The Best Way To Spend $10 At These 14 Popular Fast Food Chains

Nobody eats fast food for its gourmet quality. That's what white tablecloths and celebrity chefs are for. Fast food solves a very specific problem: You're hungry now and you don't want to cook. This is the food you chow down on while sitting in the car or watching your favorite show. So, it needs to be cheap. No $18 Big Mac meals or wallet-draining combos. A $10 should be enough to eradicate your hunger for at least a few hours, if not the whole day.

There are over 200,000 fast food restaurants in the U.S. clamoring for your business, and they all want you to believe they're offering the best bang for your buck. We took on the challenge of finding out exactly what $10 gets you at America's most popular fast food chains. We wanted to know: Which restaurants still respect your hard-earned ten-dollar bill? The results might surprise you.

Let's talk about one of the most obvious contenders for your fast food spree: McDonald's. Back in the day (aka 2009), $10 was enough for a McDonald's feast. You could snack on multiple $1 fries, $1 sodas, and two-for-$1 desserts and still have enough money left for a Big Mac. The famed golden arches promised salty deliciousness at low prices.

Time has shrunk the $10 feast into a fairly hefty meal. Forget about ordering an a la carte smorgasbord; 2026 prices are far too steep to go that route on a $10 budget. The previously $1 dessert duo now sells for $3. All fast food is getting more expensive, but McDonald's actually had to defend its pricing directly to customers.

To maximize your money, get the medium Hot 'N Spicy McChicken meal. It costs around $8.49 and comes with a sandwich, fries, and a drink. Add a $1.59 cookie for dessert and your total comes to $10.08. Here's why this meal works so well. The Hot 'N Spicy McChicken sandwich fuels your body with a hefty amount of protein and fat. You may not even need to eat anything else to feel satiated. If you do, the meal also has fries that are famously good, and the chocolate chip cookie we recommended ordering adds a sweet touch.

If you drive past the arches and head to the sign decorated with red pigtails instead, your $10 will get you more variety and a bigger dessert. The $6 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger Biggie Bag is one of the best money-saving deals at Wendy's. The order fills your plate with the namesake cheeseburger and small orders of fries and nuggets. You also get a drink to wash it down. The little combo is a bit like an adult kid's meal, with the two entrees and the calorie-rich bacon and cheese on the burger elevating it to grown-up fare.

For dessert, think chocolate. The Biggie meal is so inexpensive that your Wendy's experience can include a $3.69 chocolate Frosty. It's thick, creamy, and like a cross between soft serve ice cream and a milkshake. You can only find them at Wendy's. Pro tip: Don't save dessert for the end. Try dipping a few crispy fries into the cold chocolate for a fun, sweet-and-salty flavor contrast.

Chick-fil-A has standard "sandwich, fries, and a drink" meals for under $10. However, we think it's worth it to get a bit creative here. This time, we're skipping the drink and upping the sweets — because why not? Ordering two desserts on a fast food menu is a treat your 5-year-old self could only dream about. 

Start with the breaded five-count chicken nuggets for $3.45 and pair them with a small $3.45 mac and cheese. You'll munch on seasoned chicken breast and noodles baked in-house with three cheeses. For a twist, grab a Buffalo sauce packet and pour the contents into your nugget box. Close the lid, give the box a shake, and enjoy one of our favorite Chick-fil-A hacks, saucy boneless wings.

When the savory bites are done, sip on free Chick-fil-A ice water to cleanse your palate. You don't want any cheese lingering in your mouth when you dig into your chocolate chip cookie and Ice Dream cup (both $1.69). Ice Dream is Chick-fil-A's version of soft serve, for those who aren't already in-the-know. It's silky-smooth and the perfect bed for bits of chocolate chip cookie. And with all that, your total comes to $10.28 before tax.

Taco Bell's Luxe Cravings Box offers the pleasure of choice. For $6.99, you can build a multi-entree meal tailored to your tastes. Prefer tacos? You can get two. Burrito fans and those who crave a mix will be equally happy. When you order, you can choose options for a specialty item, a taco or burrito, a side, and a drink.

Five specialty choices are available, including a Crunchwrap Supreme, a Cheesy Gordita Crunch, and a beefy five-layer burrito. For entree number two, choose between six non-speciality burritos and tacos. Try the Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco for a marriage of two popular brands or the cheesy bean and rice burrito for a more substantial meal.

Your choices dwindle to three when you pick the accompanying side: chips and nacho cheese, cinnamon twists, or cheesy fiesta potatoes. The twists are the crunchiest option, and the potatoes are the most calorie-dense. Finally, you can choose a drink. Mountain Dew Baja Blast is a purple-tinged Taco Bell exclusive that just dropped in 2025.

