Chick-fil-A’s Viral "Bowl” Hack Is One Secret Menu Item I Can Get on Board With

Oh, the secret menu. It’s such a point of contention in the fast food world. Yes, customizations are allowed, even encouraged, at your local fast food joint, but how far off the menu is too far? 

On the other hand, off-menu items can be a great way to tell a business what you would like to see on the menu. Take Starbucks’ Pink Drink or Chipotle’s Fajita Quesadilla, for example. Those started as social media orders and are now popular menu items that we wouldn’t have without the secret menu.

So, this is my formal petition that the viral Chick-fil-A bowl should be the next secret menu item to become a permanent offering.

What Is Chick-fil-A’s "Bowl" Hack?

The now-viral order, which has more than 32 million views on TikTok, was posted by user BabyDoll26, who appears to be a Chick-fil-A employee. She starts by adding chicken nuggets, fries, and mac and cheese to a salad bowl, then topping it with Chick-fil-A’s Garden Herb Ranch and Honey Roasted BBQ sauces—finally, she shakes it up to mix it together.

After the video gained traction, a few notable food reviewing TikTokers, including Ketih Lee and Tommy Winkler, tried the order, which garnered another 30 million views for the hack.

I Tried Chick-fil-A's Bowl Hack

As someone who doesn’t really like her foods touching—let alone mixed together with sauces—I thought for sure I’d hate this bowl. Some people have compared it to KFC’s famous bowl, which is made with mashed potatoes, gravy, chicken nuggets, corn, and cheese—I’ve never ordered that either, but it really sounds like my nightmare.

So, I was shocked when I took the first bite and actually enjoyed it. I already dip my Chick-fil-A nuggets and fries in sauce, so that wasn’t super different. The only real change is the mac and cheese, but if you’re lucky enough to have a Chick-fil-A that sells cheese sauce, then you’ve probably experienced something similar to that too. 

The best part about the whole thing was the Honey Roasted BBQ. I didn’t even know that sauce existed, so this order really opened my eyes to what a tasty sauce it is. 

I do think the bowl would be great with any of Chick-fil-A's sauces. I typically opt for Chick-fil-A Sauce with my order, so I’d love to try adding that and, maybe Zesty Buffalo for a little kick next.

Will Chick-fil-A’s Bowl Ever Join the Menu?

Even though it would probably be pretty easy for Chick-fil-A to add this to its menu, I’m quite sure it will never happen. Chick-fil-A customers know that this restaurant has its service down to a T, so it likely wouldn’t add an item that could slow down its process.

The good news is it’s really easy for you to make for yourself. And because it’s three a la carte menu items, Chick-fil-A can’t really try to stop you from ordering it—like some restaurants with viral secret menu items have done in the past. 

The only thing it might be able to control is if its employees are allowed to hand out empty salad containers if the customer didn’t order a salad. But an easy workaround for that (if it does happen) is to bring your own bowl or reusable container with a lid.

Of course, we’ll never say never. Maybe Chick-fil-A will surprise us, but for now, you’ll just have to get creative and build your own Chick-fil-A bowl.