Popular Jack In The Box Menu Items, Ranked Worst To Best
One of the greatest parts of visiting Jack in the Box is the flavor diversity of the menu. From Asian food to Mexican food, and from classic American comfort meals to exciting, newfangled snacks, you can find it on their extensive menu. In the seven decades since opening their doors for the first time in 1951, Jack in the Box has never been shy about thinking outside of the box and adding menu items not found at other burger joints — and that diversity is now arguably its most important (and most delicious) selling point.
Jack in the Box now has more than 2,200 locations and serves more than half a billion customers per year. While it's gone through rough patches over the decades, thanks to unforgettable advertising and quality food, this chain has been able to thrive.
That said, not all of the food at Jack of the Box is worth purchasing. In this ranking, we'll list the menu items in order, beginning with the worst and saving the very best for the end. While not every Jack in the Box item on the menu is on this list, we've covered all of the most popular choices.
25. Ultimate Cheeseburger
When your eyes first see the Ultimate Cheeseburger at Jack in the Box, you will be thoroughly impressed. This burger looks scrumptious. Tragically, once it enters your mouth, you'll quickly realize that it's actually a mushy, gooey, unappetizing mess. While Jack in the Box has a number of quality burger options, the Ultimate Cheeseburger isn't one of them.
Featuring Swiss cheese, American cheese, ketchup, mayo, and mustard on a pair of beef patties, this burger doesn't have a shortage of ingredients. The main problem is that this sandwich has too many competing flavors. It's like Jack in the Box couldn't figure out which cheese and which condiment paired best so they decided to just stuff them all between two buns. The other problem that is impossible to escape is the soggy texture. Even if you eat it right away, the Ultimate Cheeseburger is so squishy that you may be too grossed out to finish it.
Instead of ordering this disaster, pick anything else on the Jack in the Box menu. You'll be guaranteed to be happier with your selection.
24. Chicken Sandwich
While the Ultimate Cheeseburger has too much going on, the chicken sandwich has the opposite problem. This thing looks boring and somehow manages to taste even more yawn-inducing than it appears at first glance. Midway through eating this sandwich, you'll want to take a nap due to the unavoidable boredom you're sure to experience.
Jack in the Box's chicken sandwich features a chicken patty in a bun that's topped with mayo and lettuce. The chicken patty is dry and barely has any flavor. The bun also lacks flavor and doesn't add anything positive to the mix. When the mayo and the lettuce are the best parts of a chicken sandwich, you know you're in for a disappointment.
With so many chicken sandwiches in the fast food world these days, a tasty chicken sandwich available from a drive-thru window is always around the corner. Don't settle for this depressing sandwich from Jack in the Box. It's truly one of the worst fast food chicken sandwiches that you will ever come across.
23. Mini Churros
If you're a big fan of the Twisted Churros at Costco, you may be tempted to pick the mini churros at Jack in the Box. A churro is a churro is a churro, right? Not so fast. Costco's churros are delectably doughy. They're also oh-so buttery and they're blessed with the perfect amount of cinnamon and sugar. Jack in the Box's churros, on the other hand, are so stiff that you'll be convinced that they're stale. Moreover, they're coated with too much cinnamon and too much sugar.
Another notable difference that is impossible to ignore is the size. You may have been told that size doesn't matter at some point in your life but that's a lie — at least when comparing the churros available at Costco and Jack in the Box. While a Twisted Churro from Costco is so big and so thick that you may not be able to finish it in one sitting, Jack in the Box's churros are even smaller than their name suggests. Before you know it, you'll have inhaled all of these miniature desserts. Not only will your taste buds be underwhelmed, but you'll also still be hungry.
22. French Fries
Experienced Jack in the Box customers know that their French fries are to be avoided. Though they're not the worst fast food fries, there's nothing notably good about them. You won't hate the fries but you also will never order them again once you branch out and discover the better options available at Jack in the Box.
The best attribute of these fries is their size. These fries are girthy and you'll get a generous amount of them. They're also not too salty (which can be a problem with fries from fast food eateries) and they're reliably served hot. Unfortunately, that's where the good news ends. Jack in the Box's French Fries don't have much flavor and their chalky texture is off-putting. You need to douse these fries with a whole lot of ketchup to mask their chalkiness. But instead of using ketchup to cover up your mistake, you'd be better off picking other potato-powered goodies from Jack in the Box.
