There's Only One Way You Should Be Ordering Fast Food Nachos

The convenience of fast food is, well, it's fast. And convenient! But sometimes there's a price for grabbing a bag of food through the window of your car, then waiting till you get home to eat it. Fries get cold, condiments soak into buns, and the tortilla chips in a heaping pile of nachos can get soft and lose their snap as grease and moisture from ground beef, cheese, or jalapeños sweat out. They'll taste fine, because that's what we're used to, but the experience is not the same. Gone is the crunch of the chip and the satisfying contrast in textures. Thankfully, there's an easy fix you may never have considered: Ask for the fixings on the side.

This is a solution that pops up on Reddit and TikTok from time to time, and while it seems simple, it's also a bit counterintuitive. Unless you have food intolerances, you may not be used to asking your neighborhood fast food worker to deconstruct a meal for your convenience. But the results can be game-changing. When you get home, warm the chips in the oven for a few minutes (if you're not starving), then layer the toppings over them and heat a little longer. You'll get a warm, crispy iteration of the fast food nachos you've been craving. You can even build the ingredients at home the right way to make fool-proof game day nachos.

Remember, fast food menus have been designed for speed and efficiency, and employees are often timed on their results (in fact, Taco Bell has the quickest drive thru lines). So be polite when ordering. If an employee doesn't quite understand your request, explain carefully in a different way. You might try asking for the chips on the side, rather than the toppings. And if they need a little extra time to meet your request, give it to them.

This request works best when workers aren't slammed, so avoid busy lunch and dinner hours. It also works best if you actually are taking everything somewhere to eat. Rebuilding a nacho plate in your car can be a recipe for disaster. Also, since you are making a special request, be prepared to accept whatever you're handed. Based on social media experiences, sometimes ingredients will be individually packaged. Other times, all of the toppings will be added to a single container. You may get some ingredients added to the chips anyway, depending on the experience and availability of the staff to meet your request.

There's another advantage to this hack. If you or others have food intolerances, or are just picky eaters, you can rebuild the nachos however you prefer. You can even add extra ingredients. And if this trick still doesn't satisfy your craving, consider making your own truly ultimate chicken nachos.