th birthday, and it's got plenty of new items for the occasion.
- Philly Melt: two beef patties with Swiss, roasted peppers and onions, and Royal sauce on toasted bread
- Chicken Philly Royal Crispy Wrap: fried chicken breast, Swiss, roasted peppers and onions, and Royal sauce in a flour tortilla
- Mozzarella Fries: thin, crispy deep fried mozzarella served with marinara sauce
- Frozen Cotton Candy: a blue-hued, blue raspberry- and cotton candy-flavored frozen drink
- Birthday Pie Slice: birthday cake-flavored filling in a cookie crust with rainbow sprinkles
Related:101 Restaurants Where You Can Eat for Free on Your Birthday
2. Pizza Hut: Cheeseburger Melt
There's a new Melt variety on the menu at Pizza Hut. The Cheeseburger Melt has beef, bacon, two cheeses, and onions all melted together inside a parmesan-crust thin crust. It comes with a side of burger sauce for dipping.
3. Taco Bell: Big Cheez-It Items
Taco Bell announced all kinds of new items for 2024, and you can get your taste of some of them right now. The Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme swaps the tostada shell for a — you guessed it — giant Cheez-It cracker. There's also a Big Cheez-It Tostada with the same giant cracker topped with beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.Plus, Nacho Fries and the Cantina Chicken lineup are still available.
4. McDonald's: Grandma McFlurry
Despite the weird name, McDonald's new dessert isn't made from grandmas. It's an ice cream treat made with butterscotch-like syrup and crunchy candy pieces, presumably meant to remind people of their grandma's butterscotch candies. Plus, the chain just announced that it's bringing Krispy Kreme donuts to locations nationwide— but not until later this year.
Related: 35 Secrets for Better, Cheaper Meals at Your Favorite Chains
5. Arby's: Burgers, Chicken Wraps
Arby's just released its popular burger again. You can get it Deluxe style with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, and burger sauce, or Big Cheesy Bacon style, which adds bacon and Swiss cheese. Plus honey mustard, ranch, and barbecue chicken wraps are still available, and the Orange Cream shake is back for the summer.
Related: Fast-Food Dishes With Downright Obsessive Followings
6. Dunkin': Green Goddess Wrap
There's all kinds of new limited time items at Dunkin' this month.
- Green Goddess Wrap:egg whites, farro, sundried tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese, and creamy green goddess dressing wrapped in green flatbread
- Watermelon Burst Donut: donut filled with watermelon jelly and coated in red sugar
- Chocolate Chunk Cookie: a chocolate chunk cookie with pretzel bits and brown butter
- Kiwi Watermelon Refresher: kiwi watermelon syrup blended with iced green tea or lemonade
- Blueberry Donut Coffee: flavors of vanilla frosting and pastry blend with the distinct blueberry donut flavor in hot or iced coffee
Looking for more a.m. options? Check out our roundup of the best fast-food breakfast dealsgoing on right now.
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7. Wendy's: Saucy Nuggs
Wendy's has upgraded its chicken nuggets this month. You can now get Saucy Nuggs, which are the chain's nuggets tossed in your choice of sauces with a side of ranch of blue cheese. There are seven sauces to choose from: honey BBQ, garlic parm, buffalo, spicy honey BBQ, spicy garlic parm, spicy, buffalo, and spicy ghost pepper. Plus, the chain is pouring Orange Dreamsicle Frostys right now.
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8. Papa Johns: Crispy Cuppy 'Roni
There's a new pizza topping at Papa Johns this month and it's got a silly name. Crispy Cuppy 'Roni is thick-cut pepperoni that cups when it's cooked. You can get it on a pizza, in a Papadia, or stuffed inside of Papa Bites.
9. White Castle: Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
There's a new chicken slider at White Castle with a popular flavor combination. The Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders include crispy chicken, smoked bacon, and Hidden Valley Ranch dressing.
Related:33 Things You Didn’t Know About White Castle
10. Dairy Queen: Sauced and Tossed Chicken Strips Basket
Chicken tender lovers have a new reason to head to Dairy Queen this month. You can now get your chicken strips tossed in honey BBQ sauce. On the sweet side, here are the current limited-time Blizzard flavors.
- Brownie Batter
- Cotton Candy
- Frosted Animal Cookie
- Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
- Ultimate Cookie
- Picnic Peach Cobbler
11. Hardee's: Blueberry Biscuits
Hardee's is making a new sweet version of its popular biscuits. Blueberry biscuits have blueberry bits throughout and are topped with a sweet icing. Plus, there's new Nashville Hot Hand Breaded Chicken Tenders that you can get on a sandwich or as part of a platter.
12. Sonic: Cheesy Bacon Sonic Stack
You can find all kinds of new menu items at Sonic this month.
