Can You Still Order A Fast Food Burger When Restaurants Are Serving Breakfast?

First thing in the morning, when you are rolling out of bed and putting on your bunny slippers, you might start your day with a bowl of cereal, a plate of scrambled eggs, or avocado toast for breakfast. But, sometimes, none of those options sound remotely good. There are some days, whether you're recovering from a hangover or just want something greasy, when you crave nothing except a juicy fast food hamburger.

Even though plenty of fast food establishments open in the wee hours of the morning, places like McDonald's have a specific time that separates when they serve breakfast and lunch — usually about 10:30 a.m. (depending on the location). Despite countless customer complaints begging for Big Macs (or McDoubles that you can turn into Big Macs) before sunrise, a spokeswoman for McDonald's told the Wall Street Journal (via Reader's Digest), "The demand isn't strong enough to warrant running the burger grill in the morning." A former employee of the restaurant said it's not the low demand keeping McDonald's from serving lunch during breakfast; instead, it's because breakfast items like eggs cannot be cooked at the same temperature as burger patties. (This applies to McDonald's locations in the U.S., whereas in Australia, the chain features an "All Day Menu," which includes Big Macs, nuggets, and other lunch options served all day.)

Similarly, Wendy's, known for its square burgers and Frosty drinks, prioritizes breakfast over lunch until around 10:30 a.m.. But depending on the location, some employees may be more accommodating of your burger requests (albeit very reluctantly), as long as you are willing to wait a little longer in line. 

So, what do you do if you are in desperate need of a fast food burger before lunchtime? Well, there are a few options. First, you are guaranteed a burger at chains that do not have a breakfast menu whatsoever (some places have a ridiculously simple menu that has no place for breakfast, so at 10:30 a.m., you can head right over to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman – or any other burger you'd like, really). Additionally, while it may not be red meat, getting a chicken sandwich and french fries might cure an early morning burger itch — places like Chick-fil-A (which does serve breakfast until 10:30 a.m.) allow for lunch orders, as long as the customer is fine with a longer wait time. 

Other places like Jack in the Box, Sonic, and Whataburger — while they all serve breakfast in the morning — also serve their lunch items in those early hours, if not all the time. So yes, if you have a hankering for a hamburger at 9 a.m., you can fulfill that lust instead of settling for an Egg McMuffin.