The holidays are a hectic time for everyone, pandemic or not. Fast food drive-thrus are going to be packed with customers who need a quick lunch or meal to take home to their family after picking up some Christmas gifts. To help you get into the holiday spirit, restaurants have plenty of themed specials this month, including vintage Santa chicken buckets, Christmas tree donuts, and tons of peppermint drinks.
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McDonald’s: Buy 1 Get 1 for $1
According to McDonald’s, “two is always better than one,” so they’ve launched a new BOGO for $1 deal. The offer includes Quarter Pounder with cheese, Big Macs, 10-piece McNuggets, and Filet-o-Fish sandwiches. There’s also very exciting news this month: The McRib is back! The barbecue pork sandwich has had a cult following since its debut in 1982, so get in on this while it’s still around.
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Wendy’s: Free Jr. Frosty Key Tags
Every holiday season, Wendy’s sells key tags. The tag costs only $2 and will get you a free junior Frosty anytime you buy something at Wendy’s through the end of 2021, so it pays for itself pretty quickly. The best part, besides scoring an awesome deal? The majority of your $2 purchase goes to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. You can purchase a physical key tag in a restaurant, or order on the app for a mobile version.
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Burger King: 3 for $3 Choose Your Bundle
Eat a meal on the cheap at Burger King right now. The 3 for $3 Bundle includes a small fries and small drink, plus your choice of either a double cheeseburger or BLT chicken junior. Also still available is the Mix ‘n Match 2 for $5 deal with Whoppers, original chicken sandwiches, chicken fries, and fish sandwiches for bigger appetites.
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Arby’s: 2 for $6 Everyday Value
The Arby’s 2 for $6 everyday value menu continues this month, offering two sandwiches for a discount price. There are five options to choose from, including beef ‘n cheddar, Greek gyro, roast beef gyro, roast turkey gyro, and the chicken cheddar ranch sandwich.
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Pizza Hut: Great Beyond Pizza
Pizza Hut is jumping on the plant-based protein trend with Italian sausage made with Beyond brand vegetarian crumbles. Try it on the $19 Great Beyond pizza along with tomatoes, onions and banana peppers, or by itself on a Beyond Italian sausage pizza for $15.
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KFC: $20 Fill-Up
Fried chicken buckets are a great choice for a quick and filling family meal during the busy holiday season. The $20 Fill-Up at KFC comes with 8 pieces of chicken or 12 tenders, plus two large mashed potatoes and gravy, large coleslaw, and four biscuits. And for a limited time, the chicken will come in vintage holiday-decorated buckets, based on designs used in 1966 and 1971.
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Popeye’s: $5 Wicked Shrimp
Popeye’s has a new seafood offering. Wicked shrimp are fried in a spicy Louisiana-style blend of herbs and spices with an extra-crispy breading. You can get 14 pieces along with a side and biscuit for $5, or add a drink to that for a dollar more.
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Sonic: $1 Fritos Chili Cheese Jr. Wrap
Sonic has brought back its Fritos chili cheese wraps, in regular and junior size. The junior size is only $1 and includes chili, cheddar cheese and Fritos chips wrapped in a flour tortilla like a burrito. Also new is an espresso shake and Oreo espresso shake for your sweet tooth.
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Starbucks: Peppermint Mocha
The Starbucks holiday flavors are out, and the new one this year is peppermint mocha made with espresso, steamed milk, mocha sauce and peppermint syrup with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls. Additional holiday flavors that have been brought back include toasted white chocolate mocha, caramel brulee latte, chestnut praline latte, and eggnog latte.
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Hardee’s: Monster Angus Thickburger
Hardee’s has brought back the Monster Angus Thickburger, a big and meaty offering for burger lovers. It’s got two one-third-pound angus beef patties, three slices of American cheese, four slices of bacon, and mayo.
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Del Taco: Smothered Tamales
Tamales are a traditional holiday food, so it makes sense for Del Taco to feature them in December. They’re filled here with shredded seasoned pork and wrapped in corn husks, and are two for $4. They also come smothered with red and green chili sauce, chili cheese, and Cholula hot sauce, or a dozen in a family-sized fiesta pack.
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Dairy Queen: Frozen Hot Chocolate
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Steak ‘n Shake: Holiday Milkshakes
Also betting that you’re going to get into the holiday spirit with a frozen drink, Steak ‘n Shake has released two new shake flavors this month. The eggnog shake is topped with whipped cream and grated nutmeg, while the peppermint chocolate chip shake is blended with peppermint syrup and chocolate and peppermint candy.
