Can you keep a secret? When it comes to the ‘secret’ menus supposedly served up at popular restaurant and coffee chains, it’s safe to say that you can’t.
They’re the fan-favourite concoctions and customisations that have done the rounds on social media for years and despite the name, everyone seems to know about them.
So what’s the truth behind secret menus? And how do you find them? Other Side of the Story has separated the fact from the fiction.
Do ‘secret’ menus exist?
Yes…but also no. It’s more about finding creative ways to adapt food and drinks. So when people talk about a ‘secret’ menu, what they really mean is that they’ve come up with an idea that the people in charge haven’t (yet) thought of, like adding a fish fillet to a burger.
The most famous ‘secret’ menu - and much discussed online – is arguably the one at US burger chain In ‘n’ Out. It includes things like the ‘Animal’ burger (with extra spread and onions) and 4x4 (four beef patties).
If you want to be in on the ‘secret’, the key is knowing what to ask for.
What items are on secret menus?
'Secret' menu items are usually a combination of things that are already on the menu. Sometimes they're things that used to be on a menu but are still fan favourites. For example, the Java Chip Frappuccino is no longer officially available at Starbucks in the UK but tips have been posted online on how to combine existing drinks with different toppings to make something similar.
However, when it comes to secret menus, it’s less about clever insider knowledge than ever before. More and more brands actually want people to know about them.
Why is everyone talking about secret menus?
Starbucks announced in November 2025 that select ‘secret’ customisations were being made available on its app and customers were also invited to submit their own. The coffee chain called it “the famous secret menu”, adding: “If you’ve ever scrolled through Instagram and spotted colourful, unique Starbucks drinks, you’ll love this.”
In the UK, McDonald’s joined in from January 2026, adding a limited-time menu of previously ‘secret’ items.
With social media posts about secret menus going viral, it’s no surprise they want to get in on the act. A post from one TikTok user about ordering the Mc10.35 – said to be a way of combining the breakfast and regular menu at McDonald’s in the US - has had more than 8 million plays since March 2023.
It’s always best to fact-check news you spot online to see if it's been reported by official and reliable sources.
Does McDonald’s have a secret menu?
It’s now official at McDonald’s in the UK, which announced the launch of a limited time “Secret Menu” in January 2026. The chain’s chief marketing officer Ben Fox says its advertising campaign for the January 2026 official secret menu “playfully celebrates the urban legend of The Secret Menu”.
And the official announcement said: “For years, McDonald's fans have been quietly customising orders and sharing off-menu favourites. This January, McDonald's is bringing those ideas into the open.”
“In reality we don’t have any secrets at all”
In ‘n’ Out, too, isn’t keeping it a secret any more, with a section on its website devoted to its “not so secret menu”.
It says: “Ok, you’ve heard the rumors, wondered what was on it, maybe even felt a little left out of the loop. But in reality, we don’t have any secrets at all.
“It’s just the way some of our customers like their burgers prepared.”
What do the experts say?
Professor Emma Boyland of the University of Liverpool is an expert in understanding the impact of food and beverage marketing on eating behaviour, particularly in children. Her work includes monitoring the activity of food marketing across various media.
She said: “They’re not trying to get you to buy a specific product, they’re trying to say ‘come to us and find all of these things’.
“It’s sold as an experience and more broadly, people don’t want to feel FOMO or left out. It’s like forbidden fruit, for example parents putting sweets away makes them more in demand. Putting these items seemingly out of sight, out of reach makes them more appealing.”
And if something appears to be in demand with our peers, then that’s likely to make us want it even more.
Professor Boyland likens it to when websites or apps appear to show how many people have looked at a product in the last hour, or how many people have purchased something: “It’s those peer endorsements and creating a sense that other people are doing it.”
How can you find secret menus?
Unless it’s part of a big advertising campaign like with McDonald’s and Starbucks, you’re unlikely to find a secret menu on a brand’s official website.
For many, the speculation on social media is the fun part and there’s certainly lots of that, particularly on TikTok and Instagram. A search of the #secretmenu hashtag on Instagram brings up over 160,000 posts.
We can use critical thinking to check if something is genuine by doing our own research, for example when someone’s posting about a new ‘secret’ food item, check official sources of information like the restaurant’s own website to see if it’s really possible to customise a menu to make it.
It's also a popular subject for comedy videos, making it hard to separate serious suggestions from the downright bizarre. Anyone for chocolate ice cream between two hash browns?
This article was first published in January 2026.
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