The Most-Ordered Menu Items From Each Fast Food Chain

Ever since the creation of a humble White Castle in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921, the abundance of fast food restaurants in just about every neighborhood has been one of the  defining characteristics of America. 

As of 2023, there are 201,865 fast-food restaurants operating in the U.S. According to a survey by The Barbecue Lab, most Americans eat fast food about one to three times a week, and a third of all Americans are eating fast food at any given point of the day.

Simply put? We love our fast food. But what are most people really buying when they pull into the drive-thru? Many of our favorite establishments are known for certain items (like McDonald's Big Mac or Dairy Queen's iconic Blizzard), but that doesn't mean these are the most popular items on the menu. Some of the most ordered menu items at your favorite fast-food restaurants may surprise you.

This one should come as no surprise. When one thinks of Burger King, the legendary Whopper is the first menu item that comes to mind, and it's also the most ordered item on the menu. Ever since its introduction in 1957, when it was sold for a humble 37 cents, it has shot up in popularity, especially among Burger King fans.

The Whopper features a quarter-pound of beef that is flame-grilled and added to a sesame seed bun with tomato, pickles, lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, and sliced onion. The iconic burger stays true to its roots at all of its locations around the world, even in Australia, where Burger King is called "Hungry Jack's." Although it might not be as big as its main competitor, McDonald's Big Mac (which wasn't created until 10 years after), the Whopper will always have its place in the fast food scene as one of its original big burgers.

If you venture over to Arby's, you probably won't be surprised to find the most popular item on its menu is the Classic Roast Beef Sandwich. The Classic Roast Beef Sandwich is highly popular among customers. It's a simple sandwich, with thinly sliced roast beef stacked up on a toasted sesame bun, that's best when it's dipped in the restaurant's Arby's Sauce.

Interestingly enough, founders Leroy and Forrest Raffel went with roast beef because they wanted to mix it up while everyone else was opening burger joints. Sure, they copied the fast-food system used by other franchises like McDonald's and Burger King, but they wanted something that set them apart. According to Leroy Raffel, the day that Arby's opened, McDonad's hamburger was 15 cents while Arby's sandwich was 69 cents, so you had to spend a bit more money to buy Arby's sandwich (via NBC). It seems like he made the right decision, as the sandwich is still Arby's most popular item decades later.

Chipotle has surged as one of the most popular upcoming fast-food franchises in America over the past decade. One of the keys to its success is that it has a small menu that offers a lot of choices. This not only allows customers to get exactly what they want with their order, but it also allows Chipotle to stock fresher ingredients and provides quick service. It seems like the strategy worked: Chipotle reported its total revenue increased by 14.4 percent to $8.6 billion in 2022.

So what are people actually ordering when they visit the Mexican fast-food chain? According to communications director Chris Arnold, while the chain doesn't really release its data, simply looking at the service line and finding out the most popular menu item at each point is enough to point us in the right direction (via Inverse). Surprisingly, the most popular vessel for Chipotle's fresh ingredients isn't the burrito, but the burrito bowl. 

Going down the line, you'll find the other popular ingredients include white rice, black beans, chicken, mild tomato salsa, cheese, and lettuce. Of course, seeing as how Chipotle is all about customization, it can be hard to nail down the most popular orders. As long as you get chips and guac with your order, it all sounds good to us.

When you think of Wendy's, the first thing that comes to mind is probably its iconic square patties on circular buns or its refreshing Frosty soft-served ice cream. You might think of the legendary "Where's the Beef?" commercial that was so popular it led to a 31 percent boost in Wendy's annual revenue. The advertisement featured Clara Peller, and it was so popular that it even led to a special line of merchandise. 

What you might not know is Wendy's hot 'n' crispy french fries are its most popular item, topping all other menu options, including the Baconator and the spicy chicken nuggets. Wendy's makes its naturally cut fries with 100 percent Russet potatoes that are topped with the perfect amount of sea salt. According to Wendy's, these fries are for people who like tasty fries rather than soggy potato sticks. 

Panda Express is defined by its flavorful Chinese cuisine mixed with bold American flavors and may very well be responsible for what the world sees as American-Chinese cuisine in general. That fusion-style cuisine is often represented by one specific dish: Orange Chicken. This dish is not only the most popular dish at the franchise, but it's also the chain's claim to fame. 

It was originally created in 1987 by Andy Kao, the company's executive chef. Back then, it was made with the bone and skin still on, and it was much spicier. It was inspired by the Sichuan appetizer chenpi niurou (tangerine peel beef). Today, the delicious orange chicken has evolved into boneless, crispy chicken doused in a sweet-savory orange sauce that helped make Panda Express one of the most successful Asian chain restaurants in the world.

Long before Detroit-based pizza shop Little Caesars became a national icon for fast pizza, it began with a blind date between Marian Bayoff and Mike Ilitch in 1954. The couple would invest their life savings into creating the first store in a suburb of Detroit. Today, Little Caesars puts a whole new meaning to the words "fast food." 

