9 Best Viral Fast Food Chain Orders Ever

You never know what foods will go viral. Whether it's the Korean cheese bread that platforms like TikTok made popular a few years ago or secret menu hacks, people like getting to try something new that's a little unexpected. So, we decided to take a look at some of social media's hottest trending fast food modifications to see if we could determine which ones people enjoy the most. It wasn't an easy task because Food & Beverage Magazine found that 84% of Gen Z customers will seek out trending social media foods to try. That means there are a slew of hacks to wade through. 

To determine which foods to include, we had to define what viral means. We landed on items that were popular on multiple platforms and often required modifying foods that already exist on the menu. Some of these hacks took years to spread, while others caught on in a massive way in just a few weeks. Either way, these are a few of the most popular and tasty fast food items you can find on social media and how to order them.

Taco Bell is known for many things, and having a highly customizable menu is one of them. Whether you want a potato taco, nachos, or a quesadilla, the late-night staple has you covered. One popular item you won't find on the menu has gone viral on social media — The Incredible Hulk burrito. This multi-layered meal replaces the usual nacho cheese sauce on a beefy five-layer burrito with guacamole, giving the treat a green hue. Pico de gallo is added in place of shredded cheese, and the interior tortilla is removed, giving this burrito less carbs, but just as much flavor as the one it's based on.

Fans point out that you can order The Incredible Hulk in the app and say the result is rich, fresh, and smooth. The guacamole gives it a more vibrant flavor, and the burrito is heavy with all the filling. Just don't ask for it by name because odds are the employee won't know what you want. And ,don't forget to upgrade it by getting it grilled, either. It's a free enhancement that adds another layer of flavor and texture. 

In-N-Out Burger proudly acknowledges its "not-so-secret" menu, although you won't find all of the possible modifications on the chain's website. There are reportedly over 30 hacks people can try at the restaurant, with one of the most popular being the Flying Dutchman. The bun-less burger includes two slices of cheese and two beef patties, and that's it, although it can be ordered "onion-wrapped," meaning two grilled onions act as the bun. 

The off-menu item has been around for decades, but social media has made it into a viral sensation over the past few years. New iterations of it are becoming popular, too, such as the onion-wrapped, three-patty Flying Dutchman. Many fans enjoy that the hack gives them a low-carb way to enjoy a burger, and others say they love the taste, even if it can be a bit greasy to hold. One person on Reddit even called it the "Best Burger I've Ever Had." 

While McDonald's doesn't have an official secret menu, there are plenty of viral hacks to be made from its regular items. Things like a hash brown McMuffin or a Land, Air, and Sea (a combination of a McChicken, Big Mac, and a Filet-O-Fish) take the usual foods to different levels of flavor and texture. For one of the best value hacks, you can try what's been dubbed the Poor Man's Big Mac. This involves getting a double cheeseburger and removing the ketchup and mustard before adding shredded lettuce and Big Mac sauce. It's very similar to Food Republic's hack of making an In-N-Out animal style burger with many of the same ingredients. 

Fans say it's cheaper than a regular Big Mac and eliminates the unnecessary middle slice of bread. Reviewers note it tastes just like the more expensive burger, with a lot of flavor without a lot of hassle. Others say the hack results in a better experience because the lettuce and other ingredients seem fresher when ordered this way. If you want to decide for yourself if the difference is worth it, just order the double cheeseburger "like a Mac." 

Wendy's does things a little differently from many other fast food chains. The restaurant has square beef patties for its burgers and serves baked potatoes, as well as fries. It's also known for its distinctive tasting chili, whether customers buy it in a cup or by the bucket. Loyal fans of the franchise know to top the baked potato with some of the chili, before adding cheese, sour cream, and sometimes crackers. The item was once an off-menu hack that's been around almost as long as the chain itself. In fact, the item was so popular that the restaurant added a chili and cheese baked potato to the permanent menu in 1983. 

But, if you can just buy a cheesy potato with chili already, what makes it a hack? Well, because the potatoes are easily customizable, fans can make all manner of combinations from the item. Some people opt for broccoli and cheese versions before adding the chili. Another hack is to use chicken tenders or a hamburger patty to add even more flavor and texture to the meal. A pro tip is to put the cheese and sour cream on before pouring on the chili. The heat from the meaty soup will melt the rest of it as it sinks into the potato. Fans say the combination is simple, but tasty, and praise the crispiness of the potato's skin. So feel free to get creative the next time you're at the restaurant and want to make a meal from a potato or two.

Taco Bell's nacho fries have been a hit since they first appeared in 2018. The crispy potatoes are covered in a spicy cheese powder and were popular enough that they've been brought back several times over the past eight years. In fact, they're so sought-after that Taco Bell just announced the fries would be a permanent menu item starting in 2026. That's great news for fans who love the potatoes on their own or paired with other menu items, such as the grilled cheese nacho fries or as part of any  burrito you'd care to modify or create.

