How You Can Still Get One Of Sonic's Most Iconic Discontinued Foods
Sonic Drive-In is unlike most fast food restaurants that exist today, with its unique menu, service, and experience that around 3 million customers enjoy every day (per Sonic). Founded by Troy Smith in 1953, Sonic began out of a small, deserted root beer stand in Shawnee, Oklahoma, where it served hot dogs and hamburgers and was originally called Top Hat, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society. Before expanding further, Smith renamed the business Sonic in 1959 since his slogan was "Service at the Speed of Sound."
According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, Sonic is the eleventh biggest drive-in fast food chain in the United States and is popular for its made-to-order items that are delivered to customers' cars by carhops on roller skates. Its menu has other offerings such as burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, milkshakes, and slushies, but there's also a secret menu that you can order from. You might be happy to learn that one of Sonic's most iconic discontinued foods, aka Pickle O's, can be ordered off the secret menu, and here's how.
Getting your hands on Pickle O's
Sonic's infamous Pickle O's were first added to the menu in 1968, where 12 deep-fried pickle slices cost 25 cents, per a press release. While it's unclear how long Sonic had Pickle O's on its menu, they were discontinued at some point. Sonic brought them back for a limited time in 2003 for the company's 50th anniversary, according to the aforementioned Sonic press release. The demand for the return of Sonic's Pickle O's is so high that there's even a Facebook page dedicated to the crunchy snack.
Sonic seems to be aware of the love its customers have for deep-fried pickles because it brought back its pickle juice slushie, big dill cheeseburger, and pickle fries in August 2022 (per Inspire|Stories). But pickle fries just aren't the same as Pickle O's. According to Hack the Menu, you can still order Sonic's beloved Pickle O's even if they aren't on the menu just by asking employees for them. However, if the employees aren't sure what Pickle O's are, you can also ask them to batter some pickle slices and deep fry them for you. This may only work at select locations or may not work at all, but it's worth a shot for those crispy, golden Pickle O's.
Other secret menu items from Sonic
In addition to Pickle O's, there are a few other secret menu items from Sonic. According to Secret Menus Guru, some Sonic locations may be able to make a grilled ham and cheese sandwich or a Frito Pie, which is Fritos chips topped with chili and nacho cheese. Sonic may also have burgers that are made to order, which sounds self-explanatory. However, the secret is that Sonic supposedly has more toppings and sauces that aren't always featured on the menu, per Hack the Menu.
There are a couple of secret drinks you can order at Sonic as well (via Secret Menus Guru). The first one is called a Sonic Sunrise, and it contains cherry limeade and orange juice. Purple Sprite is a second secret drink you can order, and it's an interesting combination of Sprite, lemonade, Powerade, and cranberry juice. All drinks can be ordered by using their name or just asking for the individual drinks that make up the beverage.