Companies are adding secret menu items as a way to connect with customers.
Panera Bread is currently figuring out how to "promote" its own hidden menu of breakfast salads, NPR reported.
But secret menu items have existed organically for years.
"If you have a secret menu or if customers know the secret menu, they feel like they're insiders," Bret Thorn, senior food editor of Nation's Restaurant News, told NPR.
We've compiled a list of some of the most impressive (and horrendous) secret combinations that are out there today. They aren't always available at every location, but they're worth asking for next time you're ready to chow down.
Panera Bread's Power Breakfast salads
Panera actually went out of its way to manufacture a secret menu.
The "Power Breakfast" items are a series of salads that aren't on the menu.
Options include egg bowls with turkey and steak.
See all the options here.
McDonald's McGangBang
The McGangBang, a McChicken sandwich wedged between a double cheeseburger, is the holy grail for carnivorous fast food eaters.
While not available at all McDonald's locations, hungry customers can still get this triple meat treat by employing a little ingenuity and creative manipulation of regular menu items.
By taking two items off of the Dollar Menu, diners can create this super sandwich for just $2.16.
Chipotle's Quesarito
Many people don't realize that the fast casual Mexican food chain Chipotle offers a secret menu, featuring items like cheese quesadillas, nacho-filled burritos, and the Quesarito, a customized burrito wrapped in a cheese quesadilla.
But diners who are aware of these hidden treasures often trade in Chipotle's regular fanfare for these savory alternatives.
One reviewer recently exclaimed, "The Quesarito tastes like a toasted burrito but the quesadilla burrito wrapper provides a mouthful of warm, melted cheese in every bite."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider