The Best Value Meal Deals at Chains Across the Country
Fast food restaurants have been quietly axing dollar menus over the past few years in favor of meal deals. You pay more, but get multiple items at a discount from the regular menu price. Family-friendly restaurant chains, too, are cutting back on coupons and specials.
But there are still great offers to be had, whether you're going to the drive-thru, ordering pizza delivery, or heading out for burgers with your family. Here are some of the value meal deals you can take advantage of at favorite chains, including a just-announced deal at Denny's that's ideal for cash-strapped breakfast lovers. Just remember that many are offered for only a limited time.
Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.
Related: The Best Fast Food Deals to Grab This Month
With more than 1,700 locations, Denny's is one of the most popular diner-style chains where hungry customers can grab a bite to eat, and its new "endless breakfast" promotion is designed for inflation-weary wallets. The offer is good for dine-in only through June 21.
Value Meal Deals
$7 endless breakfast, which includes all-you-can-eat buttermilk pancakes, cheesy scrambled eggs, and hash browns; add endless bacon or sausage for an additional $1 ($9 and $1.50, respectively, in select states)
Related: The Best Fast Food Breakfast Deals This Month
Though fans of Taco Bell are angry about recent menu reductions, you can still grab some cheap meal deals, even late at night.
Value Meal Deals
$5 My Cravings Box
$5 Bell Breakfast Box
$5.49 Nacho Fries Box
$5.49 Breakfast Crunchwrap Combo
$5.39 Grande Toasted Burrito Combo
$6.29 Three Crunchy Tacos Combo
$6.29 Three Soft Tacos Combo
$7 for 3 Doritos Locos Tacos Combo
$7 Crunchwrap Supreme Combo
$7 Deluxe Cravings Box
$7.19 Chicken Quesadilla Combo
$7.59 Nachos BellGrande Combo
Related: Spicy Secrets Behind Taco Bell's Success
The golden arches logo of the largest chain in the country are just as iconic as its Big Mac and Happy Meals.
Value Meal Deal
$10 for 40 McNuggets and two large fries meal for two
Related: Golden Arch-itecture: Grand and Bizarre McDonald's Around the World
Square burger patties? You bet. But Wendy's is better known for its spicy chicken sandwiches and nuggets now, not to mention a cult following for chili and Frostys.
Value Meal Deals
$5 Double Stack Biggie Bag
$5 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger Biggie Bag
$5 Crispy Chicken BLT Biggie Bag
Jr. Cheeseburger Four for $4 Meal
$15 Feed the Fam deal with two spicy chicken sandwiches, two junior bacon cheeseburgers, and four small fries
Related: We Tasted All 9 Wendy's Breakfast Sandwiches and This Is the Best
The home of the Whopper always has meal deals available, and they change often; navigate to the "Offers" section of the BK website or app to see what's good.
Value Meal Deals
Two for $5 Mix 'n Match with Big King, single quarter-pound King, fish sandwich, Original Chicken Sandwich
Two for $10 Mix 'n Match Meals that add two sides and two drinks
$6 Croissan'wich meal for two
$8 Original Chicken Sandwich meal for two
$9 Medium Bacon King combo
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Among the big pizza chains, Domino's has some of the best long-running deals.
Value Meal Deals
$6 Mix and Match Deal for takeout with options of: a medium two-topping pizza, Bread Twists, salad, Marbled Cookie Brownie, specialty chicken dishes, oven-baked sandwiches, Stuffed Cheesy Bread, boneless chicken, or Pasta in a Dish
$7 Mix and Match Deal for delivery
$8 Carryout Deal: All three-topping large pizzas, 10-piece wings, or Dips and Twists
Related: Domino's Will 'Tip' You to Come Get Your Own Pizza
Though the 11 herbs and spices in the seasoning are still a mystery, it's no secret that KFC is one of the go-to fast food restaurants for fried chicken.
Value Meal Deals
$6 Fill Up with a pot pie or Famous Bowl
$6.59 drum-and-thigh Fill Up
$7 popcorn nuggets combo
$7 Chicken Little combo
$7 three-piece tenders Fill Up
$8 four-piece tenders combo
$8.49 chicken sandwich combo
Related: KFC to Take Plant-Based Fried Chicken Nationwide
The things that make Papa John's pizza so good are the extras you get in the box: creamy garlic sauce for dipping the crust, and tangy pepperoncini peppers.
