50 Fast Food Items You Need To Eat Before You Die

The average American spends $1,200 per year on fast food. For some Americans, if they're being honest, they spend that in a month. While there is a lot of junk on fast food menus across the United States, there are also items that you owe it to yourself to eat. Maybe you won't like it, maybe you will never eat it again — but it'd be a shame for you to enter your grave before at least giving your taste buds a chance to fall in love with these fast food items.

It'd be an impossible task to go to every fast food restaurant from sea to shining sea and sample each item available. Not only would you run out of time, all those calories would take a toll on your health. Instead of eating yourself to an early death, scroll down and review this complete list of fast food items you need to eat at least once before your final breath.

For four years and counting (as of January 2020), Chick-fil-A has been named as America's favorite fast food joint and their chicken sandwich is the main reason why. It's what Chick-fil-A is known for, and it's definitely something you should try before you kick the bucket. 

The chicken sandwich is breaded and then cooked in a pressure fryer with peanut oil. The bun is buttered, toasted, and then topped with pickles that add the perfect complementary flavor to the sandwich. Even if you don't usually like pickles, you shouldn't mess with perfection. Just try this sandwich once and you'll be a fan for life.

While Sonic Drive-In definitely has some quality food options, it's their drinks that set this place apart from the competition. Their most iconic drink and the drink they've mastered the most has to be the Cherry Limeade. Both the cherry and lime flavors are strong, but not overbearing or unpleasant. 

First you'll taste the cherry and it'll soon be followed by a lime-flavored aftertaste, and the two flavors together are simply amazing. To top it off, your drink will be filled with ice from Sonic Drive-In, which is without a doubt the best tasting ice of any fast food restaurant.

The food at Five Guys is so good that you don't even need to get fancy with your order. In fact, to get the true Five Guys experience, start off by ordering their cheeseburger. It's exactly what you expect: two beef patties that have been grilled, two slices of American cheese, and two soft buns that have been gently toasted. There's really no need for all those extra toppings here, but they're free, so order up if you just can't stand the thought of a toppling-less burger.

It might not sound compelling, but your taste buds will agree that your first bite is life-changer. Your idea of what a fast food burger can be will forever be changed.

The classic chocolate Frosty from Wendy's doesn't look too special or too unique, but there's just nothing else quite like it. While it appears to be chocolate ice cream, it's actually a dessert that resides somewhere between soft serve ice cream and an old fashioned milkshake. Furthermore, a classic chocolate Frosty is actually made with both chocolate and vanilla, making it the perfect flavor balance. 

These days, you can also order a vanilla Frosty, but it's just not the same. Go with the classic version and then, if you really want the ultimate experience, dip your Wendy's fries in the Frosty while you're at it.

The famed McRib isn't a fixture on the McDonald's menu. However, when it does periodically pop up, diehard McRib fans scramble to the Golden Arches to indulge — and there's a reason for that. 

The McRib is created from a cheap cut of pork, a lot of salt, a starchy sweetener (dextrose), and water. The concoction is pressed and shaped into what resembles a little rack of ribs. It's placed on a hoagie-like roll and topped with BBQ sauce, onions, and pickles. It might not sound appetizing, but the result is somehow an addicting, wondrous sandwich that fans can't get enough of. 

Even if you're on a diet, it's worthwhile to make an exception and head to Krispy Kreme for an Original Glazed Doughnut. But this endeavor is not quite as simple as it sounds. What you need to do is scout out a Krispy Kreme location and keep an eye out for the Hot Light. Once you see it light up, that's a sign from the doughnut gods (or maybe just the Krispy Kreme employees) that there are fresh doughnuts available. That's the moment you storm Krispy Kreme to pick up an Original Glazed Doughnut. With it being hot and fresh, it will practically melt in your mouth and overwhelm your senses with yumminess and happiness.

You don't think of authentic Mexican food when you drive past a Jack in the Box. And you're right not to — but that doesn't mean their tacos aren't worth trying. 

