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Not content ordering from the menu? Need to have that extra little bit of class that comes from “knowing the chef”?
Here it is, your guide to secret menu items. Sure, it’s not the secret rib eye at Nobu, but it’s something. Before reading this please note that this article has not been fact-checked. This report is based purely on reader suggestions. We are posting them entirely without confirmation and are not going to try to order any of this crap in order to confirm its existence. We would die of heart disease, be broke, and our ass would be the size of Texas. This is the internet, the internet is not fact-checked, and these are your secret menu items. Enjoy.
Taco Bell: Everything Taco Bell makes is comprised of a few basic ingredients, so they’ll likely make anything they have the stuff for, which is probably pretty much anything they’ve ever served. Examples to attempt: Cheesy Gordita Crunch, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes, Encharito.
Wendy’s: A tipster tells us, “order a “Grand Slam”, It would otherwise be called a Classic Quadruple, were it on the menu.” Reader bringafajita suggests trying to get a “Quarter Pound Double Stack with Cheese.” FishingCrue tells us to try “Everything” (lettuce and tomato) on a Wendy’s Double Stack, sometimes it’s even free. If they look at you like you’re crazy, tell them there’s a button for it. A double stack with everything, add bacon is a decent sandwich for somewhere south of 2 bones.”
Chipotle: Chipotle will, like Taco Bell, make anything they have the ingredients for. Unlike Taco Bell, this is an official policy. Some suggestions: Nachos, Quesadilla, Individual Tacos, Taco Salads, Tiny Bean Burritos Using Taco Shells, Fresh Cilantro on Your Tacos, whatever you can think of.
Subway: Subway will still make the “pizza sub,” and many other former menu items. Also, they can’t sell “broken cookies,” so they may give you some for free.
Jamba Juice: Jamba has an entire secret menu of “unhealthy” smoothies named after things that would involve copyright violations were they to be included on the menu. The ones we know of:White Gummi Bear, Red Gummi Bear, Green Gummi Bear, Raspberry Dreamin’, Pineapple Dreamin’, Sourpatch Kid, Tropical Tango, Pacific Passion, Berry Depressing, Now and Later, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Apple Pie, Fruity Pebbles, Rainbow Sherbet, Strawberry Shortcake, Push Pop, Skittles, Andres’ Surprise, and Lemonade Lightnin’. (Thanks,ronaldscott!)
In-N-Out Burger: Has their “secret” menu posted on their website, but a tipster writes in: “Not only can you get an animal style burger but you can also get animal style fries which are amazing. It’s fries piled with onions, cheese and sauce and they come with a fork.” In addition, we hear several voices calling from the mist, whispering that the secret menu doesn’t stop at 4 x 4., but may, in fact, go on to infinity. Or at least to 100 x 100…
(Thanks, xapplexjuicex!)
Starbucks: Starbucks will make you absolutely anything you want no matter how insane it is, according to our tipster.
“Baristas might try and tell their customers that no, we can’t do that with the blenders. This is a lie. Starbucks corporate policy is that the customer is ALWAYS right (even when the request is stupid). If you really insist that you want your iced soy latte blended, the baristas HAVE to do it. If they continue to refuse, ask to speak to a manager and either they’ll realize they’re about to get in trouble and will fill your request, or the manager will come out and politely tell the barista to make the customer happy.
Absolutely any concoction that you can think of (involving any type of milk, syrup, coffee, etc.) will be made for you. The limits to Starbucks “secret menu” are merely the limits of your imagination. You can even bring supplements from home and ask the barista to please include that in your drink.”
Well, damn.
Dairy Queen: Reader Falconfire says: “I couldn’t even begin to tell you the list of Dairy Queen secret menu items. Lets put it this way, there is a huge book every DQ has to have, you want it, it’s in there. It may not be listed as a item, but the instruction on how to make it and what to use are in there as well as how it is rung up. About the only thing they cant make is seasonal items, since they usually require a ingredient not carried normally.”
