I Tried Every Arby's Menu Item and Ranked Them From Worst to Best
Arby's, we have the meats…all of them. Literally, they weren't kidding. When my editor assigned me the task of downing every single menu item at the fast food chain, I wasn't exactly thrilled, but I honestly think that we have all been sleeping on Arby's. I don't hear enough good things about the chain and what I just experienced was peak quality when it comes to fast food sandwiches.
Of course we know about their roast beef and curly fries, they're legendary, but I left here absolutely bamboozled (yes, it's an appropriate time to use that word) at not only the quality of the food, but the quality of every ingredient in each sandwich. The majority of these options were worthy of a sit down restaurant. That said, with 33 items on the menu, not every one was a winner. Here's my definitive list of every Arby's menu item, ranked from worst to the number one best.
Salted Caramel and Chocolate Cookie
The salted caramel chocolate cookie was honestly just ok. It was a packaged cookie, soft and not very chewy. I wasn't a fan of the texture, but I did like the bits of melted, sticky salted caramel that was almost like a toffee texture. Overall though, this is my least favorite item that I tried on the menu.
Price: $2.49
BBQ Chicken Snack Wrap
Tangy and smoky with creamy cheddar cheese, this small wrap is great in a pinch, but they are quite tiny. They're approximately the size of two of the sauce packets, so it's a great option to take the edge off your hunger between meals.
Price: $2.99
Jalapeno Roast Beef Slider
The jalapeño roast beef slider (the regular roast beef, chicken sandwich, and buffalo chicken sandwiches are also available as sliders for a smaller option) really added something to the sandwich. I liked the building heat from the diced fire roasted jalapeños. It does say that it comes with Swiss cheese, and mine did not have cheese, but I still enjoyed it. It's still not my favorite compared to other things on the menu, but I could see how this would be a good snack.
Price: $2.99
Chicken Tenders
The chicken tenders (3, 5, or 9 pieces) are just ok to be honest. The chicken tenders appeared to be made of high-quality chicken, but when I bit into them, they were fairly dry. Having a few different sauces to dunk it in helps, but I wish that they were a little more juicy.
Price: $5.49 (3 piece)
Classic Crispy Fish Sandwich
The crispy fish sandwich wasn't very flavorful, unfortunately. I was looking for a little more saltines, maybe even a slight acidic vinegar flavor, and a good tartar sauce, but the fish was so bland and underwhelming. There was an ample amount of shredded lettuce and sauce on a toasted sesame bun, but I just wish there was a little bit more flavor behind the fish.
Price: 2 for $6.99
Ranch Chicken Wrap
The ranch chicken wrap was good, but I definitely prefer the honey mustard over the ranch. The tortilla is stuffed with chicken tenders that weren't dry like the tenders sold separately from the sandwich. Topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, and Parmesan peppercorn ranch I would definitely get this again in a rush if I was looking for a little something quick.
Price: $2.99
Premium Chicken Nuggets
The nuggets, similar to the tenders, were slightly dry, and just not my favorite option for fast chicken tenders. The chicken nuggets were a bit underwhelming, but the sauces do help the dryness. Still, if I was craving chicken nuggets I don't know if I'd get them here.
Price: $2.99 (4 piece)
Crispy Buffalo Chicken Wrap
The Buffalo chicken wrap was a little too heavy on the hot sauce for my taste, personally, but still pretty flavorful. I prefer the plain crispy chicken sandwich better, but this one's not bad. It comes loaded up with a ton of buffalo sauce, lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, and a Parmesan peppercorn ranch.
Price: $6.99
Classic French Dip & Swiss
The classic French dip and Swiss is salty, with a soft delicious roll that sucks in all of the au jus sauce. Not bad, but I'm not planning to get this sandwich again. I felt like there was way too much bun to a small amount of roast beef, so it might be better if I had asked for extra meat on the sandwich.
Price: $7.59
Honey Mustard Chicken Snack Wrap
The honey mustard sauce option was definitely my favorite of the three (ranch, barbecue, and honey mustard) for the small snack size chicken wraps. The chicken in this wrap is juicier than the tenders by themselves, tucked into a tortilla with plenty of cheddar cheese, lettuce, and creamy honey mustard. I would definitely order this one again.