Customers have been able to add the fries to any menu item they like since they first debuted. That led to hits like the steak nacho fries burrito in 2022, and fans kept piling them on whenever they were available. Another popular hack was to add the potatoes to a chili cheese burrito before grilling the whole thing to make the outside warm and lightly crisp. Yet another hack that was once on the menu is to turn a regular burrito into a seven-layer one with nacho fries, black beans, guacamole, cheese sauce, tomatoes, sour cream, and seasoned beef. No matter how you like to modify your order, the fries finally being a permanent item will make it that much easier, and tastier, to do so whenever you want. 

Founded in 1953, Sonic Drive-In is an iconic fast food chain known for its tater tots, chili cheese dogs, onion rings, and, of course, drinks. In fact, one of the main attractions to the chain is how customizable the drinks are. That's one reason, the restaurant has such an extensive "secret menu" for its beverages. Whether you're getting a soda or a specialty drink, it'll come with the famous nugget ice that many people can't resist chewing after the liquid is gone. One of the most popular hacks is sometimes called a Twisted Flamingo or Pink Lady. It takes a regular, plain sprite and adds a pump or two of vanilla and cherry syrups and a splash of cream, effectively making it a "dirty" version of the simple soda.

Many customers online give the drink a 10/10 rating. According to social media posts and reviews, it's light and refreshing, making it the perfect summer drink. Fans love the smoothness of the beverage and the flavor. Some people even add ice cream in place of the cream, making a thick milkshake from the hack. The drink's so sought-after that some locations offer it as a digital exclusive. Even if your local Sonic doesn't, it's still one of the easiest drinks to create. In fact, one pro tip is to order the beverage in the app so it's half-off the usual price. Tasty indeed. 

The grilled cheese burger from Five Guys has been around online since at least 2021. But, the secret menu item seemed to really take off in 2022 and 2023. Numerous social media posts across platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit showed people trying the hack. Even Food Republic let people know how to order the item in 2025. If you're curious, just order one or two grilled cheeses, as many burger patties as you'd like, and add whatever toppings you enjoy. Voila'! You have a meaty, cheesy sandwich with a buttery, crunchy top and bottom. 

Because the chain has such a large selection of toppings, people customize the burger in a variety of ways. Some go for grilled onions, barbecue sauce, mayo, and bacon, while others prefer mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, and pickles. The resulting burger has been called amazing, and the people who try it tend to agree. The hack was even popular enough that in 2024, the chain put it on the regular menu as the patty melt at many Five Guys locations. 

One of the most viral fast food items of all time is the Popeyes' chicken sandwich. The crunchy meal debuted in 2019 and quickly began selling out nationwide after a tweet made it go viral across multiple platforms. The craze reached a fever pitch within a few weeks, and one man even sued the fast food giant after he was unable to buy one. Unfortunately, there were also several violent incidents over people trying to get the sandwiches, with one person even being fatally stabbed after an argument about cutting in line. When the chain reintroduced the item a few months later, a few restaurants still sold out, but it was nothing like the August free-for-all. 

While this one isn't a hack or secret menu item, that doesn't mean it hasn't earned it's moment in the spotlight. Some social media users call the sandwich the best of all the fast food chicken options, and the ones that don't go that far still say it's delicious. 

Chick-fil-A began testing its now iconic mac and cheese in 2018. Fans were immediately impressed, and it didn't take long for the fast food chain to make it a permanent menu item. Since then, the mac and cheese has made its way into other menu items, thanks to various ordering tips, like asking for a scoop of it to be placed on top of one of the sandwiches. 

One of the biggest off-menu items to take over social media platforms came in early 2020. A woman in Indiana named Jenee Suggs showed everyone how to make buffalo chicken mac and cheese with a cup of the creamy noodles, three chicken strips cut into bite-sized pieces, and a buffalo sauce packet or two. The result was a spicy and savory treat the internet couldn't get enough of. Even the Chick-fil-A in Times Square got in on the action with a post showing how to hack the mac and cheese with grilled chicken nuggets instead of fried ones. 

The trend is still going strong today. People across social media platforms have shown how they modify the hack to their own taste, with many of them upping the protein with larger portions of grilled chicken. Another tip, straight from the official Flemington Chick-fil-A's social media, is to get a salad container so you can shake or stir the ingredients together with less mess. 

Finding items for this list was a daunting task. Not only is the definition of "viral" quite flexible, but viral foods seem to be everywhere. To find the items that belonged on this list, I began by deciding that the foods would have to appear across several online platforms and have multiple people trying them. After that, I created a pool of fast food candidates and began to research social media, comment threads, and formal reviews to find which ones were considered the best across them. It was only after the items were verified to be highly rated across multiple sites from numerous people that the foods were chosen.