Chili’s: According to Reader Elara, they no longer have chili on the menu (what?) but if you ask them, they’ll bring you a cup.
Blimpie: Attention veggie-lovers: Reader VeryFancyBunny says: “Blimpie used to have a sandwich called the “Cheese Trio” on the menu. They took it off years ago (at least around here), but I’ve been able to order it with no problem. Otherwise, all their sandwiches involve meat.”
Burger King: Try the “mustard whopper,” a whopper with mustard rather than mayo, from Reader dwneylonsr, and the “veggie whopper” from VeryFancyBunny, which is just a whopper with the meat omitted. Reader sixtoe suggests attempting to get the “Bull’s-Eye BBQ Burger.”
Popeye’s: mullenite suggests ordering the “Naked Chicken,” which is chicken with no breading. Sounds very Atkins.
TGIFriday’s: Readers junkmail and mullenite tell us that TGIF have a “Five Easy Pieces” policy that says they’ll make anything you want with the crap they’ve got in the kitchen.
Denny’s: Speaking of Five Easy Pieces, Reader weave says: “Don’t expect a secret menu at Denny’s. I went in there and asked for a grilled cheese sandwich and they were baffled. They finally decided to give me Moons over My Hammy and toss out the ham — and charge me the full price for it.” Did she hold the ham between her knees?
and finally, at Arby’s: sixtoe likes the “French Dip.”
Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge of the wild and woolly world of nationwide chain restaurants. You are the heroes. Let your indigestion be a mark of your bravery.
Did we forget something? If you’d like to suggest an item for this guide, email tips [at] consumerist [dot] com. Put “Secret Menu” in the subject.
—MEGHANN MARCO
(Photo: cogdogblog)
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In my experience, most sub shops will make you a cheese sub off-menu if you ask for one. The only tricky issue is how much they charge you. Some WAY undercharge by treating it as a lettuce/tomato sub. Others WAY over charge by charging you for a meat sub with a few slices of cheese added. Which REALLY sucks, because you end up getting not enough cheese while being horribly overcharged. I found, though, that most places have a policy on how much cheese to give and how much to charge. Its just not a policy that’s always well communicated to the staff.
No, no, NO, you cannot bring in your own ingredients and have your Starbucks barista add those to your beverages. While you are correct that anything can be blended, and any drink request capable of being made with our IN-STORE resources should (and will) be made for you, it is against our policy to add to beverages anything that the customer has brought in from home. Misinformation like that tends to upset our customers when they (and their lactose-free milk) traipse across town only to be confronted by a barista who may refuse (and get a verbal lashing from the customer) or comply (and get a verbal lashing from the manager).
in n out won’t make anything bigger then a 4×4 now. My friend works at the local one and he says they are not allowed to make big ol burger anymore because they can not “control the quality” of the burgers when they are too big. I think its because they would rather charge for another burger instead of the extra dollar to get another patty.
At BK in New Zealand you can generally order a ‘vegetarian’ Whopper and they will use onion rings in place of the meat patty. Quite tasty I think.
If you need a variation on your caffiene jolt, ask for an ‘Undertow’ at Starbucks. It’s a shot of vanilla, 6-8oz of cold half and half, and a triple shot on top. It’s a pretty awesome layered shooter, and the vanilla swirls up from the bottom. A bit of a novelty, but the baristas swear by them when they get on shift.
I used to work at a B&N cafe. I don’t know the store policies for every Sbux or B&N cafe but I do know that we could make a soy frap. It wasn’t exactly like a normal frap, because it didn’t have the mix in it but I seem to recall that it had vanilla bean powder if it were a creme based frap and coffee/espresso for the coffee based frap.
I don’t remember exactly how it was charged but I believe it was put in like a flavored iced coffee.