Price: $2.99
Crinkle Fries
No way would I order crinkle fries when there are curly fries on the menu, those are definitely the star. I will say, though, my fiancé really loved the crinkle fries, so maybe it's personal preference. The little grooves pick up the ketchup and trap the salt, and people do prefer them. I thought they were pretty good, nothing super special, but a decent sidekick to any sandwich.
Price: $2.99
Fish 'n Cheddar Sandwich
The fish and cheddar was alright. The crispy fish fillet tucked onto a toasted sesame bun was topped with cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce with plenty of tartar sauce. Again, though, I just don't feel like it compared to other sandwiches. The fish doesn't have flavor. If I was in the mood for a fish sandwich, I would probably head elsewhere.
Price: 2 for $6.99
Deluxe Burger
The deluxe burger (also available as the double deluxe burger) is topped with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles, American cheese, and a special sauce on a brioche roll. I think there are better, more flavorful burgers on the menu, but honestly, this is a solid option for a burger at a fast food restaurant. The patties are huge and really don't resemble your typical fast food burger (in a good way).
Price: $7.99
Crispy Chicken Club Wrap
The crispy chicken club wrap is delicious! I love the soft, thin wrap that still holds up to the generous amount of sauce without getting soggy. The bacon is crispy and salty, paired with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and honey mustard to complement the chicken.
Price: $6.99
Cherry Turnover
Overall, the cherry turnover is pretty good. If you're looking for a dessert after downing a roast beef sandwich, I would say this is high-quality for a fast food restaurant. I was expecting something similar to when you get the apple pie at other fast food spots, where it comes out wrapped in cardboard, looking like a hot pocket. This actually looked like a turnover that was the size and appearance of one that you would get at a bakery. I do feel like the apple is better and tasted a bit more authentic than the cherry.
Price: $2.49
Classic Roast Beef
The classic roast beef is essentially what put Arby's on the map. If you're looking for more protein, the sandwich is also available as the double roast beef and the half pound roast beef. I usually go for the plain roast beef loaded up with the Arby's tangy sauce, no extra frills, so I loved this one.
Price: 2 for $7
Classic Beef 'n Cheddar
The classic beef 'n cheddar (also available in the double beef 'n cheddar and the half pound beef 'n cheddar), it comes on an onion roll, and kind of reminds me of the classic North Shore beef from Massachusetts. It's topped with delicious cheddar cheese sauce and a little bit of their red ranch, bringing together bold flavors and textures.
Price: 2 for $7
Apple Turnover
The apple turnover is a surprisingly delicious, flaky pastry. The filling tasted like authentic apple pie filling and similar to the cherry, at first glance I would've thought this came from a nice bakery. It's a great way to end the meal!
Price: $2.49
Corned Beef Reuben
The corned beef reuben, tucked between soft marbled rye bread, was loaded up with corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this was, and how generous they were with the meat and sauerkraut. The entire time I was trying the majority of these sandwiches, my fiancé and I kept saying how these look better than many sit down restaurants that would charge $20 for this exact sandwich.
Price: $6.79
BBQ Bacon Burger
The BBQ bacon burger is delicious and resembles a restaurant quality burger for under $9. All of the toppings were evenly distributed, getting a little in each bite, with plenty of crispy bacon, American cheese, pickles, crispy onions, and a generous slather of their smoky barbecue sauce on a brioche roll. They also have the double barbecue bacon burger if you think that you need even more meat, but keep in mind the burger patties appear to be far larger than many other fast food establishments.
Price: $8.99
Potato Cakes
The potato cake tastes similar to the famous McDonald's hash brown. They are crispy on the outside, but fluffy on the inside. They were ever so slightly greasy, and maybe could've used a pinch of salt, but I can also add that based on preference.
Price: $2.99
Curly Fries
In my honest opinion, nothing beats a curly fry when that's an option on a menu. Some sections are soft, some are crispy, and they're always well-seasoned, especially at Arby's, with a strong delicious flavor. How people pick the crinkle fries over curly fries is beyond me.
