Taco Bell Drive-Thru sign
Taco Bell Drive-Thru sign (Photo by Ken Wolter on Shutterstock)
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Best Fast Food Secret Menu Items: Top 5 Hidden Treats, According To Experts

July 21, 2023
by Tim Lanoue

Ready to embark on the best-kept secrets of the fast food industry? From mouthwatering delights to secret sauce blends, the best fast food secret menu items will have you coming back for seconds and questioning how you lived so long without it. In a way, eating secret menu items is like being part of a secret society, where only a few live among the enlightened and have tasted the extraordinary. 

With each bite, prepare for a symphony of flavors. Fast food secret menu items may be for the stomach, but they’re made to nourish the heart and soul. This is important for us as a new foodie poll found that the best way to the heart really is through the stomach for three out of four Americans.

Unfortunately for us, not all fast food is healthy. According to a recent study, just four ounces of fried food raises our risk of major heart disease and stroke by up to 12 percent. Compared to those who consume the lowest amounts of fried food, people eating the highest amounts of fried foods have a 28 percent greater risk of suffering a cardiovascular event. They are 37 percent more likely to suffer heart failure. Despite some drive-thru bites carrying increased risks, you’ve got to admit – life is short and the food tastes great (all for a great price). 

This brings us to our next point, discussing the best fast food secret menu items. And not just the secret menu items that are renowned but also those that are less known or new to the scene. So, buckle up my fellow food adventurers and let’s dive right in on this trip to flavor town. Don’t happen to see your favorite fast food secret menu item? Let us know by sharing a comment below! 

Burger King logo
Burger King logo (Photo by Wesley Shen on Unplash)

The List: Best Fast Food Secret Menu Items, According to Experts

1. Taco Bell’s Incredible Hulk

“We don’t even care what’s in it. When you name a dish after Marvel’s gigantic irradiated green rage monster, you’ve deemed it to be epic,” raves WatchMojo. Replacing nacho cheese sauce and sour cream with decadent layers of guacamole, just “one bite of this behemoth and you’ll understand why it’s become such a clandestine hit.” Overall, “it’s delicious, and unlike most taco bell dishes, won’t leave you in a food coma.”

“Unlike the regular layered burrito, the Incredible Hulk is made without the extra inner tortilla shell and sour cream,” explains Delishably. It begins with a foundation of a traditional bean burrito, loaded with seasoned beans, zippy red sauce, and diced onions and is then finished by “swapping out the nacho cheese for guacamole.” 

“One of the healthier options of Taco Bell’s secret menu is the Incredible Hulk,” writes Yahoo Sports. “It’s a big, messy five-layer burrito that uses guacamole instead of cheese.” Adding layers of creamy, cool guacamole perfectly compliments the spiciness of the beans, while “you can take it a step further by going fresco without sour cream.”

2. Burger King’s Suicide Burger

“Burger King’s ‘Suicide’ burger combines four meat patties with four slices of cheese for one heart attack,” says UpRoxx. A favorite among food connoisseurs, “the Suicide can also be made with mustard instead of mayo and ketchup.” Take your taste buds for a ride today but prepare to be full!

“Get those cholesterol tests ready if you’re going to attempt the Burger King Suicide Burger.” claims Eat This. With layers of succulent beef patties, “this burger packs not only four beef patties, but a stack of cheese slices and bacon, too.” Be warned, though. The Suicide Burger is not for the faint of heart – approach with caution! 

“It’s no wonder they call it ‘the suicide’ burger, if you can make it out of this one without feeling any regret, or running towards the nearest bathroom, then you’ve survived,” jokes Babble Top. Stacking up “closely to the meat cube, the Suicide is layered with four meat patties (round ones, though), four slices of cheese, bacon and loaded with BK’s special sauce.” 

3. Chipotle’s Burritodilla

“One of the most popular Chipotle secret menu items is the Burritodilla,” explains The Krazy Coupon Lady. It begins with a warm, flour tortilla that is loaded with your choice of meat and toppings which is then expertly folded over the filling (which is where the real magic happens). So do yourself a favor next time you’re out, “ditch your regular order and use this Chipotle secret menu item instead!” 

“When describing the Burritodilla, picture a Chipotle Quesarito and then take half of the fillings out of the burrito, that’s the Burritodilla,” explains Mashed. Offering a more user-friendly and sensible fast food option to its counterpart, the Burritodilla “can still come with your meat of choice, barbacoa, carnitas, or something else, along with cilantro-lime rice, black beans and mildly spicy tomato salsa.” 

“What’s better than a burrito? A burrito wrapped in a quesadilla,” writes UpRoxx. Offering a less extreme take than the behemoth quesarito, the Burritodilla is “a Chipotle quesadilla filled up with your favorite burrito fillings.” As one of the best kept secrets of the fast food world, the Burritodilla brings you the best of both worlds by combining both quesadillas and burritos.

4. KFC’s Build-a-Bowl

“Here’s one secret KFC insiders won’t tell you: the bowls they sell are fully customizable,” reports Eat This. With “custom bowls that means you can eat KFC everyday and never get the same meal twice.” So, whether you want “fried or grilled chicken, or corn toppling your mashed potatoes” you can always have it your way at KFC. 

“KFC’s classic Famous Bowl is a delicious blend that includes a mountain of mashed potatoes, sweet, crisp yellow corn, and chunks of chicken,” says Mashed. It is then “smothered in a salty-good homestyle chicken gravy before receiving a smattering of cheese to top it all off.” Capable of turning each bite into a unique and savory experience, KFC’s Build-a-Bowl is one of the best all-around fast food secret menu items.

“There are two things that are infinite in this life: the universe, and what you can order in bowl-form at KFC,” reports ABC11. From sweet and savory to bold and tangy, “you can add virtually anything on the menu to this dish to create culinary originals.” So whether you want to “layer it with chicken tenders, cheese, gravy, potatoes, corn, and bacon” or you “want to reinvent the Shepard’s Pie” you can do so by building your own bowl at Kentucky Fried Chicken.

5. Arby’s Meat Mountain

“Now this is a sandwich,” says Love Food. Clocking in at 1,275 calories, the Meat Mountain “is made with two chicken tenders, roast beef, corned beef, sliced roast turkey, pit-smoked ham, 13-hour smoked beef brisket, bacon, and Angus steak.” As one of the most epic secret menu items, Arby’s Meat Mountain also contains “cheddar and swiss cheeses” and it a must order “whenever those meat cravings hit.” 

“If you’re a big dreamer, but more realistically a big eater, Arby’s has an awe-inspiring mountain that you can overcome,” writes Watch Mojo. Piled high with a full sampling of Arby’s meats, “this is the only mountain in the world that should be faced from a seated position and it offers what we call a heavenly view.” For true meat enthusiasts seeking a carnivorous indulgence, the Arby Meat Mountain is the only clear choice.

“The name doesn’t lie. Arby’s biggest sandwich ever is a towering monstrosity complete with what Arby’s refers to as “almost all the meats,” reports Yahoo Sports. Starting from the bottom bun up, the Meat Mountain is stacked with “two fried chicken tenders, turkey, ham, corned beef, brisket, Angus steak, roast beef, pepper bacon, swiss, and cheddar.” Now simply “add the top part of the bun, and you’ve got the Meat Mountain.”

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Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.

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