In 1997, Little Caesars came up with the Hot-N-Ready menu: It's a genius idea in which a customer could come into a store craving pizza and pretty much straight away walk out with a hot one seconds later. How does Little Caesars do it? After the pizzas are baked fresh, they are set in a warmer oven, awaiting their hungry owners. The franchise's Hot-N-Ready Pepperoni Pizzas are its most popular item on the menu since it literally takes seconds to start eating them. It's an easy and convenient option that's too good to resist. 

Someone usually brings up the Texas-based Church's Chicken in the never-ending argument about which fried chicken fast food joint reigns supreme. This regional restaurant brings the incredibly unique flavor of Texas. It was born in San Antonio in 1952, right across the street from the Alamo. 

Although some people swear it has some of the best fried chicken in the nation, you might be surprised to find the most popular item on its menu is its creamy mashed potatoes topped with rich, savory gravy. Offering good mashed potatoes is a sign of a strong fried chicken franchise.

In 1939, a man named Harland Sanders began operating at a gas station, where he created and sold his legendary fried chicken. Harland's food became incredibly popular, and in 1937, he established Sanders Court and Cafe. Although the restaurant closed, Sanders franchised his recipe under the name "Kentucky Fried Chicken." 

Today, the franchise has more than 25 thousand restaurants around the world serving up the Colonel's irresistible fried chicken and sides. Despite the popularity of so many of its different menu items, like popcorn chicken, chicken pot pie, and mashed potatoes and gravy, nothing comes close to the Original Recipe Chicken Bucket.

Since the bucket's inception in 1957 (more than 20 years after the founding of KFC), the fried chicken has been served with the same secret recipe the Colonel developed. When you order a bucket, you can choose anything from an 8-piece to a 16-piece of arguably the best fast-food fried chicken you can get.

If you're a regular at Raising Cane's, you probably already know the menu is not very big at all, and for good reason. There's basically one decision you need to make, and that's regarding the size of the chicken fingers box. You can get a "3 Finger," a "box" (four fingers), or the "Caniac" (six fingers). If you're having a party, you can get the tailgate boxes, which have the choices of 25, 50, 75, or even 100 fingers.

The box combo is the most popular option here. You get four of Raising Cane's signature hand-breaded chicken fingers, a side of crinkle-cut fries, a big piece of Texas Toast, one of Raising Cane's signature sauces, and a regular-sized drink. Who needs a big menu when you have the best chicken fingers around?

For the uninitiated, Boston Market is a fast-casual restaurant that was created to make wonderful rotisserie meals. So it should come as no surprise the restaurant's most popular meal is the half rotisserie chicken meal.

This meal comes with half of an all-natural roasted rotisserie chicken, two sides like garlic dill potatoes, cilantro lime rice, mac and cheese, or mashed potatoes. Finish it with a tasty piece of cornbread, and you've got a homey, American comfort meal. It's a lot of food, but it's also the meal that gives you the most bang for your buck.

In-N-Out started out as California's first humble drive-thru hamburger stand (that only took up 10 square feet), and it has turned into one of the most renowned hamburgers in the world. During its beginnings in 1948, founder Harry Snyder would visit the markets to pick up the freshest ingredients every day before dawn, then prepare everything by hand for the burger shop. 

Today, In-N-Out's menu is famously small and simple, with a not-so-secret secret menu to go along with it. You can basically choose from your size of hamburger or cheeseburger, french fries, drinks, and milkshakes. But it's no surprise In-N-Out's most ordered item is the classic Double-Double. It consists of two beef patties, two slices of American cheese, onions, tomato, lettuce, and In-N-Out's famous spread. The burgers still have the quality and freshness Harry Snyder dedicated himself to in 1948.

Shake Shack might be one of the most renowned burger joints in the world now, but not many people may not know about its specific origins. Skake Shack began as a hot dog stand in Madison Square Park established by chef and founder Danny Meyer. Today, Shake Shack's menu offers gourmet hamburgers, milkshakes, and its signature crinkle-cut french fries. 

Although its menu has expanded to include gourmet offerings like the white truffle burger, the 'shroom burger (with a big ol' portobello mushroom as the patty), or its famous Chicken Shack, one menu item is still the most popularly ordered: The ShackBurger. The classic that brought Shake Shack to fame features Angus beef, tomato, lettuce, and Shake Shack's patented ShackSauce, all on a toasted potato bun. It's worth lining up for, but seeing as how it has more than 400 locations globally (and not just the one in Madison Square Park), it should be a bit easier to get your hands on one.

Although the chicken wing is one of the most universally loved foods throughout America, there's usually only one spot people think of when they think of fast-food chicken wings: Wingstop. The wing joint was founded in 1994 in Dallas when pizza shop owner Antonio Swad noticed one thing about pizza shops: There were too many. He decided that making a restaurant solely devoted to wings was a good choice, and it's now in the top 50 chain restaurants in the country.

Wingstop has several flavors that could be crowned as the "best" ones on the menu, like its spicy Korean Q, mango habanero, garlic parmesan, or lemon pepper, but the classic original hot wings are still the most ordered item on the menu. It might not be the most out-there flavor, but it hits the spot every time with its spicy, tangy kick.