You can get a pair of tacos at Jack in the Box that will surprise you in a good way. While their tacos aren't authentic, they are a convenient and tasty snack that will fill you up fast, and there's just something about them that make people order them again and again. Their tacos have just meat, shredded lettuce, American cheese, and a crunchy outer shell — so maybe it's the simplicity that keeps people coming back. 

Also, make sure you pick up a packet or two of taco sauce to give those two tacos an extra kick.

If you've never had an Animal Style Burger from In-N-Out Burger, hop in your car now and go get yourself one. Don't worry, no one will look at you funny when you order it. 

What saying Animal Style at In-N-Out Burger will get you is a burger that's beef patty was grilled with the help of mustard, and it's amazing. To add to the fun, you'll get grilled onions, pickles, and an extra layer of their special spread. Plus, you still receive the same tomato and lettuce you get when you order one of their other burgers. 

But be warned, once you go Animal Style, you never go back.

If you're wondering how ketchup made this list, you've obviously never had ketchup from Whataburger. This fast food chain has ketchup that will make you think it was sent down from the heavens above. 

Try it with their fries, onion rings, or any of the burgers Whataburger has to offer. Since Whataburger was born in South Texas, it's not surprising to learn that they also have spicy ketchup. If you're brave enough to add some spice to your life, try it. And once you're completely addicted, you'll be happy to learn you can buy this ketchup by the bottle.

Panda Express calls their Original Orange Chicken their "signature dish" — and for very good reason. Panda Express' Orange Chicken is the best dish you will find at any fast food Chinese restaurant. 

The first thing you'll notice when you chow down is that each piece has a sufficient and juicy amount of meat. Then the flavors hit you. You'll taste the sweetness first, which is entirely pleasant. Then the spicy, orangey flavor catches your attention and the whole experience is taken to the next level. From the texture to the taste, you can't ask for much better bang for your fast food buck.

Even if you don't love the chicken at Church's Chicken (honestly, there are better fast food chicken chains), their Honey-Butter Biscuits are a game-changer. They are so good, in fact, that you may opt to get your chicken elsewhere, yet stop at a Church's Chicken just for these things. 

Everything about their Honey-Butter Biscuits is perfection. The biscuits themselves are flavorful and never too dry or too soggy. Then, the biscuits are expertly glazed with their yummy honey-butter concoction. The outcome is a biscuit that none of their competitors can compete with.

Is it even officially fall if you don't drink a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks? This coffee drink is the result of what would happen if all the best parts of autumn were melted down into a drinkable liquid. One sip and you'll be ready for falling leaves, Halloween, autumn colors, Thanksgiving, and everything else the season has to offer. 

It's not a complicated flavor profile, but Starbucks does pumpkin spice better than anyone else. If you end up drinking one of these lattes each morning during fall, no one will blame you.

Where can you find the best fast food cookies? You might be surprised to hear that you need to head to Subway to find them. 

The cookies at Subway are soft, but pack a powerful punch when it comes to flavor. The best thing about their cookies is that they all taste good, so you can adjust your order depending on your mood. Subway usually has a variety of options on hand including Chocolate Chunk, Double Chocolate, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, and Rainbow Candy Chip. Don't be timid to try them all, even in the same visit.

Dairy Queen seemingly has a never ending list of dessert options. Even when you decide you want a Blizzard, you are still left with an overwhelming number of choices. However, if you want to locate the cream of the crop, order a Butterfinger Blizzard. Even if you don't love the candy bar, you'll love this soft serve treat. 

The Butterfinger is such a winner because it meshes perfectly with vanilla soft serve. You get a mixture of chocolate, sweetness, and saltiness that will have your taste buds doing somersaults.

If you love meat and especially bacon, Wendy's Baconator is for you. The best way to describe it is nirvana for those obsessed with bacon. 

This burger comes equipped with eight ounces of fresh beef, six slices of crispy bacon, and two slices of American cheese. Within the bun you'll find mayo and ketchup on top of all the meat. What really stands out is the smokiness of the bacon and the freshness of the beef patties. Sure, this may sound like a recipe to clog your arteries — but you only live once, right?

Eat it forward or backward, it doesn't matter. The most important thing is that you try Mozzarella Stuffed Crust Pizza from Pizza Hut before you die. 

