The 9 Best New Fast Food Menu Items Of September 2026

Can you believe it? September is here, and if the kids haven't gone back to school already, they certainly will be heading there soon. Now, August was a busy month for fast food restaurants pumping out new menu items, with the likes of Wendy's and Jimmy John's releasing never-before-tasted foods. But September is shaping up to be just as exciting, because McDonald's, Burger King, and even Domino's are marking the month with new products.

There is truly something for everyone, too, from new nuggets, to sweet treats, to — of course — fall-flavored beverages, and even a major celebrity collab. If the back-to-school schedule has you in a time crunch or a tizzy, know that you can head to any of these nine fast food drive-thrus for a quick dinner (or afternoon pick-me-up) and get something that will spark new joy in your taste buds. And as ever, remember that prices may vary based on your location, or in some cases, the cost might have yet to be released.

Perhaps the only thing better than regular McNuggets is a spicy version, which McDonald's is putting back on its menu starting September 1. While it's true that the burger chain, which currently boasts nearly 42,000 stores across the globe, initially released these in 2021, that was so long ago we've forgotten what they tasted like. So, let the mouth-burning begin (again), but only for a limited time.

Spicy Chicken McNuggets are available now at McDonald's starting at $1.99.

Not to be outdone by its rival McDonald's, Burger King also has something brewing in the nugget category: Chicken nuggets made with a new recipe (after years of customer feedback), plus a limited-time dipping sauce to help mark the occasion. The Special Savory Sauce sounds intriguing — it's a savory and garlicky blend that will no doubt complement the new nuggets to a T.

New-recipe chicken nuggets and Special Savory Sauce available now at Burger King starting at $1.99.

If you love Taco Bell and Olivia Roderigo, boy, do we have a crossover for you. The pop superstar is releasing a new Baja Blast flavor in conjunction with the taco chain, a pretty fuchsia-pink soda with a name that mirrors the title of her latest album, "You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So In Love." While the pink lemonade-tinged beverage is currently available at Live Más Cafés, it will be released in late September nationwide, but only for a limited time.

You Seem Pretty Pink for a Baja Blast available nationwide September 24 at Taco Bell, starting at around $2.79.

Culver's, it seems, is always doing the most when it comes to its menu, with its made-from-scratch mashed potatoes and pot roast sandwiches. So it should come as no surprise that come early September, the midwestern chain is releasing two new sweet treats as part of its custard line-up: The Pumpkin S'Mores Concrete Mixer and an Oreo Reese's Cheesecake Custard flavor, as part of its Flavor of the Day line-up.

Oreo Reese's Cheesecake Custard is available September 2, starting at $3.09; Pumpkin S'Mores Concrete Mixer is available September 8 (price yet to be released), both at Culver's.

Inventive beverage chain 7 Brew is appealing to both the pumpkin and apple sides of the fall flavor aisle with its latest September drop, featuring five new beverages on its menu. There's the Original Pumpkin Blondie Breve, the Drizzled Apple 7 Brew Energy Frozen Chiller, the Caramel Apple Pie Macchiato, the Apple Butter Chai, and the Pumpkin Roll Shake.

These fall-themed drinks are available now at 7 Brew, starting at around $4.50.

While Bacon Fest is a returning event at Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, the fast food chain is introducing four delectably bacon-y limited-time additions to the line-up. These include the Smoky Bacon Cheddar Stack, the Smoky Bacon Steakburger Taco, the Bacon Loaded Tots, and the Maple Pecan Concrete.

Bacon Fest, featuring these four items, starts September 2 at Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, with prices yet to be released.

While it officially went on the market the day before September started, we think it's close enough — and significant enough — to include Domino's latest offering, a single-serving Detroit-style pizza called (appropriately) The Domino. It's perfectly portioned for just one person, removing the illusion that you might be willing to share.

The Domino is available at Domino's for $5.99.

Another last-day-of-August addition, the newest treats at Dairy Queen are a blizzard of sweetness (see what we did there?). Along with the returning Pumpkin Pie Blizzard, a fan-hit, DQ is introducing a Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Blizzard to its line-up of creamy indulgences, as well as a Toasted Marshmallow Mocha DQ Coffee Cooler cold brew-based beverage.

The Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Blizzard, starting at $4.29, and the Toasted Marshmallow Mocha DQ Coffee Cooler, starting at just $3, are available now at Dairy Queen.

Fall might be just around the corner, but Popeyes is apparently resisting the urge to roll out pumpkin- or apple-anything and is keeping the summery vibes going. Its new line-up of pineapple beverages will no doubt transport you right to the tropics.

Pineapple Lemonade, Frozen Pineapple Lemonade, and Pineapple Iced Tea start at $3.49, and are available now at Popeyes.