10 Fast Food Places Where You Can Grab a Meal for $5 or Less!
Remember when every restaurant had a dollar menu?
At the risk of sounding like an old-timer, it wasn’t too long ago that you could leave the house with five bucks and easily come home with a full belly. These days, it’s hard to find a decent sandwich for $5, let alone a whole meal.
With elevated food prices here to stay, many people are cutting back on their fast food consumption to save money. Restaurants are now trying to lure customers back with new value menu items, cheap meal deals, and other promotions.
While the days of a true dollar menu may be in the rearview mirror, there are still some opportunities to grab a fast food meal for around five bucks.
Here are the best fast food five-dollar meals you can buy:
Arby’s has a 3 for $5 Mix & Match Meal.
For a limited time, Arby’s has a 3 for $5 Mix & Match Meal deal that lets you choose three popular items from the following list:
- Chicken Wraps (Ranch, BBQ, or Honey Mustard)
- Sliders (Roast Beef, Chicken, Jalapeno Roast Beef, or Buffalo Chicken)
- Small Fries (Crinkle or Curly)
- Small Fountain Drinks
Note that regional pricing does apply. The 3 for $5 Mix & Match Meal is currently $4.98 at our local Arby’s, but you may see it priced above $5, especially in Alaska and Hawaii.
Burger King’s $5 Your Way Meal is back!
Burger King’s $5 Your Way Meal is now back on the menu for a limited time! This value meal includes one of three sandwich choices along with nuggets, fries, and a drink.
The $5 Your Way Meal is expected to remain on Burger King’s menu for “several months” – hopefully longer! 🤞
Checker’s & Rally’s 5 for $5 Meal Deal is here!
Checker’s and Rally’s 5 for $5 Meal Deal is on the menu now through September 11th! This value meal includes a classic cheese double burger or spicy chicken sandwich, 8-piece chicken bites, fries, a soft drink, and an apple pie – all for just $5!
Assemble a meal from Dairy Queen’s 2/$5 menu.
Dairy Queen has a 2/$5 menu that allows you to mix and match six of its most popular menu items. Pair a cheeseburger or chicken strips with fries, soft pretzel sticks, a drink, or dessert!
Get a $5 Big Meal Deal from Jack in the Box.
The Jack in the Box $5 Big Meal Deal comes with your choice of sandwich (a Jr. Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger or a Chicken Sandwich), a taco, curly fries, and a drink.
Grab a Taste of KFC deal starting at $5.
KFC has three inexpensive meals on its Taste of KFC menu:
- Taste of KFC 8-pc. Nuggets Deal: Eight chicken nuggets hand-breaded with KFC’s Original Recipe, Secret Recipe Fries, and your choice of two sauces.
- Taste of KFC Famous Bowl Deal: Made fresh to order with creamy mashed potatoes, sweet corn, and KFC’s 100% white meat chicken nuggets, layered together and drizzled with home-style gravy and topped with a blend of three shredded cheeses.
- Taste of KFC Two-Piece Drum & Thigh Deal: 2 pieces of crispy and juicy dark meat chicken (1 drum stick & 1 thigh), a side of creamy mashed potatoes and gravy, and a buttery biscuit.
These meals were all priced at just $5 when they first joined the menu, but now the price varies by location.
Pick up a Krispy Krunchy Chicken Value Meal for just $4!
For a limited time, you can grab a Krispy Krunchy $4 Value Meal (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) at participating locations.
This limited-time Value Meal includes your choice of either two pieces of dark meat bone-in fried chicken, or two hand-breaded white meat Cajun tenders, both marinated in the brand’s signature mild Cajun spice blend before being hand-breaded and fried fresh on-site. No matter which entree you choose, you’ll also get a side of potato wedges.
Krispy Krunchy Chicken is sold at 3,000+ locations including convenience stores and other retailers nationwide!
McDonald’s $5 value meal is now available nationwide.
McDonald’s launched a new $5 Meal Deal on June 25th, and it’s now available at participating restaurants across the country!
This new $5 value meal includes four items: your choice of a McChicken or a McDouble, a four-piece order of Chicken McNuggets, small fries, and a small drink.
Steak ‘n Shake has 4 meal deals for around $5.
Steak ‘n Shake offers 4 meal deals that will get you a juicy burger and fries for around $5, depending on your location. Choose from the Original Double Steakburger with Cheese, Garlic Single Steakburger, Butter Single Steakburger, or Bacon ‘N Cheese Single Steakburger.
Wendy’s Meal Deals start at just $4!
Wendy’s has several Meal Deals on its menu starting at just $4! The Junior Bacon Cheeseburger 4 for $4 Meal includes a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger, 4-piece chicken nuggets, fries, and a drink for just four bucks.
Wendy’s also has several Biggie Bags, which come with one of five sandwich choices along with a 4-piece order of chicken nuggets, fries, and a drink. Wendy’s Biggie Bags are priced at either five or six dollars, depending on your choice of sandwich.
This does not apply to AK😉
Bummer! Good to know that offers may vary by location. ❤️
McDonalds had a $6 meal with a McDouble, 4 piece chicken nuggets, small fry, and small drink in Louisiana this week
Nice! Thanks for letting us know about a meal offer near you, TD! 🙌
I’m curious to know if this will be available in California. Many fast food joints are now paying $20 for minimum wage. I’m doubtful this will be an option.
Hey Lisa! You might check with your individual restaurant locations to find out the pricing on any specials. Another helpful tool is to download apps for the fast food restaurants you enjoy, as they sometimes offer special deals, rewards, points, etc. to app users. Hope this helps! 💓
In Oxnard (Ventura County), Wendys has the Jr. Cheeseburger meal for $5.00. It includes a Jr. Cheeseburger, fries, 4 nuggets and a drink. Unfortunately, I don’t see any McDonalds or Burger King in my area offering meals for $5.00. My guess is that it depends on the restaurant.
yeah it just depends on location, because i’m in orange county and one location serves it for $5 but another location nearby the cheapest meal deal is $8
A little more money, but Hardee’s has 2 sandwiches ( dbl cheeseburger, hot ham and cheese, roast beef, and either a chicken wrap or sandwhich-I forget), fries, and a small drink. I appreciate the value.
Thanks for the suggestion! 🙌
I just get so over the greasy, high carb/fat options with no freshness so to speak. I’m going to sound like a real old timer when I say I actually miss those McSalad Shakers McDonalds used to have….lol. At least bring back grilled chicken please! Although, Cookout does have grilled chicken thankfully.
I’m in complete agreement. I feel sick after eating a meal like those.
Yes, same 😮💨
I think that supermarket deli’s are underestimated and can be inexpensive.
Those can be a great place to grab affordable food options too! Thanks for mentioning it, Alex! 🙌❤️
If you get a 6 pc Happy Meal with double fries you can come out pretty good, plus a toy!
So true! Thanks for sharing the meal deal you like to snag at McDonalds! ❤️