While it costs a little bit extra compared to the other crust options at Pizza Hut, it's worth the added money. Crust that is stuffed with mozzarella suddenly makes the crust the star of the show, no matter what toppings you put on the rest of the pie. Pizza Hut also lets you specify the flavor of the crust itself, so give Buttery Garlic or Toasted Parmesan a try.

What type of sub sandwich should you get a Subway? The one you have to try at least once is their Spicy Italian. On this sub you will get a combination of Genoa salami and pepperoni, two of the best tasting meats available at Subway. When combined, the flavor is extraordinary. You really can't mess it up no matter which vegetables or cheese you add to the sandwich. 

That said, you should really consider picking Golden Italian as your sauce, along with Italian bread, in order to achieve that ultimate taste of Italy.

The Whopper from Burger King is one of the most popular burgers in America, and you deserve to find out why. It has a quarter pound of beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mayo within a bun topped with sesame seeds. What makes the Whopper so special, though, is the flame-grilled taste of the beef. It's a flavor that you can't find anywhere else. 

The Whopper is like you had a barbecue in your backyard and finally made that elusive perfect burger — but without all the hassle. Buy a Whopper, eat it hot, and you may have a new favorite burger.

While you may think of Dunkin' as a donut stop, they have some really good iced coffee. The flavor that is a must to order at least once in your life is the Hazelnut Swirl. While other flavors are adequate, including Coconut Caramel, Pink Velvet, and Thin Mints, it's Hazelnut Swirl that stands at the head of the pack. The deep flavor of the Hazelnut somehow makes the coffee base taste even better. Order a donut while you're there, and use this heavenly iced coffee to wash it down.

These days, White Castle has over a dozen different types of sliders. While some of them are worth trying, you must try the Original Slider, because it's the best of the bunch. This is where it all started, and where the "Cravers" craze began.

 Many have tried to duplicate White Castle's slider success but it's never been truly copied. The Original Slider has a beef patty that is steam grilled on top of onions. Before the bun goes on top, a pickle slice is added to heighten the overall flavor of the slider. While the slider is small in stature, it's rather large in taste — and something everyone should experience at least one time.

Chipotle has scrumptious burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, salads, and more. However, the one thing you can't truly live without trying is their chips and guacamole.

Fast food usually doesn't result in good chips or guacamole because it takes great care to make each one. But Chipotle has figured out a way to succeed where others fail. Their chips are fried in-house in small batches, so they taste amazingly fresh. Their guacamole is not only very fresh, but also authentic to the last drop. The next time you are out and about and need a quick lunch, go to Chipotle and order the chips and guacamole.

When it comes to Arby's, their Classic Beef 'n Cheddar stands front and center. It's everything that is good about Arby's, distilled into one sandwich. 

Start with the onion roll, which is toasted to help release all the aroma and flavor. Next, the roast beef — the meat that makes Arby's Arby's — is covered with a cheesy sauce made out of cheddar. Finally, Arby's Red Ranch sauce is added to provide the right about of zest to the equation. 

When you order it for the first time, be sure to order two of these bad boys because you'll want an encore once you're finished with the first one.

Jimmy John's will get your sandwich to you in no time. That's what they do. If you don't know what to order, go with the Vito. It's a sandwich topped with capicola, salami, and provolone cheese. That combination will cause anyone's mouth to water. Add to it tomato, onion, lettuce, oil, and vinegar and this sandwich lands in legendary territory. The final touch is a bit of basil and oregano that will make Jimmy John's a fast food option you never overlook again. 

You'll learn to order the 16-incher and eat one half for lunch and the other for dinner — it's that good.

For a root beer float done right that you wouldn't want to miss out on, head to A&W. 

A&W is known for their root beer, and if you live near an A&W restaurant, that's the mecca when it comes root beer floats. They've become world-renowned experts in this field, and their floats definitely live up to the hype.

 It's difficult to say for sure whether it's the frosty mug, soft serve vanilla ice cream, or the A&W Root Beer itself that makes this so good, but it will bring your life pleasure, guaranteed.