21. Jack's Spicy Chicken
Though it's a little bit better than their regular chicken sandwich, Jack's Spicy Chicken is a sandwich that will leave you feeling dismayed. You can find delicious spicy chicken sandwiches everywhere from Chick-fil-A to McDonald's. Heck, even Burger King offers a tasty spicy chicken sandwich nowadays. Sadly, Jack in the Box is the last place you should go to find a spicy chicken sandwich that is worthy of your hard-earned dollars.
Compared to the bland Chicken Sandwich, Jack's Spicy Chicken has an upgraded bun and tomato slices added to the lettuce and mayo. The chicken patty is big and hearty but it's the heat that will let you down. The spiciness level is way too mild. Even if you have a cowardly palate, you'll still wish that this sandwich had more heat. This sandwich also loses points for being too crunchy, which makes it a chore to eat. Just pick a different menu item.
20. Tiny Tacos
Jack in the Box has tacos that are so yummy that they deserve a spot on your fast food bucket list. However, not all of their tacos are created equal. In 2020, Jack in the Box unveiled Tiny Tacos and these little things are a big-time letdown. While they're certainly edible, these miniature tacos can't hold a candle to their fully grown tacos.
First of all, the texture of these Tiny Tacos is hit-or-miss. Sometimes, the tacos are so firm that they're hard to bite. Other times, they're so soft that they seemingly melt once they touch your lips. Second of all, the Tiny Tacos aren't nearly as meaty. Instead, it's the taco shells that take center stage. Finally, the lettuce, hot sauce, and American cheese found in their original tacos are missing. You could order the Loaded Tiny Tacos that have lettuce, hot sauce, and cheese added on top — but it's just not the same. If you go to Jack in the Box for tacos, these aren't the tacos you should order.
19. Jack's Teriyaki Bowl with Chicken
Jack in the Box deserves credit for having the courage to offer the Asian-inspired Jack's Teriyaki Bowl with Chicken. This is something you'd typically find at a specialty restaurant, not at a fast food burger joint. Unfortunately, it's not quite tasty enough to be worthy of a recommendation.
Jack's Teriyaki Bowl with Chicken begins with a layer of rice in a bowl. From there, broccoli, carrots, and slices of chicken are added to the mix. The chicken is covered in a sweet teriyaki sauce — and that sauce is the best thing about this Jack in the Box menu item. It will make you look forward to each bite of chicken. Everything else, though, is subpar. The rice is clumpy and not soft enough. The broccoli has a tendency to be soggy, while the carrot pieces are too tough and fibrous.
You can find quality Asian food at Jack in the Box but Jack's Teriyaki Bowl — even with chicken — isn't what you're looking for.
18. Chicken Club Salad
The Chicken Club Salad sounds like it should be a safe bet. This salad features iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, cucumber slices, grape tomatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, croutons, and your choice of crispy or grilled chicken. Though that might sound like a winner, the reality of the situation isn't rosy.
Firstly, the lettuce, grape tomatoes, and the cucumber slices tend to be too watery. You won't be impressed by the quality of those veggies, to put it kindly. Secondly, you'll be unimpressed with the amount of bacon, croutons, and cheddar cheese that comes in your Chicken Club Salad. The quality of those three ingredients is fine — it's the quantity that is lacking.
Another other issue is that this salad isn't nearly as healthy as you may think. In fact, by the time you add the ranch dressing, Jack in the Box's Chicken Club Salad can contain more than 800 calories. If you're looking for a healthy fast food salad, you'll need to look elsewhere.
17. Chicken Fajita Pita
After you finish eating a Chicken Fajita Pita from Jack in the Box, you'll be moderately satisfied. It doesn't taste great but it's just okay enough that you won't regret your decision to buy it.
The Chicken Fajita Pita contains grilled chicken, grilled onions, lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, and tomatoes inside of a pita. While it doesn't have any sauce in it, this menu item comes with a side of fiery salsa that you can add to the pita to heat things up. But even if you add the salsa, you won't be thrilled. The pita is spongy and the chicken is so dry that it's difficult to chew.
That said, the good news is that the Chicken Fajita Pita can legitimately be classified as health food. Even if you eat it with the salsa, it has only 330 calories while packing 24 grams of protein. That's really impressive, especially considering that the aforementioned Chicken Club Salad can have more than double the number of calories.
