Menus offer a mixed bag this week

The Primo Nacho Bar is a new catering option at Dillas. | Photos courtesy of the brands.

Last-minute Thanksgiving packages, holiday-themed food and drinks, fan-created items, winter flavors, indulgent and healthy treats—you name it, and chain restaurant menus are ready to fill any need. Here’s a look at what’s trending this week.

The first Fan Style Menu debuted at Taco Bell, featuring three items created by guests. From over 40,000 submissions, Brock from Michigan, Sandra from Missouri and Kajol from Kentucky were selected for their originality and craveability. Brock’s California Crunchwrap features steak, seasoned fries and guacamole in Taco Bell’s signature grilled crunchwrap shell, while Sandra’s Cantina Craze is a spin on the Cantina Chicken Crispy Taco with creamy jalapeño sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream. Kajol’s Burrito Bliss is a vegetarian combo of seasoned rice, refried beans, pico de gallo, tortilla strips and avocado ranch wrapped in a flour tortilla and grilled.

Smoothie King is blending holiday flavors with health goals through two new seasonal smoothies. The Holiday Pecan Delight combines butter pecan ice cream, date powder, almond butter and protein blend with super grains and cinnamon, while Apple Cinnamon Cheer features bananas, apple juice, oat milk, plant-based protein, almonds and cinnamon. Both pack over 10 grams of protein.

Auntie Anne’s Sparkleberry holiday offerings. 

Y2K nostalgia is the force behind Auntie Anne’s Sparkleberry Lemonade holiday campaign. The chain is taking guests back to the year 2000 with the rollout of two sparkling beverages: Sparkleberry Spritz made with Sprite and blueberry flavor, and Sparkleberry Mixer, a shimmering version of the Original Lemonade. The Y2K-inspired promotion includes quirky merchandise like “Sparkleberry Smittens”—a mitten designed for cozy sipping—and an XXL scarf for two. 

Christina Tosi, founder of famous dessert destination Milk Bar, is partnering with McCormick spice company on a new limited-time cookie. The McCormick x Milk Bar Eggnog English Toffee cookie is inspired by the holiday tradition of eggnog and the buttery crunch of English toffee. To celebrate the launch, select Milk Bar locations nationwide will give away complimentary cookies on National Cookie Day (Dec. 4), and the Eggnog English Toffee Cookie will be on sale for $4 at the same locations from Nov. 28-Dec. 31. 

KFC is positioning itself as the anti-turkey alternative with its new $25 Extra Crispy Festive Feast and “Cluck Turkey” campaign. The feast includes an 8-piece bucket of Extra Crispy fried chicken, biscuits and two large sides of mashed potatoes, along with KFC’s first-ever Gravy Flight featuring three flavors: Signature Brown, White Peppercorn and new Southwest Cheddar Gravy. The chicken chain is also bringing back its Personal Pot Pie for $4.99, marketing it as a “pie-solation” comfort meal for solo dining moments during the hectic holiday season.

The Gravy Flight at KFC.

A new limited-time Fiery Lime wing sauce is Wingstop’s way of breaking with holiday flavor traditions. The bold flavor combines red chili heat with tangy lime zest, inspired by margaritas rather than seasonal pumpkin and peppermint offerings. The sauce captures “the lime and chili kick” of spicy margaritas, according to Larry Beulah, Wingstop’s head of culinary and R&D. 

The Wednesday debut of the next season of “Stranger Things” inspired Velvet Taco to introduce themed Party Packs featuring the Chicken & Waffle Taco. The menu item is a takeoff on the starring role of Eggo waffles in the series. The taco combines chicken tenders, peppered bacon, peppercorn gravy and green apple slaw in a signature waffle tortilla, finished with maple syrup and red chile aioli. The Party Packs are designed for group dining, feeding 5-15 guests with mix-and-match taco options starting at $75—ideal for watch parties. 

Velvet Taco ties in its Chicken & Waffle Taco to the new season of “Stranger Things.”

Shredded Beef Birria returns to Del Taco locations in Utah and one unit in Mesquite, Nevada, through Dec. 29.  The limited-time menu features the slow-cooked beef in street tacos, grilled combo burritos, quesadillas and birria ramen, all served with a side of rich consommé for dipping and topped with fresh onions and cilantro. 

The 2025 Winter LTO menu has launched at breakfast-and-brunch chain Broken Yolk Café. It includes a mix of savory and sweet flavors, including Tres Leches French Toast, the Morning Jam & Gouda Croissant Sandwich and Barbacoa Flatbread Tacos. To sip, there’s a Spanish Latte and classic Peppermint Mocha Latte.

Krystal has expanded its catering options on the heels of its Patty Melt line extension. The chain recently upgraded its Classic Patty Melt recipe, which includes a 3-ounce burger patty, caramelized onions and melted American cheese served on buttery, toasted bread, and debuted the Chipotle Patty Melt and Chipotle Bacon & Egg Patty Melt. Through Dec. 1, Krystal is running Sackful deals offering a dozen Regular sliders for $12 or Cheese sliders for $15.

The seasonal catering trend continues at Dillas, where the Primo Nacho Bar just launched. The build-your-own catering experience transforms the chain’s signature quesadillas into a shareable nacho format that features Dillas’ grilled-to-order ingredients and scratch-made sauces in a customizable nacho setup. The new catering option is priced at $85 and feeds 10 people. 

Cookies are sprinkled in Christmas and Hanukkah colors at Gott’s Roadside.