When it comes to spicy chicken sandwiches, Popeyes has created a delicacy that you must eat before you are six feet under. While Chick-fil-A has a very good spicy chicken sandwich too, Popeyes' version is worthy of obsession. The spiciness hits hard but is thoroughly enjoyable. The crunchiness of the sandwich adds unforgettable texture to the experience. It's amazing, really. Try one before this coveted sandwich sells out again. They also have a non-spicy version, but don't be a coward and go with that one before trying the spicy one first.

You can find good pizza at Domino's, but the thing that you need to eat at least once is their Parmesan Bread Bites. 

These oven-baked goodies are made by hand using dough infused with butter. After they are baked to a golden brown, the bread bites are seasoned with Parmesan cheese and garlic. Eat them while they're hot to taste them at their best. In fact, you can order marinara dipping sauce and skip the pizza all together. 

Get 16 or 32 of these bites and a few sauces, and you'll be praising your decision.

When it comes to sourdough, Jack does it best. It's so good that you need to try the Sourdough Jack at Jack in the Box at least once in your lifetime. 

This sandwich joins a beef patty with Swiss cheese, bacon, tomato, ketchup, and mayo. And, of course, the toasted sourdough bread holds it all together and is the key to the whole shebang. Other fast food restaurants try to do sourdough but it always pales in comparison to what you can find at your local Jack in the Box. Order it with a side of curly fries for a scrumptious fast food lunch.

Long John Silver's is primarily known for their seafood. That said, their hush puppies are what will confuse you. Why the confusion? You won't be able to figure out why something so simple, so small, and so unassuming will be able to be so good. 

Go ahead and order some fish while you're at Long John Silver's, but double-check to make sure you get hush puppies with your meal. By the time you finish eating, the hush puppies will be what you treasure.

Warning: if you eat the Tater Chips from Zaxby's, you won't be able to eat chips out of a bag ever again. Tater Chips are like regular chips on a massive amount of steroids. Zaxby's thinly slices potatoes and then fries the slices. The finale involves salt, a bit of seasoning, and some ranch sauce for dipping. 

These chips are crispy, perfectly salted, and perfectly shaped for dipping in the ranch.

For those who love barbecue sauce on their cheeseburgers, the Western Bacon Cheeseburger from Carl's Jr. is the answer to your prayers. 

The barbecue sauce is more tangy than sweet, which makes it perfect for burger purposes. You won't be surprised to find the beef patty, the two strips of bacon, or the American cheese. What will surprise you are the two onion rings that have hitched a ride on this cheeseburger. Don't worry, the onion rings may look out of place but they are exactly where they need to be.

If you are one of the few sad souls left on Earth who has not yet tried fries from McDonald's, what are you waiting for? 

We know McDonald's isn't exactly the hippest or coolest place to grab a meal. You may think it's an eatery for kids or those who want to pinch their pennies. But the truth of the matter is that their fries are world famous for a reason. While virtually every fast food restaurant has tried to top McDonald's fries, no one has accomplished that feat. Go to McDonald's. Order a large fries. Enjoy.

Wingstop is unquestionably the place to go for chicken wings. Before it's your time to leave the land of the living, it's a priority to not only try Wingstop wings, but to try their lemon pepper wings. 

Almost all of their flavors are worth your hard-earned money, but their lemon pepper wings are truly the top of the mountain. And while you can order the wings boneless, just don't. For the full flavor, go with the original, bone-in wings. If you want a dipping sauce, bleu cheese goes perfectly with their lemon pepper wings.

A lot of fast food joints apparently believe that all you need to make Texas toast is a larger than average slice of bread and a toaster. Raising Cane's knows that's not the case. 

Their Texas toast is serious business and they treat it like an art form. Raising Cane's doesn't even start with sliced bread. Instead, their Texas toast is made from pull-apart sesame seed bread that is made to order. The bread is then grilled — but before that happens, it's slathered with a blend of garlic and butter. Get some of this genuine Texas toast before you're a ghost.

You might consider Little Caesars to be the destination of broke college students. While that may be true to an extent, don't let their reputation fool you, as their Italian Cheese Bread is a fast food item you really need to eat. While a lot of cheese bread from pizza places is stiff and short on cheese, that's not the case at Little Caesars. This Italian Cheese Bread is crispy on the edges but soft in the middle, topped with a generous amount of cheese, and blessed with authentic Italian spices.

The Classic Tostada Salad from El Pollo Loco combines a host of ingredients into a meal that will keep you up at night thinking about it. Inside of a fried tostada shell are chunks of chicken breast, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, pico de gallo, pinto beans, rice, sour cream, and lettuce. The chicken itself tastes amazing, and everything else builds off of the chicken to create a masterpiece. 

Whether you're in the mood for a Mexican meal or a luscious salad, the Classic Tostada Salad from El Pollo Loco can successfully scratch either itch.

Though you may think that you have a favorite ice cream at Baskin-Robbins, your opinion doesn't count unless you've tried their Pralines 'N Cream ice cream. It's not only the best ice cream at Baskin-Robbins, it very well could be the best ice cream on the planet. 

Within the vanilla ice cream foundation you'll find veins of caramel. But what will grab your undivided attention on your first lick are the pieces of pecans that have each been loved by a coating of praline. You'll never look at ice cream in the same way again.

Taco Bell took away their nacho fries and almost accidentally sparked riots. Now they're back and America couldn't be happier. Fries at Taco Bell? Sounds weird in theory but it's spectacular in reality. 

The fries themselves are seasoned aggressively. You might think there is too much seasoning, but by your second or third bite, you'll realize it's the perfect amount. But Nacho Fries wouldn't be Nacho Fries without the nacho cheese dip Taco Bell provides. Dip your fries in the nacho dip and a few seconds later you'll be singing the praises of this invention from the rooftops.

While KFC is known for their delicious fried chicken, you don't want to croak before you taste their mashed potatoes and gravy. 

Visually, it looks like a run of the mill offering you can find at other fast food restaurants. Give it a taste, though, and you'll understand the magic. The mashed potatoes are perfectly creamy and tasty on their own. But that's not even the best part — the gravy is what you'll remember. KFC's gravy is savory, brown, and will make you cherish every last spoonful of the mashed potatoes.

Burger King was never known for their fries. That all changed when they starting serving "fries" made with chicken. Now, people flock to Burger King to eat their Chicken Fries and you'd be wise to join that flock. Chicken Fries are made with white meat and breaded with the help of herbs and spices. Whether you dip these fries in honey mustard, BBQ sauce, or ranch, these sticks of chicken will have you telling others of your discovery.

Cheese curds from a fast food eatery can be risky. But at Culver's, it's exactly what you want to order. 

Their Wisconsin Cheese Curds take yellow and white cheddar cheese exclusively from Wisconsin and then deep fry it. Get your mitts on a large order of these fried cheese curds and you'll be set. Each bite of cheese will be better than the last. By the time you're done, you'll be wondering why you've ever eaten anything else, and you'll be thankful you ate it before you entered your casket.

It's hard to find a more nostalgic and iconic breakfast food than the Egg McMuffin. Many try to emulate it, but none can compare to its simplicity and originality. McDonald's broke the fast food mold as the creator of the first fast food breakfast sandwich in 1971 in Santa Barbara, California. No, this genius idea wasn't created at an executive round table –– Herb Paterson, a franchisee in California, created a new way for Americans to revolutionize the where and what breakfast looked like.

A marketing genius himself, Paterson developed the Egg McMuffin with the fast food version of an eggs Benedict in mind –– an egg cooked in a specially-made Teflon ring, topped with Canadian bacon, a slice of American cheese instead of hollandaise sauce, and nestled between a crunchy English muffin. It's filling without being greasy, healthy, but not too healthy –– the perfect trifecta of portable, nutritious-ish, and delicious. Pair it with a coffee and hash brown, and your commute just got more bearable.

In a world of stringy and soggy shoestring fries, Chick-fil-A's waffle fries come with endless dipping options and a boost of serotonin. Its unique shape and wide surface area allows for optimal dip-ability in your favorite sauce, and fits perfectly on a chicken sandwich for a chips-on-a-deli-sandwich vibe.

