Ordering Off The “Secret” Menu

"Frings" half fries/half onion rings is one of many fast food secret menu items.

BY JOSLYN TOMBACK

It’s not everyday that you stroll into a restaurant and order something so bizarre it’s not even mentioned on the menu. It pretty much goes without saying that making an inquiry about a peanut butter and jelly smoothie would normally result in bizarre look. Well, that’s exactly what I did earlier this week, and to my delight, my request was taken as a nonchalant business transaction. The location of my order was nowhere spectacular, simply the neighborhood Jamba Juice.

Some of our most commonly visited fast food establishments are equipped with a myriad of off the menu items we don’t know about. These secret menus offer peculiar combinations and out- of- the- box entrees’ to the privileged few in the know. However, keep in mind not all our loved eateries have the ingredients on deck to serve up your request; but it certainly doesn’t hurt to ask.

“Only patrons coming for years know about our other menu, just consisting of old items from previous menu cycles,” Jamba Juice employee Issamar Medina said. “The other day someone asked for our off menu piña colada, which we couldn’t make because we didn’t have coconut sugar on premise. We’re still able to make other hidden menu items, like Sour Patch Kids, Pink Starburst, Fruity Pebbles, even Reeses Pieces.”

Secret menus go farther than the realm of unique smoothie concoctions. Olive Garden, Chick-Fil-A, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Denny’s, Chipotle, Burger King, and Dairy Queen are just a sample of the many restaurants with some very “hush hush” menu items.

Through my restaurant hopping exploration, I was able to confirm that these menus do exist. Starbucks offers four cup sizes, with the little known “short” size for those looking for a cheaper and more compact drink to order. McDonalds allows you to blend one of their pies in a McFlurry, and even offers a chicken and waffle sandwich to those who ask. Burger King even offers “frings”: 1/2 french fries, 1/2 onion rings, ending indecisive ordering.

“If people have a request we try our best to accommodate it, certain things customers’ ask for we can do with no problem,” Chipotle manager Eric Feinblatt said.

With a little Internet research ahead of time and the will to ask for almost anything, you too can penetrate through restaurants’ secret menus.