- Cheesy Bacon Sonic Stack: a beef patty with two slices of American cheese, bacon, onions, pickles, ketchup, and mayo grilled on Texas toast
- Orange Cloudsicle Slush Float: orange dreamsicle slush with orange vanilla popping bubbles topped with soft serve
- Crispy Tender Wraps: chicken tender tortilla wraps in Cheesy Baja and Hickory BBQ varieties
- Buffalo Chicken Dip Bites: a fan favorite of chicken, buffalo sauce, and cheese in a deep fried wrapper
- Oreo Big Scoop Cheesecake: Oreo cheesecake and Oreo pieces in a sundae or Blast
If you're in search of more Sonic deals, check out our ranking of the Sonic Value Menu.
13. Panera: Sourdough Melts
Panera justoverhauled its entire menu. Here are some of the new items available.
- Toasted Italiano: ham, soppressata, provolone, romaine, red onion, pepperoncini peppers, garlic aioli, and Greek dressing on baguette
- Chicken Bacon Rancher: grilled chicken, bacon, white cheddar, and ranch on focaccia
- Ciabatta Cheesesteak: sliced steak, provolone, garlic aioli, caramelized onions, and peppadew peppers on ciabatta
- Tomato Basil BLT: bacon, mixed greens, tomatoes, and garlic aioli on tomato basil miche
- Mediterranean Chicken Greens with Grains Salad:romaine and mixed greens in Greek dressing, topped with farro, red rice, grilled chicken, hummus, feta, red onions, peppadew peppers, cucumbers, and shawarma seasoning
- Southwest Chicken Ranch Salad: romaine in ranch dressing with grilled chicken, chipotle aioli, avocado, grape tomatoes, corn, cilantro, and blue corn tortilla strips
- Balsamic Chicken Greens with Grains Salad: romaine and mixed greens in balsamic vinaigrette with farro, red rice, cucumbers, pepperoncini peppers, avocado, feta, pumpkin seeds, and green goddess dressing
- Ranch Cobb Salad: romaine and mixed greens in ranch dressing with grape tomatoes, pickled red onions, bacon, feta, and hard-boiled egg
- Bacon Mac & Cheese: shell pasta in aged white cheddar sauce topped with bacon
14. Del Taco: Birria Grilled Combo Burrito
The ever-popular birria menu is back at Del Taco, this time with a brand new item. You can get the juicy, shredded beef birria in tacos, quesadillas, ramen, and the new Birria Grilled Combo Burrito. It's filled with shredded beef, beans, cheddar, green sauce, onions, and cilantro and then grilled for a crispy exterior. All are served with consomé for dipping.
15. Popeyes: Golden BBQ Chicken Sandwich
Popeyes just released a new version of its iconic fried chicken sandwich. The Golden BBQ Chicken sandwich includes the chain's classic buttermilk-batted chicken breast topped with pickles and new barbecue honey mustard sauce. Plus, lemon pepper wings and strawberry biscuits are still around.
16. Chick-fil-A: Cherry Berry Drinks
Goodbye, Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich, we hardly knew you. But Chick-fil-A is rolling out its new summer drinks lineup. The Cherry Berry beverages all have the flavors of cherry, blueberry, and cranberry, and are come in lemonade, iced tea, frozen lemonade, and Sunjoy, the chain's mix of lemonade and iced tea. Plus, watch for the debut of the Maple Pepper Bacon Sandwich and the beloved peach shake around the middle of June.
17. Zaxby's: Southern Fried Shrimp
Zaxby's has added seafood to its menu for the first time, though it's on the tail end of seafood seasonfor some reason. Southern Fried Shrimp have a crisp coating of buttermilk, onion, garlic, and pepper. They're served with Zaxtail sauce, a combination of co*cktail sauce and creamy Zax sauce. Plus, there's frozen lemonade, peach sweet tea, caramel funnel cakes, and a MrBeast Box Meal.
18. Whataburger: Bacon Steakhouse Double
There's a new limited time burger at Whataburger. The Bacon Steakhouse Double has two beef patties, bacon, cheddar cheese, crispy fried onions, and tangy steak sauce. There's also a jalapeño cheddar breakfast biscuit, caramel latte shake, WhataWings, and a BLT sandwich.
19. Little Caesars: Crazy Puffs
Things are extra "crazy" at Little Caesars right now with one new menu item. Crazy Puffs are like little mini pizzas. They're made with the chain's pizza crust plus mozzarella, pizza sauce, buttery garlic drizzle, and Italian herb and parmesan seasoning. They come four to an order, and you can get them with pepperoni or plain cheese.
20. Jack in the Box: Cube's Munchie Meal
Jack in the Box always has a ton of new snacks, and this month is no exception. The chain's teamed up with Ice Cube for the new Cube's Munchie Meal, which comes with a taco, curly fries, mini churros, Sprite, and the returning Chick-N-Tater Melt. That sandwich has fried chicken, hash browns, two kinds of cheese, white cheddar sauce, bacon, and ranch on a croissant.Also new this month is a Meat Lovers Croissant, crispy chicken wings, and the Iced Churro Creamaccino.
21. Jimmy John's: Firecracker Wrap
There's a new sandwich in town at Jimmy John's. The Firecracker Wrap is made with turkey, salami, ghost pepper cheese, Jimmy peppers, garlic aioli, and Firecracker potato chips inside of a red jalapeño tortilla. The chips are also available in bags on the side.
