What You Didn't Know About The Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Secret Menu
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, the Wichita, Kansas-based fast-casual chain with more than 300 locations throughout the U.S., has a secret menu. Of course, you already knew that if you're a FredHead, the nickname for a dedicated fan of Freddy's thin and caramelized smash burgers, Vienna hot dogs, and custard so thick that it can be served upside-down, according to Thrillist. If you're not yet a FredHead, drive to your nearest Freddy's and acquaint yourself with the most popular menu items before exploring the lesser-known.
A proper introduction to Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, as the name suggests, starts with a steakburger. Thrillist calls the sandwich "the beating heart of the restaurant" and suggests ordering a double since the signature patties are smashed so thin. Bite into the crispy, seared-to-order beef with two slices of cheese, mustard, onion, and pickles on a toasted bun, then round things out with shoestring fries and a frozen custard.
You'll likely wonder what goes inside Freddy's secret-recipe fry seasoning and fry sauce, which Freddy's describes as a "tangy twist on traditional ketchup," and decide that you'll just have to come back to investigate.
Freddy's secret menu isn't much of a secret
Similar to chains like In-N-Out Burger and Arby's, Freddy's just couldn't resist making its secret menu a little less than secretive. Both Freddy's and In-N-Out have official websites for their secret menus, detailing the unofficial but popular menu items that customers have enjoyed surreptitiously requesting over the years. Why put so much effort into promoting a "secret?"
Maybe because "secret menus turn loyal customers into advocates," Adrienne Raphel writes in the The New Yorker. Freddy's may figure that dishing on its undercover offerings will excite FredHeads and get them to share their findings with potential customers.
Still, there may be more secrets to discover at Freddy's. A look at its not-so-secret menu shows hacks for its savory offerings — with no mention of how to get in on the secret sweets. Additionally, the chain is absent from sites like Hack the Menu and Secret Menus. Here's a look at what's disclosed and what remains a mystery.
Here's a look at Freddy's secret frozen custard creations
Let's start with dessert since frozen custard is key to the title of Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. According to the website, Freddy's frozen custard is churned in a fashion that "minimizes ice crystals and excess air," making the texture smoother and thicker than ice cream. FredHeads can enjoy pure vanilla or chocolate frozen custard untarnished in a cup or cone, or they can make it "a concrete" by adding countless choices of mix-ins.
The official Freddy's menu already lists a fair share of creative concretes, including the PBC & B which combines vanilla custard with Reese's and bananas, while the Hawaiian Delight folds tropical fruit and macadamia nuts into vanilla custard with whipped cream.
Other combinations remain off the books, such as an employee-born confection called Nutter Butter concrete, which has crushed Nutter Butter cookies and peanut butter, The Wichita Eagle reports. Visitors can request custom mix-ins — from marshmallow to butterscotch and cheesecake to nuts — and you could even dream up your own secret concrete.
Freddy's can serve you a top-secret hot dog dish
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburger's menu proudly displays its domestic all-beef hot dogs, supplied by Vienna Beef and served in toasty buns. The list includes all the classics: Plain (with a squiggle of mustard), chili and cheese, or Chicago-style with mustard, relish, onion, sport peppers, celery salt, tomato, and pickles.
Studying the menu, you may have a tough time deciding between a Freddy's hot dog or steakburger. What if you didn't have to choose? The Wichita Eagle reports that the secret menu (the real secret menu, rather than the official secret menu shown online) includes a burger dog, which is a classic steakburger topped with a hot dog.
It sounds like a mouthful, but when you take into account the thinness of Freddys' patties and the fact that you could ask for the dog to be sliced up, you could be onto quite the sandwich. Order it with cheese, fry sauce, and relish, and you'll combine the best of both beefy worlds.
Create your own Freddy's secret menu item with chili or barbecue sauce
Speaking of beef, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers' not-so-secret menu reveals that you can add chili or barbecue sauce to any order. The all-beef chili is normally served as a side topped with shredded cheddar cheese and diced onions, and the menu already shows chili-cheese fries as an orderable option. Think outside the bun by adding chili to Freddy's fried white cheddar cheese curds or even their golden onion rings. When it comes to chili, there are no rules.
The options only broaden with barbecue sauce. Freddys' not-so-secret menu says that customers commonly request their bacon and cheese double steakburgers to be made with barbecue sauce, grilled onion, and Swiss cheese for a sweet and tangy twist on the classic steakburger. If you're not in the mood for beef, you can barbecue-ize a chicken sandwich (available grilled, crispy, or spicy and crispy) or chicken tenders with a slathering of the popular sauce.
Some Freddy's menu items can be made secretly healthy
Some days, meaty-cheesy sandwiches of Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers may not fit your cravings. Good news for those occasions: "If you're looking to get in your greens, you can order a side or whole salad with your meal," the not-so-secret menu reads. Create the salad with whatever toppings you like, but the chain says grilled chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and onions are among the most popular.
FredHeads are also free to turn any sandwich into a lettuce wrap, the secret menu says. That might work particularly well with the crispy chicken sandwich, which would shine with the contrast of fresh, crunchy lettuce and pickles rather than the distraction of a bun.
Keto dieters might instead gravitate toward a lettuce-wrapped California-style steakburger, which comes with Thousand Island dressing. Finally, if you're simply looking for something vegetarian but still indulgent, you can order a grilled cheese made with both American and Swiss cheeses and optional jalapenos, the not-so-secret menu suggests. Now that you're armed with all this top-secret knowledge, you can call yourself a true FredHead.