16. Chocolate Overload Cake
Just by looking at the name of this Jack in the Box dessert option, you'll know why the Chocolate Overload Cake doesn't rank higher. As is suggested, this cake is overloaded with chocolate. Even if you consider yourself the planet's foremost lover of chocolate, you'll have a difficult time enjoying this dessert from the first bite to the last bite. A few mouthfuls in, all of your senses will be overwhelmed with chocolatiness.
The Chocolate Overload Cake is a chocolate cake loaded with chocolate chips and then drizzled with chocolate icing. It sounds awesome — but the end result is a dessert that is too rich, too chocolaty, and too sweet all at the same time.
The only way you should order this dessert from a Jack in the Box drive-thru window is if you have a few scoops of vanilla ice cream waiting for you at home. With vanilla ice cream, you'll love the Chocolate Overload Cake. But without anything to interrupt the chocolate onslaught, you'll be left wishing you had opted for another dessert.
15. Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges
The first menu item on this list that deserves a recommendation is the Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges. Compared to Jack in the Box's fries, these potato wedges are a gigantic improvement. By the time you're done eating this side, you'll be licking all ten of your fingers to make sure that no morsel has gone uneaten.
However, there are two caveats you should know about before you order the Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges. First of all, be prepared to be underwhelmed by the number of bacon pieces. Jack in the Box is stingy when it comes to how much bacon is added to these potato wedges. Secondly, you should always double-check to ensure that each wedge has at least some cheddar cheese on it. Without the cheese, the wedges can be too flaky and a bit dry. In fact, a naked potato wedge is probably even less appetizing than one of their regular fries.
14. Crispy Chicken Strips
Once upon a time, Jack in the Box had gross chicken strips. The chicken lacked flavor and the breading was grainy. But to their credit, Jack in the Box has improved their chicken strips over the years to the point that you can order them without a shred of remorse. They're not the best of the best but it's at the very least, money well spent. If you're ordering for a picky eater, the Crispy Chicken Strips are actually one of the safest items on their menu.
These days, the chicken is flavorful and the grainy breading has been replaced by breading with the optimal amount of crunch. The only real downside when ordering the Crispy Chicken Strips at Jack in the Box is the fact that they lack any signature dipping sauce worth discussing. When it comes time to make your sauce selection, their barbecue sauce is decent but their best dipping sauce is unquestionably their ranch sauce. They call it Buttermilk House Sauce but you'll remember it as some of the best ranch you've ever tasted.
13. Classic Buttery Jack
It's no secret that Culver's has taken the burger universe by storm. Behind the scrumptiousness of their Butterburgers, Culver's is now the best chain burger restaurant in the United States. Not to be outdone, Jack in the Box decided to jump on Culver's buttery bandwagon and released the Classic Buttery Jack. Although it's not as tasty as the Butterburgers you can get at Culver's, the Jack in the Box reproduction is surprisingly yummy. By the time you finish swallowing your last bite of the burger, you won't even care that they copied another restaurant's homework.
The Classic Buttery Jack has a quarter-pound patty topped with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato slices, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Like Culver's Butterburgers, the butter on this Jack in the Box burger is placed on the gourmet bun and not on the beef patty. Even if you have that misconception when you order this burger, you'll be pleased that you can still revel in the goodness of the garlic herb butter even though it isn't spread on the meat.
12. Jack's Classic Roost Fries
Jack's Classic Roost Fries are like Jack in the Box's French Fries but on the yummiest steroids you can imagine. After trying these fries, you'll never go back to their plain-Jane fries again. While you can eat this as a side if you're hungry enough, it's actually big enough to be an entire meal on its own.
After starting with a base of the regular fries, Jack in the Box adds pieces of crispy chicken, Mystery Sauce, and two kinds of cheddar cheese: shredded and liquid. While that may sound like too much cheddar cheese, you'll end up cherishing both types. As far as the Mystery Sauce is concerned, Reddit sleuths have deduced that the sauce is a combination of mayo, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, and hot sauce. That may sound like an over-the-top combination but it is actually a marvelous final piece to the puzzle that is Jack's Classic Roost Fries.
11. Jumbo Egg Rolls
While the previously mentioned Jack's Teriyaki Bowl with Chicken is an Asian-inspired dud, the Jumbo Egg Rolls you can get at Jack in the Box are actually really impressive. If you did a blind taste test, you would struggle to tell the difference between these egg rolls and the egg rolls at your favorite Chinese chain restaurant. If anything, you might actually think these egg rolls are better.