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Krispy Kreme: Holiday Doughnuts
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Checkers/Rally’s: Honey Buffalo Mother Cruncher
Checker’s has added a new option to their fried chicken sandwich lineup. The honey buffalo Mother Cruncher features their fried chicken breast coated in honey buffalo sauce and topped with pepper jack cheese, crispy onions and ranch for a creamy, hot and sweet combo.
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Chick-fil-A: Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chick-fil-A is gearing up for winter with the return of their stomach-warming chicken tortilla soup. It’s made with shredded chicken, two kinds of beans and vegetables in a spiced, creamy broth. Also back for the holidays is the peppermint chip milkshake, a pink concoction blended with peppermint pieces and chocolate chips.
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Dunkin’: $2 10-count Munchkins
Through Dec. 29, you can get a 10-count box of Munchkins (aka donut holes) at Dunkin‘ for only $2. It’s an inexpensive addition to their holiday drinks this season, including the peppermint mocha latte and the gingerbread latte.
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Culver’s: Sweet Potato Fries
Culver’s tends to bring their sweet potato fries back just once a year, and now’s the time. Just like their regular fries, they’re a chunky crinkle cut and are great for dipping.
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Moe’s Southwest Grill: $4 Chili Con Queso
Moe’s has brought back a fan-favorite variation on its queso. Chili con queso combines their white queso with seasoned ground beef and jalapenos for a more substantial, spicy dip. Get it for $4 with chips.
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Little Caesars: $10 Pepperoni Cheeser! Cheeser! Deal
Budget pizza chain Little Caesars has a new pizza, the Pepperoni Cheeser! Cheeser!. It’s a large pizza topped with pepperoni, fresh mozzarella and basil on a toasted parmesan and asiago crust. It’s $7, or you can get it in a meal deal with Crazy Bread and sauce and a 2-liter of soda for $10.
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Taco Bell: Black Bean Toasted Cheddar Chalupa
Though Taco Bell has dropped a lot of its menu this year, they’re also expanding their vegetarian offerings with items like the black bean Toasted Cheddar Chalupa in a cheese-coated Chalupa shell. (It’s also available with beef.) Also new is a vegetarian version of the Nachos Party Pack topped with beans and guacamole, plus plenty of cheese sauce and other goodies.
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Domino’s: $12 Large Chicken Taco and Cheeseburger Pizzas
Domino’s recently expanded their specialty pizza lineup with two new offerings. The chicken taco pizza is topped with American cheese, grilled chicken, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, provolone and taco seasoning, while the cheeseburger pizza has a ketchup and mustard sauce, ground beef, American cheese, onions, tomatoes, provolone and cheddar. You can try them both for $12 each for a limited time.
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Subway: Buy 2 Get 1 Free Footlongs
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Papa John’s: $12 Double Cheeseburger Pizza
Papa John’s has brought back a limited-time favorite: the double cheeseburger pizza. It’s topped with seasoned beef, zesty burger sauce, tomatoes and pickles. Plus, you can get it in Papadia form if you don’t want a whole pizza.
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Jack in the Box: $6 Chili Cheeseburger Combo
Chili is back on the menu for winter at Jack in the Box. Try it on a chili cheeseburger with two slices of cheese and chopped onions, which you can get a la carte or as a combo with small fries and drink for $6. You can also try the beef chili on chili cheese curly fries.
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White Castle: $20 Crave Clutch
Bring home a bundle of sliders from White Castle with their new Crave Clutch bundle. The briefcase-like box holds 20 original sliders and four small fries for about $20. It’s also available without the fries if potatoes aren’t your thing.
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Church’s Chicken: $4 Chicken Sandwich
Church’s may be late to the fried chicken sandwich party, but they’re here now. The crispy fried chicken breast filet is topped with pickles and mayo on a toasted honey butter-brushed brioche bun. There’s also a spicy version available that includes spicy mayo and comes with a jalapeno pepper on the side.
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Quiznos: Winter Turkey Feast Sandwich
Get in the holiday mood at Quiznos with their new Winter Turkey Feast sandwich. It’s got oven-roasted turkey, dried cranberries, honey French dressing, cheese, lettuce and tomato all on a toasty rosemary parmesan bread.
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Fatburger: Hang-in-There Burger
The folks at Fatburger seem to know that we’re all at wits end. Their new offering is called the Hang-in-There Burger, and it’s a massive, decadent creation, because why the heck not? The burger is piled high with chili, onion rings, American cheese, bacon, and a fried egg, plus the usual “works” just in case you wanted a vegetable.
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Whataburger: $6 Hatch Green Chile Bacon Burger
Texans’ favorite burger chain, Whataburger, has a new Southwestern burger. The Hatch green chile bacon burger includes double beef patties, American and monterey jack cheese, bacon, mayo, and chopped, roasted Hatch green chiles.