The Cravings Box lets you sample most of Taco Bell's highlights, but a few items need to be purchased separately. Take the $3.01 leftover from the box meal and buy a side like the $2.99 pintos and cheese. Beans are among the healthiest Mexican dishes you can order, due to the ample protein and fat.

Onion ring fans, pay attention to this one. The $10 Burger King meal we created is the only one on this list that features the fried, battered snacks. We recommend enjoying a $3.39 small order of onion rings with a $3.69 Whopper Jr. The burger has all the ingredients of the classic Whopper, but is half the size — perfect for when your appetite is small, or you want to save money. In this case, we're sticking to the junior size so your taste buds can experience the full trifecta of fast food goodness: salt, fat, and sugar.

The sugary part of the meal is also the cheapest. Two Burger King chocolate chip cookies are $1.49, and a towering ice cream cone is only $0.99, bringing your grand total to $9.56. The combination provides a glorious mouth-feel, with the soft ice cream coating your tongue and the cookies adding pops of chocolatey crunch. Ask for a free cup of ice water if you get thirsty.

In-N-Out has a devoted following and plenty of high-profile fans, so the uninitiated might think its prices are among the upper range for fast-food giants. However, you can sample almost everything on their limited menu for $10 if you're willing to forego cheese. Stick with a simple hamburger made with fresh, never-frozen meat for $3.40. Fresh-cut fries are $2.15.

Adding a $2 small drink and a $2.90 milkshake rounds out your In-N-Out tasting plate for $10.45 for all items. Once you're done, the only new menu items left to try are flavor variations, like a chocolate shake instead of a strawberry one or a double-double burger with cheese instead of a plain hamburger. There are no cookies, wraps, chicken sandwiches, or salads, even though those items are all staples at spots like Burger King and McDonald's. Unfortunately, In-N-Out also isn't quite as widespread as those brands. In-N-Out started on the West Coast and has been slowly spreading East.

Del Taco was named the best fast-food restaurant in USA Today's 2025 and 2024 Readers' Choice Awards. One reason for the sustained love might be the chain's impressive value menu. There's something immensely satisfying about ordering a gooey, mini cheese quesadilla or cheese-topped cup of beans for $1.49. You receive a decent-sized snack for less than the price of a king-sized candy bar.

Together, the quesadilla and beans turn into a mini meal for $2.98. That's a perfectly good way to spend your $10. However, if you're hungry enough, you can maximize your dollars with a couple more value menu favorites. Adding some meaty protein to the plate makes sense, but it's not required for a good meal. Even USA Today mentions Del Taco's vegan and vegetarian menu. Stay meat-free with a $2.99 small drink, a $2.19 Crunchtada Tostada, and $1.99 donut bites — all adding up to $10.15 including the quesadilla and beans. The Crunchtada is the most substantial option, with its thick, crunchy shell and a layered bean topping.

Jack in the Box has their own $10 meal, and it's loaded with options. The Build Your Own Munchie Meal can provide over 2,000 calories and potentially power you for a full day. The meal includes an entree sandwich, two sides, and a drink. The easiest choice might be the entree, as there are the fewest options. You can pick from two stacked cheeseburgers and two chicken sandwiches.

Munchie Meal sides are an exploration of crispy and crunchy textures. The biggest crunch lies with the two-taco option. They're full of seasoned ground beef and cheese. The fries, curly fries, and onion rings promise a lightly salted, crisp exterior enveloping soft potato or onion flesh. Pick your two favorites or get a double order of one side. Jack in the Box promises on their website: "We believe in the freedom of choice."

Your last choice with this meal is a medium drink. The menu lists sodas, juices, coffee and lemonade as included in the fare. You can upgrade to a large drink for an extra $0.20.

You don't need to jump around the menu to choose your $10 splurge at KFC. The chain offers a two-piece chicken combo meal with two pieces of its famed fried chicken, a biscuit, a side, and a drink for $9.19. The type of chicken is your choice. Do you want a plump drumstick and thigh? A large breast and a wing? All KFC chicken is hand-breaded and seasoned with a mix of 11 herbs and spices.

You get eight choices for your side, although one is just a tub of gravy. Stick with classics like the mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and corn if you want the fast-food version of a traditional southern meal. For a flavor profile exclusive to KFC, go with the Secret Recipe fries seasoned with the same 11-spice blend found on the chicken. A fluffy biscuit and a drink complete the combo. The biscuit has multiple uses (sopping up excess mac and cheese sauce, acting as bread for a mini chicken sandwich, etc.), so you might appreciate having two. An extra biscuit is only $0.99. With this meal, you can try some of KFC's top menu items and not spend a fortune.

