9 Fast Food Places Where You Can Grab a Meal for $5 or Less!

Remember when every restaurant had a dollar menu?

woman holding mcdouble and mcdonalds bag

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:

meal from Burger King next to bag

Burger King’s $5 Your Way Meal is still available!

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! 🤞


holding a Burger in front of fries, chicken nuggets, and a fountain drink from Checkers & Rally's

Checkers & Rally’s $5 T-Pain For Real Meal is Here!

Through November 17th, you can grab the T-Pain For Real Meal for just $5 at participating Checkers and Rally’s locations.*

The meal features your choice of the classic Checker/Rallyburger OR the new BBQ Spicy Chicken Sandwich (Checkers & Rally’s Spicy Chicken sandwich topped with melty American cheese, Sweet N’ Smoky BBQ sauce, and pickles on a toasted bun). This meal also comes with a small order of fries, a 16-ounce soft drink, and 8 BBQ Chicken Bites.

Checker’s and Rally’s 5 for $5 Meal Deal is still on the menu, too! 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!*

*Note that these meals may be $6 in select markets.


dairy queen meal on tray

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!


Taste of KFC Meal

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.


holding up a chicken tender with barbeque sauce on it

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!


man holding a McDonald's McChicken

McDonald’s $5 value meal is now available nationwide.

McDonald’s launched a $5 Meal Deal in June, and the restaurant recently confirmed that this deal has been extended at participating locations through December!

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 burger and fries

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.


5 Taco Cabana breakfast & lunch options

Taco Cabana has $4.99 meal deals all day long.

Taco Cabana is bringing back its popular $4.99 Meal Deals, and there’s even a breakfast option!

The $4.99 Rise and Grind includes two breakfast tacos, a crispy golden hashbrown, and one freshly brewed coffee or 20 oz. drink (available during breakfast hours only).
The breakfast taco options are Chorizo & Egg, Bean & Cheese, or Potato & Egg.

The $4.99 Crunch & Quench comes with one Double Crunch Pizza (choose shredded chicken or ground beef) and a 20 oz. drink.


Wendy's items on a tray in-restaurant

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.


See our list of everywhere you can score cheap eats this week!