Seasonal specials are rolling out at Gott’s Roadside through the holidays. Current offerings include a French Dip Sandwich with house-braised beef, caramelized onions, Gruyère and horseradish cream on a butter-toasted roll with au jus and Waffle Fries topped with garlic mayo, crispy shallots, parsley and lemon zest. Starting Dec. 1, holiday-themed items launch, including a Candy Cane Shake. Location-specific offerings include fresh-baked Holiday Cookies with Christmas and Hanukkah sprinkles at the Ferry Building location, and Hot Chocolate made with Guittard drinking chocolate at Ferry Building and St. Helena locations. 

The $5 Pretzel Pubster Combo leads a new value-focused menu at Checkers & Rally’s. The limited-time deal features the Pretzel Pubster Burger with two beef patties, melted beer cheese with bacon crumbles, American cheese, mayo and crispy onions on a toasted pretzel bun, plus seasoned fries and a drink. The chain is also rolling out additional pretzel-bun options with the BBQ Pretzel Buford, featuring two beef patties, bacon, crispy onions, sweet and smoky barbecue sauce and mayo. Dessert and wing offerings include Fried Strawberry Cheesecake Bites and Classic Wings, served with new Frank’s Stingin’ Honey Garlic Sauce. 

The Holiday Cake Collection rolled out nationwide at Paris Baguette, featuring over 10 cakes with themed flavors and celebratory designs. Included in the selection is the new Holiday Chocolate French Roll Cake as well as returning favorites, such as the Penguin Pond Chocolate Cake and Winter Village Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Nutella. Meanwhile, the Thanksgiving Cake Collection continues through Sunday, with a Fig Jam & Cream Layer Cake and Cookie Butter Topped NY-Style Cheesecake on offer. 

Graeter’s Holiday Flavor Collection of ice creams. 

Ice cream gets into the seasonal spirit at Graeter’s with the release of the 2025 Holiday Flavor Collection. Included in the ice cream flavor lineup are Cozy Hot Cocoa, Crème Brûlée and Spirited Eggnog, as well as returning favorite, Peppermint Stick, and signature Black Raspberry Chip. Each pint comes in Graeter’s new packaging, which commemorates the brand’s 155 years of selling premium ice cream.  

Clementine’s takes a different approach with its Holiday Cookie Exchange Ice Cream Collection, a collaboration with six pastry chefs around the country. There’s ice cream patterned after Abi Balingit’s Filipino-inspired Pandan Polvoron Raspberry Cheesecake Cookie, Anna Gordon’s Cranberry Vanilla Linzer and Fany Gerson’s Mexican-Jewish Chipotle Cherry Rugelach, among others. The collection is available for a limited time at the chain’s ice cream parlors or shipped through Goldbelly.  

The Dubai chocolate trend has arrived on the menu at Frutta Bowls. The chain known for its acai bowls and smoothies is offering a Dubai Chocolate Bowl layered with cacao sorbet, granola, banana and strawberries, then topped with cacao nibs, pistachio cream and kataifi. There’s also a Dubai Chocolate Smoothie with an oat milk and chocolate sorbet base, Mocha made with cold brew and Protein Bites formed from granola, peanut butter, honey, chocolate, whey protein, cacao nibs, pistachio cream and kataifi.

The Dubai chocolate trend hits Frutta Bowls. 

Creamy Parm Sauce is the latest sauce option at Donatos Pizza. The tomato sauce alternative is topping two pizzas: Chicken Vegy Parm with sliced chicken breast, Roma tomatoes, green peppers, onions, fresh mushrooms, baby spinach, smoked provolone and Romano, and Bacon Spinach Parm with Creamy Parm Sauce, baby spinach, bacon, caramelized onions, smoked provolone, Asiago and Romano.

A catering program launched at Round Table Pizza to feed holiday crowds. Four bundles are on offer, including the Noble Spread with a large specialty pizza, two one-topping pizzas, 12 wings, 12 Twists and two Family Garden Salads. Other packages combine wings, twists, pizzas and salads in different variations. 

Queso takes center stage at Farmer Boys. 

Queso Poblano is Farmer Boys’ nod to the season, with a limited-time menu of four items served all day long. There’s a Queso Bacon Breakfast Burrito, Queso Hog Heaven Breakfast Burrito with bacon, sausage and ham, Queso Fries and Queso Hash Browns. The burritos each have three eggs, American Cheese, hash browns, house-made salsa and the queso poblano as well. 

Over at OldChicago Pizza + Taproom, guests can indulge in new appetizers and pastas. There’s Firecracker Shrimp served over wonton chips and sprinkled with scallions, Grilled Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo and Shrimp & Andouille Pasta with cavatappi noodles in Alfredo sauce with sauteed garlic, red peppers and grilled zucchini. A Strawberry Paradise Stacked Soda is the chain’s nod to the dirty soda trend.

Through Jan. 5, Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar has a holiday menu filled with comfort. There’s a Short Rib Stack Burger topped with red wine-braised beef and horseradish mayo and Brie & Bacon Bites, baked pastry stuffed with brie and bacon, then dusted with powdered sugar and served with housemade cranberry cream sauce. Also on the menu is a Candy Cane Shake, North Pole Nightcap Martini and Chocolate Oreo Crunch Cheesecake.

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Pat plans and executes menu, food and drink stories for Restaurant Business and hosts the weekly Menu Talk podcast. She provides in-depth coverage of chefs, trends and menu innovation.

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