7 Fast Food Upgrades Are Just A Simple Ordering Trick Away

Fast food fans have discovered and shared countless creative ways to upgrade their standard order, and many of these tips have gone viral online. Some involve secret menu items with unique food combinations that become so popular that certain chains eventually add them to their official menu. Other ordering hacks focus on maximizing value, demonstrating how to get larger portions or extra toppings without spending more.

For those trying to make slightly healthier choices, there are clever ordering tricks and menu swaps that let you create a hearty, nutrient-packed meal from fast food ingredients. These simple upgrades are experimental flavor boosters that make eating out much more fun. Whether you're looking to spice up your usual order to intensify the flavor, are eager to try a unique food combination, or want to know the tips and tricks to get larger portions, we've collected some of the most enticing fast food upgrades that will change the way you order fast food.

One of the biggest complaints that customers have with Chipotle is that they feel the portion sizes have decreased over time. In fact, in 2024, the outrage about increased prices and decreased portion sizes got so out of hand that then-Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol had to make a statement claiming the portions had not changed. Regardless, some ordering hacks to get the most out of your meal were born from the conversation around getting skimped.

Ordering a burrito bowl at Chipotle is the best way to get the most bang for your buck. In a popular post on the Chipotle subreddit, a Redditor shared several ways in which they maximize their bowl without paying extra. One of their most important tips is to always ask for half brown and half white rice, half black and pinto beans, and half of two proteins. The poster claims they always end up getting a larger scoop this way. There's also an unspoken acknowledgement that you get larger portion sizes when you order in-store as opposed to the mobile app. Despite there being no official policy confirming this, customers theorize that standing there and looking the employees in the eye makes them load up the bowls with more ingredients.

It's not easy to find healthy fast food options, but there's a Jersey Mike's hack that allows you to enjoy your favorite sandwich while cutting down on the carbs. It's not so much a hack as it is an ordering option that many customers aren't aware of. Essentially, you can order what's known as Sub in a Tub, which includes all of the ingredients from your favorite sandwich chopped up into a bowl instead of being served on bread. If you're ordering online, simply select the bowl option when customizing your sandwich. You can even order a Jersey Mike's secret menu sandwich in a tub.

Whether you're a Philly cheesesteak lover, a club sub fanatic, or an Italian loyalist, ordering your sandwich in a bowl is a great way to enjoy it fork-and-knife style. A fan on Facebook ordered the #8 Club Sub in a Tub and claims, "Man, it's slap-yo-mama good!" Another customer on TikTok orders the #7 Turkey and Provolone with extra turkey for a delightfully filling bowl that comes out to 310 calories and 40 grams of protein. If you're not quite ready to let go of all the carbs, you can use your chips as a scoop or crumble them into the bowl for a deliciously crunchy addition.

In 2022, this viral ordering hack made the rounds on social media and it became so popular that the Chick-fil-A "bowl" hack might just have what it takes to become a real menu item. The recipe was originally posted by a Chick-fil-A employee in a TikTok video that garnered nearly 4 million likes. To make the bowl yourself, you simply order the waffle fries, nuggets, mac and cheese, ranch, and honey-roasted BBQ sauce. Mix it together to ensure the sauce coats the entire concoction for an admittedly unhealthy, but deliciously saucy bowl of goodness.

After the creation went viral, fans took liberties with the recipe, adding their favorite sauces to flavor it just the way they like. One food reviewer on TikTok uses Chick-fil-A sauce, ranch, and buffalo sauce instead of the honey roasted BBQ and claims, "The vinegar in the buffalo sauce is what makes this addicting." You can put this menu hack into practice if you're tired of the same old sandwich order any day of the week — except Sundays, of course.

Wendy's baked potatoes are legendary, but some customers think the fast food joint doesn't get enough credit for this unique menu offering. You can order the fluffy, buttery potato plain or with toppings like chives, bacon, cheese, or the famous chili, which is what really makes Wendy's baked potatoes so delicious. But a user called @foodwanderer on TikTok shared a unique hack to take the baked potato to the next level.

She orders a baked potato with bacon and cheese and an order of the spicy nuggets, dipping them right into the fluffy potato like a chip into guacamole. Commenters on the video wondered why they had never thought of the ingenious concoction. In a similar iteration of this food combo, a woman chops up her nuggets and mixes them right in with the potato, adding some BBQ sauce on top for added flavor. It's a great way to switch up the typical nuggets and french fries fast food order and will help you avoid the biggest mistakes customers make when ordering at Wendy's: not taking full advantage of everything the menu has to offer.

Raising Cane's often leaves people divided, with some customers lamenting the limited menu offerings while others bow down to the addicting Cane's sauce. However, according to Keith Lee, a popular TikTok food critic, if you don't like Raising Cane's, you're simply ordering it wrong. He shares his favorite way to enjoy Cane's with a sandwich hack on TikTok. He orders a box combo with an extra piece of Texas toast, two extra Cane's sauces, honey mustard, and coleslaw.

He assembles a sandwich by stacking the tenders, coleslaw, and sauces in between the pieces of Texas toast for the ultimate fried chicken sandwich. While Cane's does have a sandwich on its menu, customers tend to prefer the buttery soft Texas Toast to the hamburger bun that comes with the sandwich. Lee explains in his TikTok video video that "the mixture of the honey mustard with the Cane's sauce, with the crispiness of the chicken, with the coleslaw, and the butteriness of the toast" is the perfect combination. Other food reviewers who have tried the hack rate it a 10 out of 10 and compliment the honey mustard addition. They claim the chain should simply start selling this version of the sandwich instead of the lesser one that's on the menu.

While it's certainly not a healthy fast food hack, this McDonald's dessert went viral on social media for good reason. If you're willing to overlook the calories, the DIY McDonald's pizookie (pizza cookie), lovingly referred to as the "McZookie" on social media, combines some of the best flavors that the dessert menu has to offer. The order includes the 13-count chocolate chip cookies, which you lay down in a tray before piling on vanilla soft serve, drizzling hot fudge and caramel sauce, and sprinkling with Oreo crumbles. If you're lucky enough to order when the ice cream machine isn't broken, this pizookie is sweet, decadent, and rich.

Former fast food employees that rate food hacks on YouTube gave it a 10 out of 10 just on pure presentation before even trying the combination, calling it a "beautiful nightmare" of sugar. And some food reviewers have even taken it a step further, adding things like the famous Micky D's apple pie, ice cream cone pieces, or M&Ms to the mix. This McDonald's pizooki is made for those of us with an unrelenting sweet tooth and gives BJ's a run for its money. You can also try out some of these other McDonald's ice cream hacks to switch up your dessert options.

Every so often a secret menu item will make it onto the real menu at fast food chains if they gain enough traction from customers. Such is the case with the surf and turf burger as well as the Land, Sea, and Air burger, which combines cuisines in one indulgent meal. Not every location has the items on the menu, though, so here's what you order if that's the case: The surf-and-turf burger is basically a combination of the Filet-O-Fish and a double cheeseburger, and it's one of the most genius Filet-O-Fish hacks out there.

One food reviewer on YouTube compliments the way the tartar sauce marries with the fish filet and burger flavors, giving you the best of both worlds. The Land, Sea, and Air burger takes things one step further and throws a chicken patty in the mix. You can order a regular hamburger or Quarter Pounder, a McChicken, and a Filet-O-Fish to assemble one into a mega-stack fast food experience.