Secret Menus: Everything you need to know when ordering

Secret menu items, also known as off menu items, are becoming more and more popular among teens on social media. As a result of the increased popularity, people began to wonder how polite it is to order these off menu items. 

Off menu items were created for a variety of reasons, according to the website Fast Food Menu Prices and their article, “Fast Food Restaurant Secret Menus.” The common rationality is that because fast food places were created for taste and convenience, healthier items were scarcely found. Therefore, consumers searching for healthier alternatives started requesting items that were not explicitly on the menu. In other establishments, customers wanted items that were assumed to be on the menu, like a quesadilla at Moe’s. When they ordered it, the workers made it. Occasionally, restaurants even purposely made these menus for customers with a membership. And finally, on more rare accounts, popular items already on the menu would be combined by request. 

It can be concluded that if an establishment created a secret menu item for customers with membership, then they would most likely not be bothered by those very consumers ordering off it. However, Kristin Salaky, a writer at Delish, states that ordering off menu items in other situations is considered rude. If the decision is made to order these secret menu items anyways, she establishes that proper manners are essential when ordering off menu items. The request being completed is dependent on the worker, and being polite could possibly affect their decision. 

“[T]he least you can do is show courtesy to the people making your food by making sure they’re not as busy when you order off-menu,” says Kristin Salaky. “Also you should make sure you’re letting them know exactly how to make it…”

According to a Starbucks employee named Melvin, a Starbucks employee, people often request off menu items. Melvin mentioned that they personally didn’t mind creating new drinks for people; they had even created a their own favorite they call an Oreo Frappuccino. 

Before ordering an off-menu item, keep in mind that the employee may have no idea what it is, so it is polite to have the recipe from social media on hand. To find these drinks, head over to Instagram, Tik Tok, or another form of social media to try one out while keeping proper secret menu item ordering manners in mind or check out some favorites below.