8 Best New Fast Food Menu Items To Order In September 2026

There are a lot of interesting trends happening in fast food right now. Besides pumpkin spice being pushed aside by caramel apple pie flavoring, the standout themes of this fall are nostalgia, collaborations, and "swicy." We're in for some real treats with the new fast food menu item drops for this September. With McDonald's opting to take a chance on its Caramel Apple Pie Coffee line instead of sticking with the tried-and-true pumpkin spice, Subway and McDonald's are hopping on the "swicy" trend, and many of the others are leaning into nostalgic comfort food. There's a flavor profile for everyone, and we've narrowed it down to eight items we think are the best.

With the average price of a meal at the drive-thru going up, customers feel like they deserve something better. Thankfully, many fast-food chains have been listening, and some, like Burger King and Wendy's, have even asked for customer input. Taco Bell and Burger King have taken note of nostalgia trends with their throwback menu items like Taco Bell's "Decades" releases and Burger King's re-release of 1970s menu items. Swicy, the sweet/spicy flavor trend, is also popping up on new menu offerings across the board. Lastly, a couple of items on our list are collabs with some serious star power. Just know that availability may depend on location.

McDonald's is bringing back its Spicy Chicken McNuggets on September 1 for a limited time. These all-white-meat chicken nuggets are coated in a tempura breading mixed with a blend of cayenne and chili peppers to bring some serious heat. If you want to bring the flavor up a notch, you can pair this limited-edition treat with some Mighty Hot Sauce to get that swicy taste that's so trendy right now.

The Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger is back for a limited time this fall, thanks to a customer contest Wendy's ran to find out which past menu items should be brought back to its menu. With overwhelming votes, this burger beat out other past Wendy's favorites with customers. The cheeseburger will also be returning with the other pub-style favorites: the Pretzel Bacon Pub Chicken Sandwich and the Bacon Pub Fries. Enjoy a soft pretzel bun, ¼ pound burger, Muenster cheese, crispy fried onions and pickles, Applewood-smoked bacon, beer cheese sauce, and smoky honey mustard.

Taco Bell has collaborated with Olivia Rodrigo to create a pink lemonade-style Baja Blast called "You Seem Pretty Pink for a Baja Blast." The collaboration drink was inspired by Rodrigo's latest album titled "You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love." While the new flavor of Baja Blast will be released in Taco Bell restaurants nationwide on September 24 for a limited time, fans can try out the new drink at "Live Más Cafés" on August 29.

Chick-fil-A has released a new breakfast sandwich for those of us who love a sweet/savory crossover – the Chicken and Waffles Breakfast Sandwich. This dish combines Chick-fil-A's famous chicken with a warm maple-infused waffle, Applewood-smoked bacon, and a honey butter spread. Remember, this item is only available for a limited time, so grab one while you can.

McDonald's has dared to go in a different direction this fall by introducing its line of Caramel Apple Pie coffees. The caramel apple pie-inspired flavor is available in both hot and iced lattes, as well as iced coffee. Each coffee is made with caramel apple flavoring, McDonald's coffee, salted caramel whipped cream, and topped with crumbled apple pie bits. This fall release is only available for a limited time.

Burger King has been doing a lot of renovating of its menu lately, and much of it has been because of customer feedback. Earlier in the year, Burger King asked its customers to evaluate its nuggets, and let's just say there was a lot of criticism. The "have it your way" eatery completely revamped its nuggets and added a limited-edition sauce to complement them. The Special Savory Sauce is "swangy" — sweet, tangy, and a touch spicy. The dip is composed of barbecue seasoning, onion, garlic, and black pepper, with a ketchup base.

For another interesting alternative to the typical pumpkin spice, Dunkin' has released a tiramisu-inspired drink collection. The assortment consists of four beverages available for a limited time: the Tiramisu Cloud Latte, Tiramisu Shakin' Latte, Tiramisu Marshmallow Matcha, and the Tiramisu Protein Latte. You can also add Dunkin's tiramisu swirl to any of your favorite beverages.

Subway has partnered with Doritos to bring its take on the "swicy" food trend to its menu with a variety of sandwiches and nachos. The Hot Honey Steak Nachos are made with Doritos nacho-cheese-flavored tortilla chips, steak pieces, Monterey cheddar, and veggies, all topped with Subway's hot honey sauce. It's the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. The Hot Honey menu items are only available until October 26.