Explore the world of Hardee’s to find a symphony of tastes that redefines happiness when eating fast food. Prepare to be mesmerized by the luscious charbroiled perfection that adorns their offerings as you embark on this mouthwatering trip through the top Hardee’s menu items. Hardee’s is a sanctuary for food connoisseurs, offering everything from the legendary Thickburger concoctions that upend burger norms to divine hand-breaded chicken selections that redefine crispy delight. Come explore the finest selections with me and enjoy the delectable subtleties that elevate each dish to the status of a culinary masterpiece. Prepare to enhance your dining experience as you make your way through the delicious options that have cemented Hardee’s standing as a flavor powerhouse.
Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich
I love a good BBQ chicken sandwich, and Hardee’s delivers. Their sandwich is a charbroiled chicken breast, Hardee’s BBQ Sauce, tomato, and lettuce served on a potato bun. I only wish they would add some sliced onion or something with some crunch on the sandwich. The flavors are outstanding, but the texture could use some stiffness. Their chicken is juicy and white on the inside, with a beautiful charbroil on the outside that sears in the tangy BBQ sauce. An underrated feature of this sandwich is the soft and starchy potato bun that adds a feeling of comfort to every bite.
Frisco Thickburger
The Frisco Thickburger from Hardee’s is an interesting menu item. This twist on a classic burger is a ⅓ pound piece of Angus beef burger with crispy bacon, melted Swiss cheese, tomato, and mayonnaise, served on toasted sourdough. While I don’t usually jive with a burger on sandwich bread, the sourdough was thick and sturdy enough to stand up to the burger. The burger was good, but the bacon was fantastic. Perfectly crisped with ooey-gooey Swiss cheese underneath. While the tomato tastes fresh and juicy, the burger could use another topping on it, like some lettuce or sliced red onion.
Breakfast Platter
Are you hungry? Then the Hardee’s Breakfast Platter is the order for you. It’s a generous helping of some of the most popular breakfast favorites served up by Hardee’s. The platter includes biscuits and gravy, two folded eggs, two strips of crisp bacon, and Hardee’s Hash Rounds. Depending on the location you visit, you can also get sausage, country ham, country steak, chicken fillet, pork chop, or smoked sausage in place or in addition to the bacon. I love their Hash Rounds, which kind of look like tater tots and taste like them too! I find the plastic-y eggs unnecessary, but everything else with the platter is a win.
Charbroiled Chicken Club Sandwich
Similar to their BBQ chicken sandwich, the Hardee’s Charbroiled Chicken Club is a tender piece of protein in a beautifully constructed sandwich. The sandwich consists of a charbroiled chicken breast, two strips of bacon, melted Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise, served on a potato bun. Once again, their bacon is perfection. Crispy and crunchy without being dry or overdone, you get two fat pieces on the club sandwich. For me, this sandwich surpasses their BBQ sandwich in texture, flavor, and presentation. But I may feel that way because of the bacon! But the chicken is well-seasoned, giving you a fresher flavor than the BBQ-drenched piece of chicken.
Crispy Curls
Who doesn’t love curly fries? They’re just as tasty as regular french fries but more fun! The Hardee’s Crispy Curls are yummy sides that kids and adults love. They are seasoned with a zesty seasoning that likely includes salt, pepper, and hints of cajun seasoning. The fries don’t disappoint when it comes to curliness, as they are full-on corkscrews. Like their other fries, the Crispy Curls have the potato skin left on. The curls are an exquisite side for a burger or chicken sandwich, but they don’t offer the most generous helpings, so be prepared for a small side of curly fries.
Frisco Breakfast Sandwich
I love the Frisco Breakfast Sandwich. It comes with thinly sliced ham, one folded egg, melted American and Swiss cheeses on sourdough toast. I don’t know what Frisco means, but apparently, it means you’re getting sourdough, which I’m fine with. This sandwich is a bit bigger than most breakfast sandwiches are, making it ideal for a hungry morning. The best part is the two kinds of cheese, which bring a sweet and salty flavor profile along with loads of gooiness. If you’re obsessed with Hardee’s bacon like I am, you can swap out the ham for bacon and bring your breakfast to a new level.
Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders
You can order Hardee’s Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders in a variety of sizes, including 3 pieces, 5 pieces, 10 pieces, 15 pieces, or 20 pieces. Their charbroiled chicken sandwiches are yummy, but it’s hard to beat out some classic fried chicken. Hardee’s describes them as premium, all-white meat chicken, hand-dipped in buttermilk, lightly breaded and fried to a golden brown. And it’s hard to argue with this. The chicken is white and tender on the inside with a satisfying crunch. You can taste the decadence of the buttermilk in every bite, creating the ideal batter. Hardee’s offers five dipping sauces: buttermilk ranch, smokey BBQ sauce, honey mustard, honey Q, and Buffalo sauce.