Chick-fil-A has been rolling out bags on bags of fried potato goodness since 1985, and haven't changed their super secret recipe in over 30 years. Now, it continues to be the most popular item on Chick-fil-A's menu with one store going through 240 bags a day, beating out the heavy-hitters like their Original Chicken Sandwich, and the classic nuggets. Their simple ingredients add to the deliciousness –– potatoes grown on a family-owned farm in Washington State, salt, and canola oil.

Whether you are on team potato skin, soft and squishy, or a crunchy bottom-of-the-box kinda fry person, it's hard to say no to just a couple of fries.

Macaroni and cheese has been a comfort food for many Americans, and has stood its place as a staple in Southern cuisine and tradition. According to Smithsonian Magazine, macaroni and cheese were popularized by Thomas Jefferson in the Antebellum South, even though it is a mixture of White and Black food culture during that time. It was seen as a celebration food, and continues to be one that is enjoyed on special occasions.

Panera Bread's classic mac and cheese makes this comfort food a regular and crave-able phenomenon –– shell pasta (the best pasta) with a blend of creamy white cheddar cheese. The restaurant even offers a version with traditional yellow cheddar, broccoli, and carrots (to give the illusion of health and wellness), a grilled mac and cheese for maximum carb loading, and an at-home option available at some grocery stores. 

In 2019, Panera Bread came under fire after a Tik Tok revealed that its mac and cheese came frozen, and was "re-thermalized," a fancy way of saying thawed and heated before serving. However, the sous-vide cooking choice doesn't take away from the heart-happy feeling you get when eating Panera Bread's mac and cheese.

Once a hot dog stand in Madison Square Park, Shake Shack started on the basis of simple values like community, accountability, and a people-first mentality. The restaurant didn't have a fairytale beginning, with Shake Shack starting its inception with low profits and a not-so-positive review in the New York Times in 2012.

However, this trendy burger chain rose to popularity, and became one of the most popular burger joints in America valued at over $3 billion with over 377 locations worldwide. The Shack Stack burger is not only a major tongue-twister, but also a journey for your tastebuds. It's the mashup of Shake Shack's classic cheeseburger, and its vegetarian 'shroom burger –– a cheeseburger topped with fried mushroom filled with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce, a mixture of mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, pickle brine, and cayenne pepper. It's the perfect mashup of vegetarian and carnivorous delight –– just come hungry and bring a lot of napkins.

Moe's Southwest Grill has always brought its A-game to the Mexican fast-food world. From the handmade salsas to its gluten-free and vegetarian options, you know it's a solid choice every time you hear "Welcome to Moe's." The golden child, though, is Moe's famous queso, which rivals even the fiercest of competitors and wanna-be's.

The queso is often compared to one of Moe's biggest competitors, Chipotle, with Moe's winning the queso game every time. While Chipotle's queso is gloopy and unsatisfying in color, Moe's queso delivers smoothness and a punch of flavor that makes any bowl or burrito even better. The classic recipe is also one of the brand's biggest secrets –– a blend of three cheeses and diced jalapeños. In past years, Moe's has featured different queso varieties like chili con queso topped with beef, a vegetarian black bean queso, and a spicy queso with pork, hot sauce and jalapeños. Moe's new queso flavor, the buffalo queso, is the kick needed to up your burrito bowl game.

The Bo-Berry biscuit lives in a perpetual identity crisis –– is it a dessert, or a side? Is it savory or sweet, or both? Where does a Bo-Berry come from? These are all things that people choose to put aside for the sake of deliciousness.

Since 1977, Bojangles' has been serving quick, made-from-scratch comfort food such as its classic fried chicken and even more notable biscuits. In a Garden & Gun piece, writer, Jed Portman, decided to try his hand at biscuit-making to see how Bojangles' biscuits were made. Portman found that Bojangles' makes over 1,000 biscuits in an eight-hour shift. The process has 48 steps from sifting the flour, to mixing and folding everything by hand. With around 75% of the menu featuring a biscuit, it's understandable how much time they put into these biscuits –– especially the Bo-Berry biscuits. Made with Bo-Berries (which taste strangely like blueberries) and topped with cinnamon roll-like icing, this unique dessert is the perfect marriage of sweet and savory, and even features fun, marketable heart-shaped biscuits for Valentine's Day.