I used to work at Au Bon Pain and we made chicken-less Chicken Ceaser Wraps all the time. There was no way to enter this in the computer so they’d go in as a lettuce and cheese wrap and a CSR would have to go tell the sandwich techs what it was really supposed to be. It was more work but we never complained about it. However, even when I worked at Au Bon Pain I preferred D’Angelo’s Caeser wraps! And I think they even have the meatless version on their menu.
I’m also familiar with Taco Bell’s general willingness to substitute refried beans for meat on any item. I’ve been with (vegetarian) people who’ve ordered the Nachos Supreme with beans instead of beef, for example, and don’t think they add a surcharge.
oh another Au Bon Pain item, popular among empolyees, was “Half and Half,” which, like the Nantucket Nectars juice, is half lemon aid and half unsweetened iced tea.
Talking about Custom things….. and Denny’s, My buddy Trevor’s mom was drunk ages ago, walked into the kitchen of Denny’s and made the “Super Bird”, and that is where it came from. She now has free privileges to the said sandwich at Denny’s locations.
I once ordered a sugar-free caramel frappuccino (a friend asked me to order it for them) at Starbucks and when I asked for it, a look of horror came across the barista’s face and he told me in an anxious voice that he didn’t think it was possible to make a sugar-free caramel frappuccino. He then turned to his co-barrista and when she heard, she got the same look of horror and confirmed it in the same anxious voice. I nearly burst out laughing and told them that that was fine and I would take it with sugar then.
Hey im just here to say that theres a secret menu item for in-n-out that was omitted from the ‘secret menu’ menu. its called the flying dutchman and all it is is just two patties with cheese. theres no other ingredients.
The Starbucks thing is BS. They will add any syrup to any frap, add shots of espresso blended in or on top, but you can’t bring anything from home, as that’s a health code violation. We don’t know what’s in it. I’m not going to make some kid sick because you want your vodka or crystal meth added to your extra caramel frap. Save that for your own house. That said, when I was a barista, I did like being able to suggest new drinks and modifications to people who would ask. So if your local Starbucks isn’t too busy, go in and ask the barista for something cold, or fruity, or sweet, and they will more than likely be willing to recommend something, or a way to modify an existing drink (for example, a non-fat, sugar-free vanilla caramel machiatto, or a sugar-free caramel light frap, or an extra hot caramel mocha). The peppermint white mocha is great, hot or as a creme frappuccino. It tastes like Christmas, but you can get it all year long, since the peppermint syrup is always stocked.
Baja fresh will do any menu item vegetarian or with any meat. For example, fish and shrimp can be used in fajitas, quesadillas, nachos, etc, even if only steak, chicken and carnitas are mentioned on the menu, but they might cost more. I’ve also gotten the nacho burrito with no chicken. They’ll take things off, substitute chips for rice and beans, etc.
I went to Starbucks and asked for a simple Banana Carmel Frappichino (it used to be on the menu) and they refused to serve me it. Of course it had to be the day that I went to the Starbucks at Vons, which has no manager onsite. So don’t lie and say that they’ll make you anything, because they won’t.
I work for Jamba so I just thought I would let some of you Jamba fans know that you can’t necessarily order everything on these lists because we don’t have the recipes for them in every store. If you’re lucky enuf to get a team member who has worked there for awhile you can probably order most of these, but I have worked there for a year and I only know how to make about 4 things on these lists. In California you have the best chance (cuz this is where Jamba started). The older more established stores are your best bet. Also, you can modify any smoothie.
@davidwisz:
why would i want to live longer if i have to eat a bunch of boring vegetables to do it? no thanks. and it’s not true that none of it is organic. certain items from many chain restaurants are organic. and fast food may not be healthy, but it is not unhealthy either.
I don’t have time to read all the comments, so it may already be said, but under no circumstances are Starbucks employees allowed to add ingredients brought from home by a customer. They will certainly leave room for you to add them yourselves, but they can’t do it for you. They also can’t add anything from the “RTD” (Ready to Drink) section to your drink. So no asking for an Italian soda with that Pelligrino from the refrigerator section.
