In 1941, entrepreneur Carl Karcher put up his car as collateral for a hot dog stand, which was immediately successful and quickly became four hot dog stands, and after only a few short years in business, Carl and his wife added a new business to their successful brand, Carl’s Drive-In Barbeque. By 1950, their brand had become lucrative enough for the couple to launch Carl’s Jr., named “Jr.” for its scaled-down size.

Carl’s Jr. menu prices are on par with other higher-tier fast food chains, making its unique menu a draw for customers who can afford to be selective. Carl’s Jr. menu prices also include a value menu, where customers can get more bang for their buck but still customize their meal. The company keeps their competitive edge in a world full of fast food options by staying relevant to consumers with clever advertising campaigns, offering special items in certain regions, creating interest with limited-time deals, and a rotating selection of value combos available to satisfy any craving.

In many cases, Carl’s Jr.’s prices are the best in the area, and worth driving just that one extra block to get some really good quick-serve food at a really good price.

Carl’s Jr. Menu Prices

Today, the Carl’s franchise is anything but “Jr.”, with over 1,400 North American locations and 19 international sites serving thousands of hungry customers each day. The Carl’s Jr. menu offers standard American fare: a selection of different kinds of burgers, chicken meals that range from health-conscious charbroiled chicken sandwiches and wraps, to kid-friendly nuggets and fried chicken fillets. Understanding that the modern customer demands more options to choose from, the chain also provides a menu complete with a variety of entrée-sized salads, wraps, and multiple options for combos and side dishes, like fries and side salads, but also unique menu items like curly fries, onion rings, and jalapeno poppers.

Most menu items are easily customized and include distinctive sandwich upgrades, such as sourdough toast, bacon, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese, that set Carl’s Jr. apart from other fast food franchises. Carl’s Jr. also offers unique menu items outside of the standard “burger joint” fare, such as tacos, quesadillas, nachos, and burritos, as well as soft drinks and dessert options like cookies, milkshakes and malts to round out your meal. Carl’s Jr. isn’t just for midday meals and late-night munchies: the chain also offers a full menu of breakfast items, with familiar breakfast fare like biscuit and croissant sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, hashbrowns, coffee and breakfast burritos, to more substantial morning meals, like omelets, steak and eggs, biscuits and gravy, and other substantial breakfast platters.