I Didn't Expect This New Fast Food Item To Be This Good ... But Here We Are
Arby's Steak Nuggest won't get the same love as the Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich craze of 2019, but it’s a must-try for any meat fan.
They say you can’t live on steak alone. We never listened.
Somewhere online, a photo surfaced of a man inside an Arby’s, fork-first, diving into a mountain of cubed beef. Photographed like Bigfoot in the wild, his picture went viral. In front of him sat what looked like fifty pieces of meat.
Arby’s called them Steak Nuggets.
DES PLAINES, IL - DECEMBER 13: An SUV sits at the pick-up window of an Arby's restaurant December 13, 2002 in Des Plaines, Illinois. Owner Diageo PLC, the world's largest liquor company, has finalized the sale of Arby's competitor Burger King to a private consortium led by Texas Pacific in a deal worth $1.5 billion USD. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
The photo worked.
Soon after, OutKick’s Joe Kinsey put them on the radar, and Arby’s, founded in Boardman, Ohio, in 1964, was back in the conversation.
Released in October, the Steak Nuggets are Arby’s latest play to remind people what fast food tastes like when it’s all meat.
Sounded too weird not to try. And if you’re wondering whether vegetable-hater Al Michaels would approve, the answer is yes.
REVIEW: Arby’s Steak Nuggets — Meaty Enough?
Six bucks gets you the 5-piece ($6.29), or upgrade to 9 for $10.29.
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Also offered in this Steak Nuggets rollout is a sandwich and a macaroni and cheese bowl, both topped with steak bites. That’s a whole separate beast.
The ‘nuggs’ taste like something from Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, slightly rubbery, smoky, and chewy, with an overall bacon-like flavor (yeah).
Arby’s Steak Nuggets, officially certified by a man who eats meat for sport. (OutKick)
You’re getting steak bites and a side of barbecue, not your average fast-food order. Unless you head to a Chipotle, which no one wants to do in 2025.
Maybe swapping out the beige with steak nuggets can help you skip the GLP-1s.
On the Ground: Arby’s Drive-Thru Intel
We spoke with a Los Angeles drive-thru worker about this no-frills, trendy item.
After driving three cities over to find this desolate Arby’s in Inglewood, I soon realized I was already caught in its viral "We have the meats" web.
Peering inside the restaurant, Arby’s looks like a Sears breakroom repurposed after a Y2K apocalypse.
How popular can little bites of meat really be?
"Very popular," said the friendly Latina at the Arby’s window.
I asked if they could be ordered anywhere from rare to well done.
"Due to the smoke detectors, we can’t burn them," she said, recalling an ill experience when a customer asked for his nuggets cooked black.
Friendly service, five steak nuggets for $6, and no McDonald’s worker asking for your ‘APP CODE’ while your phone freezes. Great stuff.
Maybe Arby’s is pulling off the quietest fast-food comeback of the decade.
After one drive-thru run and a few smoky bites, here’s how the Steak Nuggets stack up:
Quick Takeaways
- Hunger Buster: Lunch-to-evening snack, less guilt than McDonald’s Snack Wraps.
- Taste Test: Hickory smoke gives a BBQ, bacon-y, slightly rubbery, and surprisingly good taste.
- Dude-Friendly Snack: Low-cal option for keto bros.
- Price Hack: 5 bites for six bucks … Los Angeles prices.
- Verdict: 8/10, bold effort in the fast-food barbecue game.
Final Thoughts
Don’t ditch the backyard grill just yet but trade that McDonald’s run for an Arby’s detour.
Yeah, they’re meaty enough. Not backyard-barbecue thick, but definitely packing more real beef than your average drive-thru burger.
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A little burnt on the edges, chewy like jerky, just enough flavor to keep you going.
If you know the wifey’s got dinner waiting at home but need a snack on the evening drive, this is the move. In a situation like that, burgers are too filling, and she’ll be pissed if you skip her casserole.
For any guy on a cut, these steak bites are a strong option, an 8 out of 10 for anyone who lives on fast food.
It’s not going to get the same love as the Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich craze of 2019, but it’s a must-try for any meat fan.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela