McDonald's Free French Fry Refills Might Be Their Best-Kept Secret

McDonald's denies the existence of an official secret menu, but some locations do offer special ordering hacks to customers in the know. TikTok user Orlando Johnson highlighted one of the fast food chain's best-kept secrets in a video. According to Newsweek, your order of French fries from McDonald's may come with a free refill: All you have to do is ask for it.

In the video, posted under the username itsosoprodigy, a customer is delighted when a McDonald's worker agrees to fill his empty fry carton free of charge. Many users shared similar experiences in the comments, but it's unclear whether the complimentary refills are an official policy.

While some commenters claimed that the practice is standard across the company, others say it depends on who's working behind the counter. McDonald's restaurants cook more French fries than they can serve on any given day, and some workers may be happy to make sure they don't go to waste. The hack is also worth trying at different chains. Determined to test if the hack was a fluke, Johnson tried the same order at Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers and Wendy's. Free fry refills were provided at both restaurants.

Asking for a fry refill is a lot less complicated than many of the unofficial McDonald's orders purported online. Some secret menu items customers have ordered from the fast food chain include a grilled cheese sandwich, an eight-patty "Monster Mac," and a "Land, Sea, and Air Burger" with a beef patty, chicken patty, and fish filet. Like the free fries, these items aren't advertised by the company, so while you can try ordering them, don't argue with the cashier if they give you a confused stare in response.

A version of this story ran in 2021; it has been updated for 2023.