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12 Limited-Time Fast Food Items You Need To Try Before They Disappear

These returning favorites and fall menu items are a must try.

By Amanda Machado , Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Sept. 19, 2026

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Fast-food menus are changing quickly as summer gives way to fall, and September is shaping up to be an especially good month for trying something different. Major chains are bringing back items customers missed, introducing new seasonal flavors, and turning familiar favorites into limited-time treats. For anyone who enjoys an occasional restaurant splurge, these short-lived menu additions offer a reason to break from the usual order and go out to eat more.

Limited-time offers are designed to create a little urgency, and restaurants often rotate them away after only a few weeks. That makes timing important, especially for returning favorites that have already developed enthusiastic followings. Here are the standout choices worth checking out before they disappear.

Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.

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McDonald's Spicy Chicken McNuggets

McDonald's brought back Spicy Chicken McNuggets nationwide on September 1, along with Mighty Hot Sauce. The nuggets have a cayenne-and-chili pepper coating, giving the familiar McNugget a noticeable kick. A roughly $5 to $7 order makes this one of the easier limited-time treats to add to a regular meal, especially for fans who have been waiting for their return.

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Chick-fil-A Chicken & Waffles Sandwich

Chick-fil-A's new Chicken & Waffles Sandwich is one of the more substantial seasonal launches this fall. It pairs a chicken filet with maple-flavored waffles, applewood-smoked bacon, honey butter, and syrup. The larger entrée version is available from 10:30 a.m. to close, making it a rare fast-food breakfast-inspired choice for lunch or dinner. Expect roughly $7 to $10, depending on location.

Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger

Wendy's brought back the Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger after fans voted for it in the chain's "Bring It Back" bracket. The sandwich combines beef, Muenster cheese, beer cheese, bacon, crispy onions, pickles, and honey mustard on a warm pretzel bun. At around $7 to $9 for the sandwich, it stands out for delivering a richer, pub-inspired flavor.

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Taco Bell Salt & Straw Churro Ice Cream Taco

This is probably the list's most unusual dessert. Taco Bell and Salt & Straw introduced the Churro Ice Cream Taco nationwide on September 1 for a limited run. It is churro-flavored ice cream inside a crispy waffle-cone shell, with puffed rice and a dark chocolate-flavored coating. At $3.99, it is a relatively inexpensive excuse to make a special dessert run.

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

The Pumpkin Spice Latte hardly needs an introduction, but its yearly return remains one of the biggest seasonal events in coffee. Starbucks brought the PSL back on August 25 alongside the fall menu. A typical grande costs roughly $6 to $7, depending on location and customization. It is worth ordering simply because the familiar pumpkin, espresso, and warming spice combination is available only during the fall season.

Starbucks Pecan Cortado

Pumpkin may dominate autumn, but the Pecan Cortado is a more understated alternative. Starbucks describes the drink as espresso with comforting pecan flavors, steamed milk, and pecan crunch topping. It returned on August 25 as part of the chain's fall lineup. At roughly $5 to $6, it is especially appealing for coffee drinkers who prefer a smaller, richer beverage rather than an oversized, heavily sweet seasonal drink.

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Wendy's Apple Crumble Frosty Fusion

Wendy's gave the Frosty a distinctly autumnal makeover with its Apple Crumble Frosty Fusion. Vanilla Frosty is blended with spiced apple syrup and crunchy oat crumble, creating something closer to a chilled apple dessert than a traditional shake. At roughly $4 to $5, it is worth checking out before the seasonal menu moves on.

Dairy Queen Cinnamon Roll Centers Blizzard

Dairy Queen's September Blizzard of the Month is built around a classic breakfast flavor. The Cinnamon Roll Centers Blizzard combines soft cinnamon-roll center pieces and brown-butter cinnamon topping with vanilla soft serve. Prices generally land around $5 to $7, depending on size and market.

Dunkin' Alix's Earle-Y Riser Meal

Dunkin' went beyond a seasonal drink with its Alix's Earle-Y Riser Meal, a limited-time breakfast combination available nationwide. The meal includes a Shakin' Espresso with sugar-free vanilla and almond milk, a Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Hash Brown Wake-Up Wrap, and three MUNCHKINS. Prices vary, but the roughly $8 to $10 range makes it an interesting option for trying several items in one order.

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McDonald's Caramel Apple Pie Coffee

For the first time in a decade, McDonald's has moved away from its familiar pumpkin-spice coffee in favor of Caramel Apple Pie beverages. The limited-time lineup includes iced coffee, lattes, and Frappés with caramel apple pie syrup, salted-caramel whipped topping, and apple-pie crumble. At roughly $3 to $6, it is a particularly intriguing pick for anyone who enjoys fall flavors but wants something not pumpkin.

Shake Shack Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Shake

Shake Shack is getting an early start on Halloween with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Shake available nationwide for a limited time. Vanilla frozen custard is blended with Reese's peanut butter and fudge sauce, then finished with a crackable dark chocolate shell, whipped cream, and candy pieces. At roughly $7 to $9, it is pricier than some fast-food desserts, making it more of an occasional treat.

Panda Express Cantonese BBQ Brisket

Panda Express brought back its Cantonese BBQ Brisket in September after the item became a fan favorite during its earlier run. The entrée is thick-cut brisket cooked with soy sauce, sesame oil, fermented soybean paste, and mirin, creating a smoky, savory, and slightly sweet flavor. A typical entrée portion runs around $9 to $12, making this one of the list's more substantial limited-time choices.

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Bottom line

Limited-time menus are a clever way for fast-food chains to keep customers checking back. This fall's lineup has plenty of variety, from nostalgic desserts and returning sandwiches to new coffee flavors that put a different spin on familiar autumn tastes.

For the best chance of getting a favorite, checking the chain's app or local online menu before making a special trip is worthwhile. Restaurant-level availability often differs, and some promotions disappear once supplies run out rather than staying until a specific date. That makes September a good time to avoid wasting money and sample these items rather than assuming they'll still be waiting next month.

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