Related:The 10 Best Sandwich Chains, Ranked
22. Noodles & Company: Steak Stroganoff
Noodles & Co. has brought back a fan-favorite dish by popular demand. Steak Stroganoff has curly egg noodles in a creamy sherry sauce with roasted mushrooms, herbs, black pepper, marinated steak, and parmesan cheese.
23. Subway: Lavash Wraps
There's a new bread option at Subway, and it's lavash-style flatbread. To showcase it, the chain has released four new wraps.
- Homestyle Chicken Salad: rotisserie-style chicken and mayo salad with lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion
- Honey Mustard Chicken: rotisserie-style chicken with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and honey mustard sauce
- Turkey, Bacon & Avocado: turkey, bacon and smashed avocado with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and peppercorn ranch sauce
- Cali Caprese: fresh mozzarella cheese and avocado with lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, roasted garlic aioli and parmesan vinaigrette
24. KFC: Saucy Nuggets
KFC's chicken nuggets just got saucy. The new Saucy Nuggets are tossed in your choice of five sauces: honey sriracha, Korean BBQ, Sticky Chicky, Nashville hot, and Georgia gold. If you can't decide which to choose, our taste testwill help. Watch out for Apple Pie Poppers and Blackberry Lemonade too.
25. Qdoba: Citrus Lime Shrimp
You can get your seafood fix at Qdoba this year. Citrus lime shrimp is back as a protein choice for all your burritos, tacos, and nachos. Plus, you can get Loaded Mexican Street Corn as a side dish.
26. Shake Shack: Summer BBQ Lineup
Shake Shack is betting people want barbecue this summer. Here's everything that's on the new BBQ menu.
- Smoky Classic BBQ Burger: American cheese, bacon, pickles, crispy onions, and smoky barbecue sauce
- Carolina BBQ Burger: pepperjack cheese, bacon, fried pickles, and tangy Caroline-style barbecue sauce
- BBQ Fries: crinkle cut fries with barbecue seasoning and your choice of Shack BBQ and Carolina BBQ sauce
- BBQ Cheese Fries: crinkle cut fries topped with cheese sauce, barbecue seasoning, and either Shack BBQ or Carolina BBQ sauce
27. Church's: Cheddapeño Biscuit
What goes better with fried chicken than biscuits? Church's has upped the ante on the side dish with a Cheddapeño version. It's the chain's standard honey butter biscuit with chopped jalapeños and cheddar cheese baked in. Plus there's a new signature hot dipping sauce and strawberry cheesecake pies for dessert.
28. Taco John's: Tostadas
Taco John's has two new Tostadas on its menu for a limited time. The Refried Bean Tostada features a crispy corn tortilla shell topped with refried beans, cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, and crumbled queso fresco. The Beefy Tostada swaps out the refried beans for seasoned beef.
29. Starbucks: Summer Menu
Starbucks is all ready for summer with a new lineup of food and beverages.
- Summer Berry Refreshers: raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry flavors shaken with or without lemonade with popping raspberry pearls
- Summer Skies: non-dairy iced drink with summer berry syrup and coconut milk over popping raspberry pearls
- Pineapple Cloud Cake: cake filled with pineapple cream and pineapple spread
- Orange Cream Cake Pop: orange cream cake and buttercream dipped in white chocolate icing
- Chocolate Macadamia Cold Brew: macadamia syrup with white chocolate macadamia cream cold foam and toasted cookie crumbles
30: Chipotle: Chicken al Pastor
Chicken al Pastor is back as a protein option at Chipotle. It's made with grilled chicken marinated in adobo, smoky morita chiles, pineapple, and achiote, and tossed with lime and cilantro. You can get it in burritos, bowls, tacos, and quesadillas.
31. Culver's: Pretzel Haus Pub Burger
A customer favorite has returned at Culver's for the summer. The Pretzel Haus Pub Burger includes two smashed burger patties, bacon, cheddar, pickled onions, cheddar cheese sauce, and tangy Bistro sauce all on a pretzel bun.
32. Panda Express: Hot Orange Chicken
It's not just the weather heating things up at Panda Express right now. The chain has debuted a new spicy version of its ever-popular Orange Chicken. It's the same recipe but with both crushed and dried chilis to give it a nice burn.
33. Krispy Kreme: Dolly's Southern Sweets Donuts
Krispy Kreme has teamed up with Dolly Parton on its latest offerings to bring you her favorite Southern desserts in donut form. There are four new items in the collection.
- Dolly Dazzler Donut: a strawberry-glazed donut with gold, pink, and white glitter sprinkles with a chocolate butterfly
- Peachy Keen Cobbler Donut: a peach-filled donut with brown sugar icing and a crunchy cobbler topping
- Banana Puddin’ Pie: a banana pudding-stuffed donut with yellow icing and a wafer cookie
- Chocolate Crème Pie: a glazed donut with chocolate brownie cream, vanilla whipped topping, and a sprinkle of chocolate cookie crumble
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