Fast food restaurants have been quietly axing their dollar menus over the past few years in favor of meal deals. You pay more money, but you get multiple items of food at a discount from the regular menu price. Family-friendly restaurant chains, too, are cutting back on the coupons and specials as the economy continues to take a blow from the pandemic. But there are still great offers to be had out there, 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 your favorite chains, but remember that many are only offered for a limited time. Note: Prices and availability may vary by location. Due to the pandemic, many locations are offering take-out, drive-thru, or delivery options only.
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Burger King
The home of the Whopper always has a ton of meal deals available that change often, so navigate to the “Offers” section of their website or the app to see what’s good.
Value Meal Deals
$3 Double Whopper
$3 Chicken Fries and large fries
$3 10-piece nuggets and large fries
$4 Two Bacon Cheeseburgers Meal
$4 Two Whopper Juniors and two small fries
$5 Whopper Meal
$5 Two Original Chicken Sandwich and two small fries
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Wendy’s
Square burger patties? You bet. But they’re more well known for their spicy chicken sandwiches and nuggets now, not to mention a cult following for their chili and frosties.
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Domino’s
One of the big pizza chains, Domino’s has some of the best long-running deals and shows no sign of letting up.
Value Meal Deals
$6 Mix and Match Deal with options of: Medium 2-Topping Pizza, Bread Twists, Salad, Marbled Cookie Brownie, Specialty Chicken, Oven Baked Sandwich, Stuffed Cheesy Bread, 8-Piece Boneless Chicken, or Pasta in a Dish
$8 Carryout Deal: All 3-topping large pizzas or 10-piece wings
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Kentucky Fried Chicken
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
$5 Fill Up with a pot pie or Famous Bowl
$5.49 3-piece tenders Fill Up
$5.49 Drum-and-thigh Fill Up
$6 Popcorn nuggets combo
$6 3-piece Nashville hot tenders combo
$6 Crispy Colonel combo
$6.19 Chicken Little combo
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Papa John’s
The things that make Papa John’s pizza so good are the extras you get in the box: creamy garlic sauce to dip the crust in, and the tangy pepperoncini peppers.
Value Meal Deals
$6 Double Cheeseburger Papadia
$7.49 Papadia and Pepsi
$16 Epic Stuffed Crust Combo
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Popeyes
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
$6 Three Tenders Combo
$6 Rip’n Chicken Big Box
$7 Two-piece signature chicken combo
$9 2 Can Dine with five pieces of chicken or 6 tenders
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Del Taco
Found mostly in the western United States, Del Taco is another reliable bet for cheap, fast Mexican eats.
Value Meal Deals
$1.49 Three Value Tacos on Tuesdays 3-11 p.m.
$2.49 Three Grilled Chicken Tacos Thursdays 3-11 p.m.
$6 Fresh Faves Triple Chicken Box
$6 Fresh Faves Sampler Combo Box
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Red Lobster
Almost everyone has celebrated a special event at Red Lobster, a seafood chain that’s as good for families as it is date night.
Value Meal Deals
$18 Ultimate Endless Shrimp on Mondays
$50 for two lobster, shrimp and salmon feasts on Tuesdays
$20 Steak and lobster meal on Wednesdays
$13 Walt’s Favorite Shrimp and a beverage on Thursdays
$12 Fish Fry on Fridays
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Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr.
Though it’s got two names depending on which part of the country you’re in, Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. is known for decadent and hearty breakfasts and burgers.
Value Meal Deals
$4 Hotcakes Breakfast Platter
$5 All Star Meal with 3-piece chicken tenders
$5 All Star Meal with double cheeseburger and spicy chicken sandwich
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BJ’S Brewhouse
BJ’s gets its Brewhouse moniker from the microbreweries some locations have, 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
$3 Pizookies on Tuesdays
$10 Loaded Burgers on Wednesdays
$15 Slow-roasted Specials on Thursdays
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Steak ‘n Shake
Prices at Steak ‘n Shake won’t break the bank, but it can’t hurt to get there from 2 to 5 p.m. on weekdays for happy hour when all drinks and shakes are half price
Value Meal Deals
$4 Chicken fingers and fries
$4 Original Double ‘n Cheese Steakburger and fries
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Potbelly
Based in Chicago, this sandwich chain toasts all of their subs on soft sub buns. Don’t skip the signature hot giardiniera pepper mix, which you can purchase by the jar if you like.
Value Meal Deals
$5 Small turkey sandwich and a bag of chips
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El Pollo Loco
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
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Bob Evans
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 Deals
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Long John Silver’s
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 15-piece Shrimp Sea-Share
$10 Nine-piece Chicken Sea-Share
$10 Six-piece Fish Sea-Share
$10 Six Crab Cakes Sea-Share
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White Castle
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 Original Slider Combo
$7 Chicken Ring Sandwich Combo
$16 Castle Pack with 10 Sliders, two fries and two drinks