Value Meal Deals
$4 small one-topping pizzas
$6 medium one-topping pizzas
$8 large one-topping pizzas
$6 Pick Your Faves special: order two or more Papadias, one-topping medium pizzas, breadsticks, garlic knots, chicken poppers, or desserts
$7.49 Papadia and a drink
Popeyes created a phenomenon when it released its chicken sandwich, but the restaurant's classic fried chicken pieces are still the star of the show.
Value Meal Deals
$5 shrimp tackle box, pickup only
$7 three-tenders combo, pickup only
$10 Signature Chicken Two-Can-Dine with five pieces of chicken
Related: Fast Food Deals to Feed the Whole Family
Detroit's Little Caesars is well known for selling inexpensive pizza nationwide that's always hot and ready to be picked up.
Value Meal Deals
$5.55 classic cheese, pepperoni, or sausage pizza
$6 Slices-n-Stix pizza
$6.55 Extra Most Bestest cheese, pepperoni, or sausage pizza
$7 Extra Most Bestest Thin Crust pepperoni
$9 Extra Most Bestest Stuffed Crust pepperoni
$9 Deep! Deep! Dish cheese pizza
$10.49 Stuffed Crazy Bread meal deal
Panera has made a name for itself with fresh breads and bakery items, sandwiches, coffee shop beverages, and great soups.
Value Meal Deal
$7 Value Duets with soup and select salads and half sandwiches
Related: Secret Menu Items at Your Favorite Family Restaurants
Probably America's favorite Italian chain, Olive Garden has been dishing up pastas, salad, and those famous breadsticks for decades.
Value Meal Deals
$9 Lunch Favorites Monday through Friday before 3 p.m.: soup, salad, and breadsticks
$10 Lunch Favorites Monday through Friday before 3 p.m.: fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti, eggplant parmesan, cheese ravioli, and five-cheese ziti al forno
$11 Lunch Favorites Monday through Friday before 3 p.m.: spaghetti and meatballs, chicken Parmigiana, shrimp scampi, and lasagna
Related: The Craziest Appetizers at Popular Restaurant Chains
One of the most popular sit-down chains, Applebee's is well known for inexpensive deals such as $1 cocktails and late-night appetizer specials.
Value Meal Deal
$22 for two select entrees and one select appetizer
Tex-Mex is king at this casual sit-down chain with a chili pepper in its logo. Chips and salsa, queso dip, and barbecue ribs are favorite menu items.
Value Meal Deals
$9 lunch combos
$11 pick-three meal include a nonalcoholic beverage, select entree, and select appetizer
$25 meal for two with a starter, two select entrees, and a dessert
Dairy Queen isn't just for soft serve and Blizzards, especially in rural areas where there's a DQ in practically every town.
Value Meal Deals
$5 Two for $5 original cheeseburger, small sundae, pretzel sticks, regular fries, chili dog, soft drink, or Misty Slush
$7 Cheeseburger Meal Deal
$7 Three-piece chicken strip Meal Deal
Related: Best Soft Serve Ice Cream Shops in America
Found mostly in the western United States, Del Taco is another reliable bet for cheap, fast Mexican eats.
Value Meal Deals
$1.50 Three Value Tacos on Tuesdays 3 to 11 p.m.
$2.50 Three Grilled Chicken Tacos Thursdays 3 to 11 p.m.
Almost everyone has celebrated a special event at Red Lobster, a seafood chain that's as good for families as it is for date night.
Value Meal Deals
$18 Ultimate Endless Shrimp on Mondays
$46 for two Mariner's Feasts on Tuesdays
$21 steak and lobster meal on Wednesdays
$13 Walt's Favorite Shrimp and a beverage on Thursdays
$12 Fish Fry on Fridays
$16 Three from the Sea three-course meals with soup or salad, starter, and entree
Related: Regional Seafood Chains the Rest of the Country Needs
Which one of these two names you'll see on the sign depends on which part of the country you're in, but whether it's known as Hardee's or Carl's Jr., this chain is known for decadent and hearty breakfasts and burgers.
