10 Restaurant Chains Launching Exciting New Menu Items In October
If hot meatball subs, indulgent chocolate shakes, and burgers layered with bacon and jalapeño cream cheese sound absolutely drool-worthy, prepare yourself for plenty of excitement this October. All of these offerings—and plenty of others—are rolling out at some of America's biggest and most popular restaurant chains this month.
Fast-food fans should expect to see some completely brand-new food and beverage options on restaurant menus, as well as some returning favorites that haven't been available for a year or longer. Now that the countdown to Halloween has officially begun, restaurant chains are also offering an abundance of spooky items to celebrate the fall holiday.
Read on for all of the restaurant chains that have exciting new offerings hitting menus in October. And since new items roll out at chain eateries all of the time, keep an eye out for additional food and beverage launches at your favorite restaurants throughout the month.
McDonald's
Would it really be spooky season without a reappearance from McDonald's beloved Boo Buckets? The colorful, decorated pails have been gracing McDonald's menus for a limited time during the fall since 1986, and they're returning to restaurants nationwide again starting on Oct. 15.
This year, the buckets are available in white, orange, green, and blue. Plus, they've been updated with new monster designs. The limited-time pails will also come with themed stickers for decorating.
Taco Bell
Taco Bell fans are also campaigning for the chain to resurrect their favorite discontinued menu items, and of course, that includes the iconic Double Decker Taco. This October, Double Decker Taco fans will have their wish granted for a limited time.
The item—which was discontinued in 2019—features a crunchy taco shell filled with seasoned beef, shredded lettuce, and cheddar cheese, then wrapped in a soft flour tortilla with a layer of warm refried beans. The Double Decker Taco will be available from Oct. 10 through Oct. 30 for a suggested price of $2.
Burger King
Burger King loves to celebrate Halloween by rolling out festive limited-time menu items, with Ghost Pepper Chicken Fries and a Ghost Pepper Whopper among the highlights of the past couple of years. On Oct. 10, Burger King is launching a brand-new Halloween menu inspired by characters from the beloved film and television franchise The Addams Family. The selection includes:
- Wednesday's Whopper—a flame-grilled Whopper topped with Swiss cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, ketchup, pickles, and onions on a toasted purple bun with black sesame seeds.
- Thing's Rings—Burger King's signature onion rings served in packaging that pays homage to The Addams Family character Thing.
- Gomez's Churro Fries—fried churros coated in cinnamon sugar and served with chocolate dipping sauce.
- Morticia's Kooky Chocolate Shake—soft serve mixed with chocolate cake batter fudge and topped with black and purple cookie pieces.
Burger King will also debut a line of limited-edition King Jr. Meal toys inspired by characters from The Addams Family animated films as part of this partnership with Amazon MGM Studios Consumer Products.
Dunkin'
Hot Potion Macchiato (Per Medium Drink)
Calories: 380
Fat: 8 g (Saturated Fat: 4.5 g)
Sodium: 190 mg
Carbs: 64 g (Sugar: 46 g)
Protein: 8 g
Just a month after rolling out its highly-anticipated fall menu, Dunkin' has announced another new collection of limited-time items for Halloween. A brand-new Potion Macchiato will hit menus on Oct. 16, featuring layers of espresso and milk with a pink hue and marshmallow ube flavor. Dunkin' will also bring back its seasonal Spider Donut, but this time around, it will be frosted with purple rather than orange frosting to celebrate the colorful new drink.
Additionally, the chain will offer a Halloween Munchkins Bucket for a limited time starting on Oct. 16. The decorated buckets will come with an assortment of 50 doughnut holes, including a new Munchkin covered in Halloween sprinkles. As a final goodie for fans, Dunkin's popular DunKings Tracksuits returned to its online shop on Oct. 1 after selling out fast earlier this year.
Whataburger
Bacon Blaze Jalapeño Double (Per Item)
Calories: 1,140
Fat: 75 g (Saturated Fat: 24 g, Trans Fat: 6 g)
Sodium: 1,960 mg
Carbs: 61 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 11 g)
Protein: 58 g
The weather may be getting cooler, but Whataburger is dialing up the heat on its menu this October with its brand-new Bacon Blaze Jalapeño Double. Available as of Oct. 1, the limited-time burger comes with two beef patties, jalapeño ranch, jalapeño cream cheese, bacon, aged cheddar, and jalapeño slices on a toasty bun. Those with more toned-down appetites can also order the Bacon Blaze Jalapeño Double in a Whataburger Jr. size.