Unsurprisingly, given the fast-food focus, this list has highlighted many high-calorie indulgences that would likely never appear on a nutritionist's meal plan. Now we're shifting attention to Tropical Smoothie, a chain with options so healthy that kale appears on the menu multiple times. Taste the fresh fiber in the $1.99 kale and apple slaw. It's created in-house and has enough nutrients to make your body sing.

Finish your perfect $10 Tropical Smoothie meal with the treat that made the restaurant famous. Smoothies are one size and $7.95 (for a total of $9.94). There are green smoothies packed with veggies, fruity mixes with natural sweetness, and dessert-like blends thick with chocolate. One fan-favorite smoothie is the Bahama Mama, a fusion of fruity and dessert flavors. It combines strawberries, coconut, pineapple, and white chocolate. You can also customize the smoothie as much. Leaving ingredients out is free, and add-ins cost between $0.50 and $1.49, if you choose them.

You can stuff yourself with food if you have $10 at Sonic. Begin with The $6 All-American Smasher Meal, a new competitor in the long-running battle for best fast-food value meal. It's a burger-side-drink combo that's made special by the burger's cooking style. We thought Sonic's main cheeseburger was a letdown, but this is something different.The two patties on the All-American SONIC Smasher are hand-smashed until thin and seared on the edges.

The sides veer a bit left from the norm, as well. You can pick medium tater tots or Groovy fries. The "Groovy" name comes from grooves created by the fries' crinkle-cut shape. It would be fun if the included drink options bent tradition a bit, too, but they're completely standard.

The $6 All-American Smasher combo is just one part of the ultimate $10 Sonic meal. Use the remaining money to check out the small but mighty $1.99 menu. The crispy Baja chicken tender wrap is practically another entree and offers a bit of spice in its zesty sauce. For dessert, add the salted caramel toffee croissant bites. They're quite the mouthful, whether you're biting into the dough or simply saying the name.

The ideal $10 meal at Port of Subs starts in a surprising place: the kids' menu. A mere $7.15 gets you a kid's meal with a 4-inch sub, chips, a drink, and a dessert such as two Oreos or a Fruit Roll-Up. It's a great option when you're hungry and don't want to weigh yourself down with something heavy. There are enough calories to make it a decent lunch or dinner, but it lacks all the fat and grease of a cheeseburger or fried chicken sandwich. A Port of Subs kid's meal with a ham and cheese sandwich, any chips, Oreos, and a Coke will provide about 800 calories.

Kids might be happy with two Oreos for dessert, but adult palates often crave a richer experience. Adding a fudgy, $2.75 brownie to your meal fixes this problem. The chain's brownies are fresh-baked, full of chocolate, and over 700 calories. They're big enough for you to save a few bites for later.

The best way to spend $10 at Popeyes is to focus on the value menu. Everything is $5, and you can get plenty of food. Order the three-piece classic or spicy signature chicken for your main. Each crunchy piece is marinated in a Louisiana-inspired herb-and-seasoning blend before being fried in beef tallow. The tallow's high smoke point helps the chicken reach its desirable golden brown color.

Spend your next $5 on the two regular sides option. You can finish your meal with Cajun fries, red beans and rice, coleslaw, or mashed potatoes with gravy. Mac and cheese costs an extra $0.50m but it might be worth it, however. A Reddit thread discussing the side amassed hundreds of comments. Some said it's the tastiest fast-food mac and cheese you can get, professing their love for the cheesy noodles. The red beans and rice also get plenty of adoration.

When you're craving roast beef, Arby's is the only chain on this list that can satisfy you. Arby's is famous for its meats, and $10 is enough for you to get a good taste. Try the $7.99 Meat & 3 meal. It comes with a classic roast beef or crispy chicken sandwich, two sides, a drink, and a dessert.

If you go with the roast beef, you'll munch on a sesame seed bun filled with thinly sliced meat. Choosing chicken means you'll get veggies on your sandwich. The sides are beyond your control. The Meat & 3 automatically comes with two gooey mozzarella sticks and a small fry. The included dessert is a single peach cobbler roll with diced peaches and a bourbon vanilla filling. A drink finishes the combo, but not the $10 meal. For that, you need to add an apple turnover for $2.49. The extra dessert is a tasty complement to the peach cobbler roll and makes the sweets portion a potential highlight of the meal. For more fast food recommendations, check out this list of fast food items we fell in love with in 2025.