Hash Rounds
We talked about the Hash Rounds with the Breakfast Platter, but let’s dive deeper. Hardee’s dubs them as their signature Hash Rounds, but they are essentially just tater tots with a breakfast vibe. But that’s not to say they aren’t good, because they definitely are. The potatoes are shredded and then formed into the rounds, so the inside is fluffy, even if a bit bland. However, the outside is well-seasoned and wonderfully crispy. I appreciate that the rounds are small, so you don’t get too much plain potato in one bite. A Hardee’s side of Hash Rounds usually comes with ten, which is a generous amount compared to other fast food spots.
Ice Cream Shake
Hardee’s has classic Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shakes that hit the spot on a hot summer day. The shakes use real ice cream, real milk, and a whipped topping for a sweet treat. You can get chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry. I’m a purist, so I got their vanilla shake, which was the perfect consistency but not the most flavorful. Rather than high-quality French vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream, I think they use the plainest vanilla ice cream on earth. But the shake is creamy and smooth, not lumpy or frozen like some places serve. I recommend going for the chocolate or strawberry, as they’re likely more flavorful. And go ahead and skip the whipped topping unless you like that fake-dairy, chemical taste.
Monster Biscuit
The Monster Biscuit is a true marvel. For those with big appetites in the morning are sure to become obsessed with this truly monstrous, hence the name, breakfast sandwich. The sandwich doesn’t make you choose your breakfast meat, and instead, you get Crispy bacon, sausage patty, thinly sliced ham, folded egg, and two slices of American cheese on a fluffy, buttery biscuit. While the sandwich might be hard to fit in your mouth, it’s easy to finish since it’s a monument to yumminess. Hardee’s thoughtfully disperses the cheese throughout the meaty layers so that all of the breakfast meats get a layer of gooiness between them. If you are at Hardee’s early in the morning and at a loss for what to start your day with, go with the Monster Biscuit. You won’t be disappointed.
Mushroom & Swiss Thickburger
I think the Hardee’s Mushroom and Swiss Angus Burger is my number one menu item on this list. It is a 1/3 pound charbroiled, 100% black Angus beef burger with melted Swiss cheese and a robust mushroom sauce—all served on a toasted potato bun. The flavors in the burger are outstanding, no surprise, as Swiss and mushrooms are a match made in heaven. The patty is thick and juicy and has a wonderful charbroil on the outside, so you get some crunch and rich flavor with every bite. The best part is the combination of melted, salty Swiss with the rich mushroom sauce. While this is a messy meal, it’s worth using the extra napkins.
Natural-Cut French Fries
We have to discuss their fries, or this wouldn’t be a good review of the Hardee’s menu. A fast-food place without good french fries is basically a failure. Luckily, Hardee’s can call themselves a success, as their fries are delicious. If you love a skin-on potato, you’ll love these fries and how rich the potato flavor is. They have a beautiful crisp on the outside and a fluffy inside. My favorite dipping sauce with Hardee’s fries is hands-down the Honey Q, an extra sweet BBQ sauce with a little kick.
Sunrise Croissant
Be warned; you can’t get the Hardee’s Sunrise Croissant at all locations. So don’t blame me if the one near you doesn’t have it! With that said, if you’re lucky enough to try one, you’ll fall in love with this breakfast sandwich. You can choose from thinly sliced ham, crispy bacon, or sausage topped with a folded egg and American cheese nestled between a flaky croissant. It’s hard not to love croissants, and while Hardee’s croissants aren’t bakery-quality, they’re pretty good for a fast-food restaurant. They’re buttery and soft, although the outside sometimes feels stale. The Hardee’s eggs aren’t my favorite, but neither are any fast food eggs. The protein makes the sandwich. I usually go for their tasty bacon, but I also enjoyed the croissant sandwich with the sausage patty bursting with breakfast flavors.
Beef Taco Salad
The Beef Taco Salad from Hardee’s is quite a sight to behold. First of all, it’s massive, so if you’re worried about being left hungry, don’t be! It comes with seasoned ground beef, shredded lettuce, salsa, shredded cheese, hot sauce, refried beans, and sour cream in a crispy flour tortilla bowl. The tortilla bowl is my favorite part because it’s like getting a side of chips with your salad. The beef is well-seasoned and comes with a hefty amount of veggies and beans to fill you up. While I enjoyed the Beef Taco Salad, nothing about it blew me away. And despite the hot sauce, I wish it had been a bit spicier to add more flavor.
Biscuit ‘N’ Gravy
A classic comfort meal, the Hardee’s Biscuit ‘N’ Gravy satisfies your belly and your soul. The meal comes with two biscuits made from scratch, smothered in white sausage gravy. Biscuits and gravy are a go-to meal for me, so my expectation was high, and Hardee’s came through. Their biscuits are fluffy but sturdy enough to hold the gravy properly. And the gravy is thick and creamy with lumps of salty sausage with a subtle peppery flavor. It’s a great combination of flavors, but it wasn’t the best biscuits and gravy I’ve ever had. My biggest complaint is that it wasn’t hot but closer to a lukewarm temperature.