Value Meal Deals
$4 Big breakfast platter with sausage
$5 Meal Deal with three-piece chicken tenders
$5 Meal Deal with big cheeseburger
$5 Meal Deal with Hot Ham 'n Cheese sandwich
BJ's gets its Brewhouse moniker from the microbreweries at some locations, but every location of this casual sit-down chain has a menu of pizza and homestyle favorites.
Value Meal Deals
Half-off large pizzas on Mondays
$4 Pizookies on Tuesdays
$10 Loaded Burgers on Wednesdays
$16 Slow-Roasted Specials on Thursdays
$12 lunch specials
Prices at Steak 'n Shake won't break the bank, but it can't hurt to get there between 2 and 5 p.m. on weekdays for happy hour, when drinks and shakes are half price.
Value Meal Deals
$4 chicken fingers and fries
$4 Double 'n Cheese Steakburger and fries
$4 Garlic Steakburger and fries
$4 Bacon 'n Cheese Single Steakburger and fries
Related: Restaurants Food Deals That Let Kids Eat Free
Found mainly in the Southwest, El Pollo Loco is the place to indulge in Mexican favorites based around savory grilled chicken, including grilled chicken breasts.
Value Meal Deals
$5 Classic Chicken Burrito Combo
$5 Chicken Tacos al Carbon Combo
$5 Original Pollo Bowl Combo
$5 Chicken Nachos Combo
Dating all the way back to 1948, Bob Evans serves up hearty comfort food in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic in a country living-themed atmosphere.
Value Meal Deal
$8 Dinner Bell Plates
Seafood is usually an afterthought at fast-food chains, so Long John Silver's fills a niche for fried fish and shrimp lovers.
Value Meal Deals
$10 for a 15-piece Shrimp Sea-Share
$10 for a 15-piece Grilled Shrimp Sea-Share
$10 nine-piece Chicken Sea-Share
$10 six-piece Fish Sea-Share
$10 popcorn shrimp Sea-Share
Cooking up sliders since 1921, White Castle is often credited as the first fast food burger chain. Now it can be found in 13 states, mostly in the Midwest.
Value Meal Deals
$7.59 Original Slider Combo
$8 Chicken Ring Sandwich Combo
$17 Castle Pack with 10 Sliders, two fries, and two drinks
Related: Things You Didn’t Know About White Castle
Named after the football huddle, Huddle House is a 24-hour family restaurant that was founded in the 1960s and is concentrated in the Southeast.
Value Meal Deals
$6 BLT Down Home Combo
$6 Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit Down Home Combo
$6 Cheeseburger Down Home Combo
$6 Bacon, Egg & Cheese Melt Down Home Combo
$6 Chicken Tender Toaster Down Home Combo
$6 Hashbrowns All the Way Down Home Combo
$6 Western Grits Combo Bowl
Spaghetti, lasagna, and garlic breadsticks are crowd-pleasers, so it's no surprise this Italian restaurant chain is a hit with families.
Value Meal Deals
$5 small spaghetti with marinara and breadsticks
$5 small spaghetti with meat sauce and breadsticks
$5 small fettuccine Alfredo and breadsticks
$5 lasagna and fettuccine bake and breadsticks
Best known for its outlandish slogans, commercials, and having "all the meat," Arby's satisfies its customers with roast beef, curly fries, and fresh deli sandwiches.
Value Meal Deal
Two for $6 everyday value menu with classic roast beef, chicken cheddar ranch, or white cheddar mac and cheese
$6 six-piece hot honey or Buffalo boneless wings and fries
$7 nine-piece hot honey or Buffalo boneless wings and fries
Biscuit and fried chicken lovers adore this Southern fast-food chain that serves breakfast all day. You can add a swipe of creamy pimento cheese to any biscuit — and you should.
Value Meal Deals
$4.69 sausage biscuit combo
$5.49 country ham biscuit combo
$5.49 sausage and egg biscuit combo
$5.89 bacon, egg, and cheese combo
$5 Southern gravy biscuit combo
With about 600 locations, mostly in the Southern states, Zaxby's has carved a niche out of the fried chicken market, selling only tenders and wings.
Value Meal Deals
$7 Signature sandwich combo
$7 Kickin' chicken sandwich combo
$7 Grilled chicken sandwich combo
$7 Big Zax Snak meal
$7 Buffalo Big Zax Snak meal
$8 eight boneless wings meal
