Squish and feast! Your favorite fast food menus just got a major glow-up.
Getting tired of your usual fast food order? You’re in luck, because at Hardee’s, you’ll find a new menu item that will keep your taste buds refreshed, along with other offerings that *scream* summer. Other restaurants like Chicken Salad Chick and Portillo’s are giving us new reasons to drop by, one is sweet and the other is heavenly. Meanwhile, McDonald’s brought back a popular puffy plaything, adding a a squishy twist to your Happy Meal. Here are the latest fast food releases that are worth lining up for!
Chicken Salad Chick’s New Red Velvet Cake
Chicken Salad Chick, the only fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept in the country, found a new way to add a sweet finish to your meal. This May, the brand launched the new Red Velvet Cake, and this is available now through the end of year. After the success of White Chocolate Layer Cake in 2024, which was Chicken Salad Chick’s first-ever cake, the Red Velvet Cake is here to expand the brand’s lineup of desserts.
If you’re ready for more indulgence, don’t miss out on the new Red Velvet Cake, featuring three layers of moist traditional red velvet, frosted (generously) with cream cheese frosting. You can expect a homemade quality from this cake as each one is baked fresh at Chicken Salad Chick’s Atlanta-based craft bakery, which has four decades of gourmet baking experience.
As per the brand, the new Red Velvet Cake is a true Southern classic and serves as another reason to visit the restaurant. It’s perfect for any occasion as well as everyday indulgence. The Red Velvet Cake is available by the slice in-store, online, and at the drive thru; guests may also pre-order whole cakes online.
In addition to the decadent new treat, Chicken Salad Chick has more perks for the most loyal customers. Rewards members can take advantage of the Double Points Days, which allow them to earn double points on all daily purchases made on the following dates:
- May 23 to 24
- June 11
- July 8
- August 12
- September 9
- October 8
- November 20
- December 10
Not a rewards member yet? You can sign up by downloading the Chicken Salad Chick app. Once done, you can start earning double points, receive a free Chick Special on your birthday, and enjoy other perks!
Hardee’s New Peach Sweet Tea
Summer arrived early at Hardee’s and if you’re ready for a sensory experience that will transport you to sun-drenched orchards, don’t miss out on the fast food chain’s latest offering: Peach Sweet Tea! Frequent fast food enjoyers would notice that this drink is quite similar to a limited-time offering from Chick-fil-A, the White Peach Sunjoy. But since the latter isn’t available anymore, let’s welcome what Hardee’s is bringing to the table!
Hardee’s most Southern item from its lineup of peach-infused drinks is the Peach Sweet Tea, and the brand claims that one sip will make you feel like you’ve bitten into the juiciest white or yellow summer peach. And yes, there are other peach-flavored drinks to try from Hardee’s, including the Peach Lemonade and Peach Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shakes.
Hardee’s also released other summer menu items, including the returning Blueberry biscuits topped with a swirl of icing as well as Duke’s Carolina Gold BBQ Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich. Two new Homestyle Breakfast Burritos were also added as permanent items to the menu, so you can enjoy them all year round.
What about deals? Of course, Hardee’s also got some of those! If you’re a My Rewards Member, you can sip the new peach tea for just $1 when you order it via Hardee’s app. Members can also try the two new burritos using the exclusive BOGO $1 offer on the Hardee’s app.
McDonald’s Squishmallows Happy Meal
If you’re chronically online like us, then you know all about the Squishmallows. They’re not just ordinary plushies, they’re the “pillow pets” of the TikTok era. And if you’re a fan of McDonald’s (also, like some of us), then the wait is over: Squishmallows are finally back in McDonald’s Happy Meal! There are 12 plushies to collect, including the debut of a brand-new Intergalactic Axolotl character.
McDonald’s announced on May 13, 2025 that the squishy stuffed toys have returned to the restaurants and will be available for a limited time only. Each Happy Meal will include one of the 12 different toys, including a new character named Halley. Each plushie also comes with a character hang tag, showing more details about it and its story. There’s also a code that you can scan to play an interactive game.
McDonald’s partners with Jazwares, the company behind Squishmallows, for the second time around after the overwhelmingly positive response to the first Squishmallows Happy Meal in 2023. The squishy Happy Meal is now available at participating US locations and is expected to arrive in other countries this spring and summer.
Portillo’s The Leo
Meanwhile, as a tribute to the newly elected Pope with roots from the Windy City, Portillo’s released a limited-time menu item that might just spark some “culinary devotion.” Say hello to The Leo! Inspired by the first US-born pope, Pope Leo XIII, the new menu item features divinely seasoned Italian beef with gravy, and then finished with peppers (sweet, hot, or a mix of both).
As per Portillo’s, The Leo is made in honor of a moment that’s historic for the brand’s hometown and the rest of Chicagoans. It’s a “sacred” sandwich that’s bold and unapologetically flavorful. The new menu item is available all throughout May, which also happens to be the Italian Beef Month.
RELATED: New Summer Specials from Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Taco John’s, and More
From The Club
There’s truly something for everyone in this roundup, and I mean everyone, including those who are just looking for squishy comfort items! McDonald’s is once again doing us a service by bringing back the Squishmallows gang, and obviously, it’s fun to hunt for these cute little plushies. And since we’re talking about comfort, I think we can also get that from Hardee’s refreshing new Peach Sweet Tea. It sounds like a perfect drink for the warmer days ahead!