My husband is a Starbucks manager and he would simply smile at you and explain the policy.
Otherwise, though, you really can do anything you want. Even if you do seem like a total poseur.
@HungryGrrl: Half lemonade and half iced tea is known as an “Arnold Palmer”
@SexCpotatoes: I order it all the time. There is a double cheeseburger value meal too.
@OnwardChristianLaettner: Don’t be a prick to the employees. It isn’t an excuse as doing anything to anyone’s food is uncalled for. But it is amazing what they will do for you if you are nice and respect them as human beings.
So here’s the deal with Jamba:
These ‘Secret Menu’ smoothies are creations of Jamba employees that make the rounds at GM conferences. They don’t always have the same names or the same ingredients from store to store. And some of the names listed here don’t really exist. All Jamba employees sign a confidentiality agreement upon hiring that includes drink recipes, so trying to get one of them to tell you what’s in the drinks usually isn’t going to fly.
You can order a few of these drinks in stores but there is no button for them – the employee on register makes the necessary substitutions to an already existing drink. The only exceptions are the White Gummi, the Pink Star, and the Strawberry Shortcake. For example: a Red Gummi is simply a White Gummi, no mango, sub strawberries. Don’t complain because you were charged for a white gummi.
Which is another point. Any customer can make any modification to any drink with our available ingredients. Just don’t try to substitute dry ingredients for wet ones. That’s just stupid. And don’t complain when you don’t like the way it tastes. Your stupid ass chose the ingredients.
The reason these drinks aren’t on the menu is because of the health concerns. These drinks are loaded with sugar and calories. An original size of a White Gummi or a Pink Star contains twelve ounces of sherbet and only three ounces of fruit.
Go the smart way and order from the menu.
@drewheyman:
I agree. Over-pious food puritans are the scourge of the earth.
You’ve got to have an even keel with the “good” stuff and the “bad” stuff, meaning you shouldn’t be guilt-tripped into eating what some guilt-riddled organic food worshiper demands you to eat. Want that 6x6x6 In-n-Out burger? Cut way the hell back on the sugary soda – drink plenty of water instead. Like your freshly-prepared, 100% organic salad? No one’s going to haul you off to jail if you stop by Ben and Jerry’s for a Cherry Garcia or a soy latte from Starbucks.
On the other hand, overdoing fast food or any other food, no matter what the food content is, will cause problems down the road, including vegetarian/vegan foods. (All those “diseases” davidwisz described only happen in extreme, rare cases. And yes, throwing around numbers doesn’t make it so.)
Again, balance and control is the key, and if you have that in hand, ordering “off the menu” is fine by me.
I’m a former Starbucks Barista, and I can tell you that what you say is mostly true, but the main limit is the Health Code, which pretty much forbids the company (in most places) from using stuff people bring from home.
Also, there’s some stuff they REALLY can’t put in the blender, due to health code, and if they do, they can get in serious trouble, depending on the state codes.
Examples of stuff I was asked to do, but couldn’t:
Cut a lemon up (due to type of store food service license)
Use a customer’s Rice milk in making an iced latte (we gave her shots over ice instead, and she added the rice milk)
Steam a customer’s goats milk (not allowed at all, if you see a barista steaming something that a customer brought in, please report it to health officials)
Toast a bagel
Microwave a bagel (these may have changed at stores that now have the breakfast sandwhiches, as they require a modified food service permit, at least in IL)
Blend a cookie into a drink
Things I was asked to do that I did:
make an “iced cappuccino” (a cappuccino is made from steamed and foamed milk, and when it is iced, it makes a kind of disgusting sludge, as compared to an iced latte, which is made with cold milk, some markets will not allow this, as it’s considered to be “insanitary”)
steam milk above a certain temperature or below a certain temperature (just not allowed by the health code where i worked)
I could name dozens of things from both categories, but i think you get the gist of things.
