Inside the Under $3 Menu

Every few years we ask the same question in the kitchen: how much of the menu can stay genuinely great and still cost less than a cup of coffee downtown? The answer, this year, is eight items — the McDouble, four-piece Chicken McNuggets, Sausage McMuffin, a warm Sausage Biscuit, crispy Hash Browns, a small Premium Roast Coffee, McChicken and small Fries — all under three dollars, all day, at participating restaurants.

None of this happens by shrinking portions. It happens by being ruthless about supply chains: buying potatoes closer to harvest, locking in beef pricing further in advance, and cutting the steps between grill and counter. The Under $3 Menu isn't a limited-time stunt — it's designed to be the everyday backbone of the menu, the thing you order without checking your bank balance first.

Pair it with the $4 Breakfast Meal Deal or the $5 Meal Deal and value stretches even further: a full breakfast for four dollars, or a burger, fries, nuggets and a drink for five. Prices and participation vary by location, so use the app to check what's running near you before you go.