The Jumbo Egg Rolls are stuffed with cabbage, carrots, onions, celery, and, most importantly, a plentiful amount of juicy pork. While the pork is undoubtedly the star of the show, you'll enjoy every aspect of these egg rolls — from the crispy exterior to the veggies on the interior.
These egg rolls are tasty enough for you to eat without any dipping sauce. That said, you shouldn't eat these egg rolls plain because Jack in the Box offers amazing sweet and sour sauce that proves to be the perfect companion.
10. Sourdough Grilled Chicken Club
Jack in the Box has some losers when it comes to chicken sandwiches. Their regular Chicken Sandwich is one of the worst items on their menu and Jack's Spicy Chicken isn't a whole lot better. But don't give up hope. If you go to this fast food restaurant and only a chicken sandwich will do, pick the Sourdough Grilled Chicken Club. This chicken sandwich is so good that it richly deserves its top ten spot on this list.
To create this memorable sandwich, Jack in the Box combined grilled chicken with bacon, Swiss cheese, tomato, lettuce, mayo, and sourdough bread. While every ingredient is splendid, the two things that stand out the most are the bacon and the sourdough bread. You'll find multiple strips of bacon on this sandwich, so every bite is sure to be blessed with bacon. As far as the sourdough bread is concerned, that's easily the best bread Jack in the Box has to offer — and it may be the most delectable bread in the fast food galaxy.
9. Stuffed Jalapenos
Long before seemingly every restaurant had their own version of jalapeno poppers, Jack in the Box had mastered their fiesta-worthy Stuffed Jalapenos. They've been on the menu for more than 20 years and they've been outstanding from the very beginning. Even if you go to a super fancy restaurant or the most authentic Mexican restaurant, you will struggle to find anything that can compare to these bad boys.
The Stuffed Jalapenos are first packed with a mix of cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and cream cheese. Then, each one is breaded and deep-fried until it's golden brown. They're served piping hot but, don't worry, they taste just as good when they're hot as when they're room temperature. If you have a long trip home, the Stuffed Jalapenos will still taste great when you finally are able to dig in. For the best dipping sauce, pick the Buttermilk House Sauce that was mentioned above. It adds to the flavorful experience while making sure things don't get too spicy.
8. Jumbo Jack
With all the exciting items on the Jack in the Box menu, sometimes the Jumbo Jack can get overlooked. There's nothing new or adventurous about this burger. If you see it before trying it for the first time, you may be convinced that it's a run of the mill burger that's not worth the time or effort to eat. However, that's not actually the case. A Jumbo Jack from Jack in the Box is a reasonably priced burger that will fill you to the brim and leave you with a smile on your face. At the end of the day, what else matters when ordering a fast food meal?
A Jumbo Jack comes with a beef patty sitting beneath pickles, tomato slices, diced onions, lettuce, mayo, and ketchup. It works really well as is — but you can also easily mix things up. The Double Jack adds another beef patty and two slices of American cheese. If you have a hole in your stomach and you need something huge to fill you up, the Quad Bacon Cheese Jack is sure to do the trick. This beast has four beef patties and a seemingly endless supply of bacon, American cheese, Swiss cheese, and mayonnaise.
7. Onion Rings
If you've eaten enough food in your life, you know that it's unwise to judge food by how it looks. Some food looks breathtakingly delicious but tastes putrid. Other food looks like a hot mess but will leave your taste buds in a state of bliss. The Onion Rings from Jack in the Box belong in that latter group. Their rings are usually misshapen, dilapidated, and varying in color. But when it comes to their taste, you'll be blown away. In fact, Jack in the Box has some of the best onion rings you can find at any fast food establishment.
The only thing to keep in mind when ordering these onion rings is that they taste a lot better when they're still hot. If you let them cool off, they'll lose a lot of their luster. Even if you pop them in the microwave, it won't be the same. For that reason, think twice before ordering this side if you can't eat the rings right away.
6. Chicken Nuggets
When it comes to fast food chicken nuggets, Jack in the Box doesn't get much respect. If you're talking about universal appeal, Chicken McNuggets from McDonald's are discussed the most. If you seek critically acclaimed chicken nuggets, Chick-fil-A is widely regarded as the top destination. But lost in the shuffle is the fact that Jack in the Box's chicken nuggets are really, really good. This side of Chick-fil-A, these nuggets might be the cream of the crop. At the very least, you should give them a try before you dismiss them offhand.
