Carl's Jr Menu Prices 2026: Star Burgers, Breakfast & Beyond Famous

The Famous Star with Cheese is $6.99 nationally — charbroiled 1/4 lb beef + American cheese + lettuce + tomato + onion + pickles + mayo + special sauce on a sesame bun. The Combo with Crisscut Fries + medium drink is $10.49.

Same parent company (CKE Restaurants), nearly identical menu, different regional brand names. Carl's Jr operates in the western U.S. (CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA, etc.); Hardee's operates in the eastern/Midwest U.S. The recipes, signature items and prices are essentially the same. Some menu items have different names between the two brands.

The Beyond Burger patty itself is vegan, but the Beyond Famous Star ($8.49) is served with cheese, mayo and on a non-vegan bun by default. To make it vegan: order without cheese, without mayo, and confirm the bun (most Carl's Jr buns contain dairy and/or eggs — a vegan-style request may not be reliably accommodated). Vegetarian-friendly as-served.

At most Carl's Jr locations, breakfast is served all day — the all-day breakfast policy is one of the chain's stronger differentiators vs. McDonald's (where breakfast typically ends 10:30am-11am). Confirm at your local store; some smaller markets revert to breakfast-cutoff schedules.

3-pc Tenders are $5.49, 5-pc are $7.49, and 10-pc are $13.49. The 3-pc Combo (tenders + Crisscut Fries + drink + dipping sauce) is $8.99. All tenders are hand-breaded fresh in-store.

Crisscut Fries are Carl's Jr's signature waffle-cut fries with a criss-cross pattern — distinctive vs. McDonald's flat-cut or Burger King's standard cut. Small $2.79, Medium $3.49, Large $3.99. Natural-Cut (skin-on traditional) Fries are available at the same prices for customers who prefer them.

The Big Carl is $5.99 — two 1/4 lb beef patties + American cheese + lettuce + special sauce + sesame bun. It's Carl's Jr's direct answer to the McDonald's Big Mac, generally larger and cheaper than the McDonald's equivalent.

It's similar. A Carl's Jr Famous Star ($6.99) is comparable to a McDonald's Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese ($6.79). Combos run $10-12 at both. Carl's Jr tends to offer more premium burgers (Beyond, Angus options) at $9-10 vs. McDonald's keeping the Big Mac at $5.99. Overall similar pricing, slightly higher at Carl's Jr for premium tiers.

Carl's Jr doesn't run a formal value menu. The Spicy Chicken Sandwich at $5.99, Big Carl at $5.99, Chocolate Chip Cookie at $1.49, and Kids' Cheeseburger Meal at $4.99 are the chain's cheapest options. App pricing and 2-for-$X promotions vary by market.

The name comes from Carl Karcher, who founded the chain in 1941 with a single hot-dog cart in Los Angeles. He opened larger 'Carl's Drive-In Barbecue' restaurants, then in 1956 opened smaller versions of those — 'Carl's Jr.' — for quicker service. The chain has kept the 'Jr.' suffix ever since, even though Carl's Jr stores grew to full fast-food size.