Okay, okay so I love secret menus, don’t get me wrong, Animal Style fries made my adolescence lovely (occasionally lol). BUT the post about Starbucks..if someone tells you that they can’t make something…youre going to ask to see their manager? Has anyone ever worked in customer service here? My goodness. I work at a Chipotle-style burrito place called Qdoba and people ask us to put stuff on the Quesadilla press all the time. I’m not a bitch, but we can’t do that..it’ll ruin the machine. If I said no and someone asked to see my manager I think I’d be a little peeved. I think secret menus are fun but let’s not make those of us who make minimum wage’s lives hell because youre bored!
Okay, there’s my rant..sorry(:
I have only seen it at about 5 Jamba locations, but some folks know how to make a Big Sandy.
It is simply a Mango Mantra, with a Heart Happy boost and the “secret” part is the 1 oz shot of wheat grass they put in it. It tastes green and sweet at the same time. If you get it with two ounces, it’s named a Hank, since I am the only one who gets it that way.
If you can post this, maybe word will get around, so the rest of the stores can make it, too. It’s still kind of hard to find.
Thanks,
Hank
Can’t you order a captain 52 or something like that at in-n-out in order to get the fries on the burger?
Denny’s… I didn’t want bacon, sausage or ham with my order, so I asked If I could have some hash browns. The girl said yes, but then came back and said I HAD to choose a meat. She couldn’t even give them to me for a few extra cents or whatever. I didn’t want them enough to order them as a separate item.
One thing to keep in mind for the secret menus is that you have to know how to make it yourself in some cases (in particular ingredients). I know that any jamba juice nearby asks me what goes n the “specialty” drinks
The Starbucks thing is mostly true. I managed a Starbucks up until 5 months ago, and we will blend anything you want together (and charge you for it). However it is against company policy to blend anything we don’t sell in the store. This is a food safety issue and quality concern. Also if you like mixing syrups and keep it within the amount normally put in a drink, they shouldn’t charge extra, i.e. A Venti latte gets 6 pumps of syrup, it doesn’t matter if you mix and match. However if you mix and get more than 6 pumps they are supposed to charge for the additional syrup. If you choose just one syrup you can get unlimited pumps though.
I have in fact ordered the Matterhorn at Baskin Robbins, its not on the menu, but most stores have old training guides lying around from when it was
At Starbucks, is brown sugar (the one with molasses, not the unbleached kind) reserved for the cereal only (as conveyed by the cashier|baritsa)? Or, is it possible to have ~1.75 teaspoon of brown sugar for a small Americano (with chocolate & bit of steamed milk)?
Jack-in-the-Box will also make anything you want as long as they have the ingredients.
I personally like to order a Jumbo Jack with an egg on it.
Chili’s never took chili off the menu; I don’t know how this idea got started. It’s there, listed with the soups, like it always has been.
Heres one…Taco Johns: Super hot sauce. Just ask for “green sauce” or “super hot” and you get a fresh cup of pureed jalapenos to put on your tex-mex fare.
If you like Capn’ Crunch with Crunchberries, try this: At Starbucks order a Strawberries and Cream frapp, add +1 shot of hazlenut and +1 toffeenut. Hollyyyyy Crunchberries! Awesome drink!
In-n-Out does NOT go past 4×4 now. Those frat boys that got the 100×100 ruined it for everyone, it’s now policy to top out at 4. No matter how nicely you ask.
I used to work at a TGI Friday’s and remember delivering chicken parmesan to a customer when it was not a menu item. The manager visited the table to make sure the customer liked it. They also carry all the crap to make any of your discontinued favorites from the menu, as far as I know. Try ordering the orange chicken last featured in like 1999. I bet they crank it out.
Why is the consumerist telling people how to kill themselves faster and cheaper?
because this is America and there is freedom of speech?
just like you have the freedom to read the site or go elsewhere. But you are here, aren’t you?