Sonic
Witch's Brew Slush Float (Per Drink)
Calories: 420
Fat: 6 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g, Trans Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 280 mg
Carbs: 93 g (Sugar: 88 g)
Protein: 4 g
Arriving on menus just ahead of the start of October, Sonic is offering an eye-popping new beverage this month to help customers celebrate the Halloween season. The limited-time Witch's Brew Slush Float is Sonic's drinkable version of a caramel apple, featuring a green apple-flavored slush with salted caramel bubbles and creamy soft serve. Available through Nov. 3 while supplies last, prices for a medium Witch's Brew Slush Float will start at $3.99.
Additionally, Sonic also just launched a revamped $1.99 value menu and is offering discounts on two popular items throughout October. Customers can score medium Slushes for 79 cents every Monday this month, while Footlong Quarter Pound Coneys are buy one, get one free every Thursday in October.
KFC
While chicken tenders are already a staple on the KFC menu, the chicken chain is rolling out a new version of the popular offering this month. Hitting menus on Oct. 14, the new Original Recipe KFC Tenders are double-breaded by hand in its signature Original Recipe with 11 secret herbs and spices.
Laura Curth Ellis, director of marketing innovation for KFC U.S., told Eat This, Not That! that the new tenders were inspired by the success of the Original Recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken Nuggets that debuted last year.
"Our secret 11 herbs and spices make up our Original Recipe, which is known and loved around the world. Last year we introduced new KFC Nuggets made with Original Recipe and our fans have loved them! With this in mind, we wanted to bring that same world-famous flavor to our tenders so that customers have one more great way to enjoy our famous flavor," Curth Ellis said, adding that "we also designed our signature sauces to pair perfectly with the flavor of Original Recipe."
California Pizza Kitchen
In honor of National Pizza Month this October, California Pizza Kitchen has expanded its menu with a brand-new pizza and a returning favorite. The new pie is a Burnt Ends BBQ Pizza with smoked brisket burnt ends, barbecue sauce, smoked gouda, mozzarella, pickled red onions, and fresh cilantro. Meanwhile, the Bacon & Brussels Pizza has also made its grand return to CPK menus, featuring goat cheese, roasted Brussels sprouts, Nueske's applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onions, romano, parmesan, and a dash of black pepper.
To encourage customers to try the new offerings, CPK will give a free Take & Bake Pizzas to anyone who orders the Burnt Ends BBQ Pizza or Bacon & Brussels Pizza throughout October. The freebie is available at participating restaurants and online, though those who order online will need to apply the code "BOGO" at checkout.
Blimpie
Blimpie has not just one, but three exciting new items hitting menus this month. The new arrivals include the sandwich chain's spin on a classic comfort food: the Ultimate Meatball Sub. It features meatballs, marinara, provolone, pepperoni, caramelized onions, shredded parmesan, spicy giardiniera, and zesty parmesan seasoning on Blimpie's zesty parmesan bread. The limited-time item will be available through Feb. 3, 2025, at participating restaurants across the country.
Additionally, Blimpie is adding two types of macaroni and cheese to its menu permanently. One is a classic Mac & Cheese with white cheddar, while the other is a Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese topped with tangy buffalo chicken.
Applebee's
While Applebee's beloved Dollarita is, sadly, not available anymore, following its latest limited-time run in May, the chain is treating customers to another kind of cheap cocktail this month. Applebee's Dollar Zombie just returned to the chain following a six-year hiatus, featuring a mix of rum, passion fruit, pineapple, cherry, and lime for just $1.
Alongside the affordable beverage, Applebee's is offering new 32-ounce $10 Boozy Buckets made with premium spirits this October, plus a $6 Modelo Especial draft beer and a $5 Boo Lagoon cocktail with Bacardí Superior Rum, Malibu Coconut Rum, blue curaçao, and pineapple juice.
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