Doritos Locos Tacos will forever stand the test of time as one of the fast food industry's most crazy and incredible creations. It's all the joys of eating Doritos, but more flavor –– like portable Doritos nachos all packed into one familiar shape.

They came at a time when Taco Bell, and people who love Taco Bell, needed them most. Former CEO, Greg Creed, told Fast Company that he tasked his team in 2009 to rethink traditional Mexican cuisine and change the face of Taco Bell. There are many disputes over who initially came up with the idea of the Dorito-shelled taco, with its inception possibly dating back to as early as 1995. It initially had some hiccups trying to emulate that Doritos taste, until eventually teaming up with Frito-Lay to get the authentic flavoring and orange dust just right.

To say it took off would be an understatement ––Taco Bell sold 100 million in the first 70 days (via Fast Company), and sold more than one billion dollars worth by 2013, just one year after launching in stores. The Doritos taco itself is simple and customizable, like the normal crunchy taco, and with flavors like Flamin' Hot Cool Ranch, it puts them on another level.

Whenever you walk into a mall, you know the smell, and no –– it's not coming from Abercrombie & Fitch. It smells like fresh bread, and melted butter, and it is one of the reasons most people still go to the mall in these modern times. What started as a farmer's market stand in 1988, Auntie Anne's has morphed into a mall staple that is both nostalgic and slightly unobtainable, since you can't find them at just any mall.

Auntie Anne's classic pretzels are made from scratch right in front of your hungry eyes, with a special mix of flour, sugar, and baking soda, and topped with melted butter –– there's a reason why scent marketing is a thing. However, the only thing better is the bite-sized pretzel nuggets that have surpassed traditional pretzels in sales, and are perfect to eat while window shopping. Auntie Anne's offers its original butter and salt-flavored pretzels in nugget form, and other twists on the classic like cinnamon sugar, pepperoni pretzel, and mini pretzel dogs. You don't have to trudge through a mall for your pretzel fix –– buy the frozen Auntie Anne's pretzels online and enjoy them at home or on the go.

When you think of Hardee's, charbroiled burgers come to mind, and cheesy commercials with half-naked women eating massive cheeseburgers. You wouldn't expect the fast food restaurant that brings the beef to be a standout among chicken biscuits, especially against chains like Chick-fil-A and McDonald's.

When looking for a superior sandwich, it's important that both the chicken and biscuit are equally good. McDonald's biscuit is superior to Chick-fil-A's, but McDonald's frozen chicken patty doesn't even compare flavor-wise to the aura of Chick-fil-A. Hardee's offers both, plus the thing that both McDonald's and Chick-fil-A lack –– that crispy chicken crunch. Hardee's chicken biscuit is hand-breaded and made with all-white meat chicken breast; each biscuit is made-from-scratch each morning, according to an article in The Virginian-Pilot, starting at 4 a.m. Throughout the day, Hardee's can go through around 900 biscuits. In a review of the Hardee's chicken biscuit from The Takeout, it affirmed that Hardee's had possibly the best fast food biscuit, with a buttery softness and crispy chicken breast good enough to drag you out of bed for your day job.

Cookout is a fast food right-of-passage through any Southern town, and undeniably, one of the most underrated fast food chains you probably have never seen. Since 1989, Cookout has been a nostalgic hangout illuminated by a bright neon sign that guarantees you'll with a full stomach for under 10 dollars. For millenials and drunk college students, it is a 4 a.m. solace for the drunchies and munchies with a drive-thru almost as long as its menu. Its menu is overwhelming and abundant with its classic tray combos and over 40 flavors of milkshakes so thick, that you'll get lock-jaw trying to drink it through a straw.

The Cheerwine float –– a cherry-flavored soda blended with vanilla soft serve –– is equally as niche, and yet incredible. Cheerwine was created in North Carolina, the home of the first Cookout, and is as "uniquely Southern" as the fast-food joint without selling actual Southern food.