Sonic Drive-in with its familiar atmosphere and countless offerings is one of the best places to get your fix of burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, and other deep fried snacks.
Since they take pride in customer satisfaction, it’s no surprise that they offer lots of meals and drinks that aren’t readily available on their menu. But how do you ask for them? We got you covered!
Here’s your guide to Sonic’s secret menu and the top 17 fast food items you can get.
17. Frito Chili Pie
Let’s start with the most popular secret menu item that Sonic has to offer. Based on its name, you never would’ve thought that these are literally just nachos but better. Instead of nacho chips, you replace them with Frito chips and cover them in both cheese and chili. It’s a popular dish that even celebrities like Chrissy Teigen can’t get enough of.
How to order: Ask the staff to just pour some cheese and chili on a pile of Fritos.
16. Purple Sprite
I miss the days when Sprite and soft drinks in general came out with all sorts of crazy flavors to boost our soda drinking experience. But even though we don’t get much of those anymore, we can always rely on fast food chains to satisfy our cravings. Sonic’s Purple Sprite is a must try for anyone looking to explore their secret menu. This wildly unique drink combo mixes everything you love about Sprite, cranberry juice, and Powerade.
How to order: Just order a Sprite in whatever size of your choosing then ask to have it splashed with lemonade, Powerade, and cranberry juice.
15. Dr. Pepper Lush
With 23 unique flavors, you gotta wonder how else can you make Dr. Pepper even better. It turns out you just need to add a bit of lemonade and Powerade. Once you have them both, you’ll have a refreshing new mix that definitely switches up your typical order of Dr. Pepper.
How to order: Simply ask to have some lemonade and Powerade splashed onto your cup of Dr. Pepper.
14. Sonic Sunrise
Sonic is known for having lots of secret drink menu items and the Sonic Sunrise is definitely the most popular. It’s a not-so-secret drink that combines the flavors of orange juice and cherry limeade. That combo may sound a little different but trust us (and all the other people who love this drink) that this is one of the best that Sonic has to offer.
How to order: Most Sonic locations know a Sonic Sunrise when you ask for one. If they don’t know how to make it, ask for a drink that’s equal parts orange juice and cherry limeade.
13. Java Chiller
Looking for a pick me up that has both chocolate AND coffee? Get yourself a Java Chiller from Sonic Drive-in! This is basically a chocolate shake combo that includes ice cream and coffee. So if you want something sweet, creamy, with an energy boost that also tastes delicious, give the Java Chiller a try.
How to order: Just ask for a chocolate shake made with ice cream and coffee. Also, make sure that they use “hard” ice cream or ice cream that isn’t soft serve.
12. Pink Flamingo
There’s definitely no shortage of flavor combinations when it comes to drinks you can get at Sonic Drive-in. Here’s another Sprite based drink that you can try whenever you find yourself at the fast food chain. The Pink Flamingo gives you a taste of the tropics with a combination of Sprite, cherry, orange, and pineapple.
How to order: Ask the staff to add cherry, orange, and pineapple flavoring to your Sprite.
11. Pepper Float
This one is a popular secret menu item that we’re surprised hasn’t made it to Sonic’s actual menu. The Pepper Float is basically just a Dr. Pepper with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a creamy drink perfect for when you want a dessert that can also quench your thirst.
How to order: Just ask for a scoop of vanilla ice cream on your order of Dr. Pepper. You can spice things up by asking to add chocolate syrup or something like cherry or vanilla flavoring.
10. Slap Yo Mama
With a name like that, you gotta be a little careful when ordering this drink. It’s another refreshing drink from Sonic’s secret menu and this one is based around Powerade. The sports drink is surprisingly salty and can blend well with lots of different flavors. A Slap Yo Mama is basically a Powerade with lemonade and raspberry syrup.
How to order: Just order a Powerade and ask to have it mixed with lemonade and raspberry syrup. If you want to beat the heat, you can also order this drink in slush form.
9. Sonic Salads
When we say Sonic Drive-in, your first thought would probably be their delicious burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches. But what you may not know is that Sonic has their very own line of Salads that’s perfect for fans of the chain who are looking for a healthier alternative. While they have Salads you can readily order, you can ask the staff to customize them to fit your tastes.