Price: $2.99
King's Hawaiian Fish Deluxe Sandwich
I love a chewy, slightly sweet King's Hawaiian roll, contrasted with some kind of salty protein, but again the fish is not super flavorful. I will say though, the reason this is so far up on the list is because the toppings seem to add quite a bit of flavor. The crispy fish is topped with a slather of tartar sauce, juicy tomato, plenty of shredded lettuce, and cheddar cheese.
Price: $6.99
Greek Gyro
I head into NYC often for work and have tried a lot of street meat from local cart vendors. That said, the Greek gyro from Arby's is a solid option and tastes like the real deal. There's a ton of tzatziki sauce and toppings like vegetables to add a nice crunch, complementing the gyro meat, all stuffed inside a heated up pita.
Price: $5.79
Smokehouse Brisket
Right away I noticed a ton of meat on the smokehouse brisket sandwich with some crispy onions on a glossy bun. I noticed instantly that it has a bold, smoky scent. I'm shocked by how good this sandwich is. If you would've told me that the sandwich was from a housemade barbecue joint, I would believe you. I'm stunned. The only thing that gives it that fast food look and taste is how thin the meat is, but the flavor is there when it comes to their 13 hours smoked brisket.
Price: $7.59
Roast Beef Gyro
I much prefer the roast beef version of the gyro to the actual gyro. I will say that the traditional gyro tastes more authentic because this isn't something that you generally see. Usually, it's thicker chunks of beef, but this was honestly delicious. Their roast beef is what made them famous, so it makes sense that they would create this version of the gyro (and that it would be tasty).
Price: $5.79
Chicken Bacon Swiss Sandwich
For the bacon Swiss chicken sandwich, I noticed the chicken is thin and crispy, the bacon is audibly crunchy, and the honey mustard ties it all together with the help of the creamy Swiss cheese. I love that they used honey mustard over just regular mayo. I think it adds a lot of flavor.
Price: $6.59
Crispy Chicken Sandwich
The original crispy chicken sandwich is much higher in quality and flavor than other fast food restaurants. There's a decent amount of tangy mayo to complement the chicken, with plenty of tomato, and shredded lettuce on a brioche bun. For under $6, this is a good go-to.
Price: $5.99
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
If you prefer a spicy version, the buffalo chicken sandwich isn't too spicy, with a building heat and a lot of shredded lettuce and hot sauce. It reminds me of going out for food after a night of drinking in college, getting a chicken finger sub at the Buffalo bars. I'm definitely a fan!
Price: $5.99
Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Sandwich
The roast turkey, ranch, and bacon sandwich exceeded my expectations when it comes to not only flavor and quality, but the volume. They load the turkey and bacon on, so if you're someone who prefers a lot of protein, this can be a great option. The turkey and bacon are topped with Parmesan peppercorn ranch, red onion, cheddar, lettuce, and tomato on their honey wheat bread.
Price: $7.59
Jalapeño Bites
I think I surprised myself by rating the jalapeño bites so high, but frankly, they deserve it. To say that these poppers might even be better than many restaurants is an understatement. They came out piping hot, which melted the cream cheese into a decadent sauce that coated the jalapeño and the crispy shell. Fine on their own, they're served with their Bronco Berry Sauce, which tastes slightly sweet and spicy, to elevate the flavor. I would absolutely order these again.
Price: $3.59 (5 piece)
Mozzarella Sticks
Many of the sandwiches were simply outstanding, but again I think the reason for rating one of the snacks so high is because the quality is there. These weren't greasy, had a nice crunch and the mozzarella sticks had a perfect cheese pull. The only downside is that the marinara sauce did not have great flavor, with an odd seasoning to it, but in my opinion, it didn't even need it.
Price: $3.59 (4 piece)
Big Cheesy Bacon Burger
The big cheesy bacon burger (also available in double) came in at the number one spot. It easily rivals any other fast food burger, which I didn't even think Arby's was a contestant in that contest before coming here to try every menu item. I was just thinking of roast beef and this burger was phenomenal, loaded up with a special burger sauce, but easy to eat on the go wrapped in foil, with a ton of American and Swiss cheese. The bacon was crispy, adding a lot of texture and flavor. This burger is filling and the flavor went above and beyond. Chefs kiss!
Price: $8.99
Arby's left me astonished, not just by the roast beef, but the chicken sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, reuben, gyros…they have the meats, and more.
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