The chicken nuggets at Jack in the Box are made from white meat that is bursting with flavor. Amazingly, the breading is equally as flavorful. Jack in the Box also deserves kudos for their consistency when it comes to these chicken nuggets. From nugget to nugget, you can be confident that your next one will be just as delicious as the last.
5. NY Style Cheesecake
The NY Style Cheesecake is an unassuming dessert option at Jack in the Box. It's rather small and doesn't have any bright colors or gimmicky flavors. While it may not look like much or sound like anything too enthralling, it's actually one of the top fast food desserts in all the land. If you're a fast food dessert connoisseur, you owe it to yourself to try this treat at least once before you're six feet under the dirt.
There's nothing special about how the NY Style Cheesecake is constructed. Its base is a crust made out of graham crackers. The filling is exquisitely creamy and rich. You will be in dessert heaven with every bite of this cheesecake. The only possible negative is the size of the NY Style Cheesecake. It's even smaller than you may imagine, especially compared to the gargantuan desserts served elsewhere. Then again, you can solve that dilemma by ordering two or three slices of this legendary Jack in the Box dessert.
4. Seasoned Curly Fries
By now, you fully understand not to pick Jack in the Box's French fries. The onion rings are much better and, if you want to stick with a side that features potatoes, the Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges and Jack's Classic Roost Fries are clearly superior. That said, there's something better than all of those options: their Seasoned Curly Fries.
While the Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges and Jack's Classic Roost Fries are fine choices, they're also too messy to eat on the run. The Seasoned Curly Fries at Jack in the Box don't have that problem. They're as portable as their regular fries but taste infinitely better. The curliness will catch your eye but it's the seasoning that will cause you to fall head over heels. Factor in the cheap price tag and there should never be a time you visit Jack in the Box and leave without an order of these majestic fries.
3. Strawberry Shake
A good shake is capable of supercharging any fast food meal. At Jack in the Box, they don't have good shakes ... that have absolutely spectacular shakes. Specifically, their Strawberry Shake is one of the finest fast food milkshakes ever invented. No matter what else you order at Jack in the Box, this sweet, lucious drink will make it even better.
What makes the Strawberry Shake so great is difficult to put a finger on. It's not overly authentic and doesn't contain any strawberry pieces. But its unique taste is captivating. It's sweet but not too sweet and has a subtle tartness that will draw you back again and again. You will instantly love this shake and you'll never fall out of love with it.
Jack in the Box has other shakes including a Chocolate Shake, a Vanilla Shake, and even an Oreo Cookie Shake. They're all above average and worth buying but the Strawberry Shake is the best of the bunch.
2. Two Tacos
Although the Two Tacos from Jack in the Box are unlike any of the tacos your abuela used to make for you when you were a child, your taste buds won't complain. These things might be ugly and they are without a doubt inauthentic, but there's also magic hidden within the taco shell. By the time you finish with one of the tacos, your excitement for the second taco will be palpable.
The Two Tacos feature seasoned taco meat, a slice of American cheese, lettuce, and hot sauce inside of a crunchy shell. You might hesitate when you first see them but after you put one of these bad boys in your mouth, you'll understand why Jack in the Box sells more than 550 million of these tacos every year. They've been on the menu since the 1950s and it's safe to say they will remain on the menu until the end of time.
1. Sourdough Jack
If you want the best Jack in the Box menu item, get your hands on the Sourdough Jack. This is far and away the best burger they offer and is so yummy that it'll blow your mind. Don't be surprised if this becomes your favorite fast food burger.
The Sourdough Jack begins with sourdough bread that has been expertly toasted. Next, a beef patty is placed on the bread between two slices of melty Swiss cheese. On top of that, pieces of bacon and slices of tomatoes are added. Finally, the burger is topped with both ketchup and mayo. You'll adore everything from the differing textures to the remarkable savoriness.
Jack in the Box caused a panic by announcing that they were going to discontinue the Sourdough Jack. Thankfully, that turned out to be an April Fools' Day gag. If this burger ever did disappear, that would be a national tragedy. But, don't fret, Jack in the Box would never really eliminate their famous and celebrated Sourdough Jack.