How to order: Just order a salad of your choice and have it customized however you want.
8. Hickory Burger
Sonic’s Bacon Cheeseburgers are pretty great. But sometimes, it just doesn’t quite hit as well as you would hope. Looking to make it better? Just replace the sauce! Sonic is known for having one of the best Hickory BBQ sauces you could ever have. And adding it onto your Bacon Cheeseburger will definitely give it a better taste with a strong mix of tangy and smoky flavors to complement the meaty goodness from the bacon and beef patty.
How to order: Just ask to have their BBQ sauce instead of the regular sauces that goes into your Bacon Cheeseburger.
7. Grilled Ham & Cheese
The Grilled Cheese Sandwich is present on most fast food chains and is an iconic American snack. Sonic’s Grilled Cheese is one of the best sandwiches you can get on their menu. It’s great on its own but do you know what would make it better? Some Ham! You can ask to have Ham added to your Grilled Cheese at Sonic and you’ll have yourself an even better meal. Good luck going back to regular Grilled Cheese once you’ve had this secret menu item.
How to order: Just ask to have some Ham added to your Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
6. Adult Grilled Cheese
Speaking of the Grilled Ham & Cheese, did you know that you can also add other pieces of meat to take your typical Grilled Cheese Sandwich experience to the next level? You can literally add whatever meat option you want to your sandwich if you ask nicely at any Sonic Drive-in. They do have the Steak and Bacon Grilled Cheese available on their standard menu but why limit yourself there?
How to order: Ask to have your choice of fix-ins mixed with your Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
5. Extreme Popcorn Chicken
Popcorn Chicken is already good enough on its own. So when whispers of an “Extreme Popcorn Chicken” available at Sonic’s secret menu, you bet people went crazy. This secret menu item is basically Sonic’s famously affordable Popcorn Chicken but covered in chili and cheese. Sounds like a winning combination.
How to order: Get yourself an order of Jumbo Popcorn Chicken and ask the staff to have it covered in chili and melted cheese.
4. Extreme Tots
Extreme Tots were once available from Sonic’s standard menu but were removed since it was just a promo item. Since then, people have found creative ways to bring back this fan favorite by making the right requests at Sonic Drive-in. Extreme Tots are tater tots covered in chili, cheese, and jalapeño slices.
How to order: You can get yourself Extreme Tots by ordering tater tots, with chili, cheese, and jalapeño slices. You can take things further by asking to add other fix-ins like ranch sauce.
3. Pickle O’s
At some point, you gotta wonder if Sonic will deep fry anything if you ask and are willing to pay for it. Pickle O’s are literally pickle slices covered in batter and deep fried to crispy perfection. It’s one of those secret menu items that aren’t available in the standard menu but all the ingredients can be seen in plain sight.
How to order: You can straight up ask the staff for Pickle O’s at most Sonic Drive-ins. If they don’t know what they are, you can ask to have pickle slices to be covered in batter and have them deep fried.
2. Ring Leader Loaded Burger
The Ring Leader Loaded Burger is one of those game changing menu items in Sonic’s long list of burger offerings. The Ring Leader Loaded Burger got its name from having a giant onion ring stuffed in the middle of a pretty loaded burger. That and a lot more grilled onions. Like the Extreme Tots, this was a promotional item from before. But since Sonic still has all the ingredients they need to make this burger, you can just ask to have it made.
How to order: Just ask to have a fried Onion ring and some grilled onions added to your standard Bacon Cheeseburger.
1. Made to Order Burgers
This is the main reason why Sonic has an extensive and nearly endless list of secret menu items. You can literally ask for a Made to Order Burger or Custom Burgers at any Sonic Drive-in and they’ll make it happen as long as it’s within the realm of possibility. Just make sure you have enough money to pay for all the add-ons you want to make.
How to order: Describe how you want your burger or sandwich to a staff at Sonic. Include whatever vegetable, pieces of meat, or sauce that you want to make this made to order burger appeal to your appetite.