Like twins but with separate identities. This statement best sums up the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. chains of fast-food restaurants, although there have been recent moves that further emphasized their differences more than their similarities. Hardee’s / Carl’s Jr. prices are considered to be average for the fast food industry.
Both chains, nonetheless, still have the smiling yellow star as part of its branding signage as well as their emphasis on contemporary American fast-food favorites like burgers. Each of the chains also have specific geographical territory although there are some areas with both chains present.
Below are the latest Hardee’s / Carl’s Jr. menu prices.
| Item | Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lunch/Dinner Combos |
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| Beyond Famous Star with Cheese COMBO | $12.68 | |||
| Big Carl Combo | $10.88 | |||
| Famous Star with Cheese Combo | $9.59 | |||
| Side Salad Combo | $7.57 | |||
| Super Star with Cheese Combo | $11.57 | |||
| Western Bacon Cheeseburger Combo | $10.78 | |||
| Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger Combo | $12.54 | |||
| The 1/3 lb. Guacamole Bacon Thickburger® Combo | $13.12 | |||
| The California Classic Double Cheeseburger Combo | $8.46 | |||
| 1/3 lb. Jalapeno Thickburger® Combo | $12.36 | |||
| 3 Piece Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ Combo | $9.73 | |||
| 5 Piece Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ Combo | $12.46 | |||
| Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Sandwich Combo | $13.15 | |||
| Chicken Salad Combo | $11.50 | |||
| Charbroiled Chicken Club™ Sandwich Combo | $12.65 | |||
Breakfast Combos |
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| Breakfast Burger Combo | $9.74 | |||
| Sausage Egg & Cheese Biscuit Combo | $7.39 | |||
| Bacon Egg & Cheese Biscuit Combo | $6.99 | |||
| Sausage Biscuit Combo | $4.77 | |||
| Steak & Egg Burrito Combo | $9.31 | |||
| Big Country Breakfast Burrito Combo | $8.61 | |||
| Biscuit & Gravy Combo | $6.05 | |||
| Sausage Egg Biscuit Combo | $5.95 | |||
| Monster Biscuit Combo | $7.67 | |||
| Sausage Grilled Cheese Sandwich Combo | $8.24 | |||
| Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich COMBO | $8.13 | |||
| Ham Grilled Cheese Sandwich COMBO | $8.13 | |||
| Loaded Breakfast Burrito Combo | $7.83 | |||
| Bacon, Egg and Cheese Burrito Combo | $8.21 | |||
Lunch & Dinner Combos |
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| CA Classic Combo | $7.54 | |||
| The Big Chicken Fillet Sandwich Combo | $9.23 | |||
| Big Chicken Fillet Combo | $11.24 | |||
| Big Hamburger Combo | $7.46 | |||
| Bacon Swiss Chicken Sandwich Combo | $12.20 | |||
| Char-Broiled Chicken Club Sandwich Combo | $9.86 | |||
| Charbroiled Chicken Club Sandwich Combo | $11.23 | |||
| Chicken Santa Fe Sandwich Combo | $11.54 | |||
| BBQ Chicken Sandwich Combo | $11.17 | |||
| Spicy Chicken Sandwich Combo | $6.44 | |||
Popular Items |
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| Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit | $3.79 | |||
| Chicken Biscuit | $4.52 | |||
Green Burrito |
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| Grilled Chicken Burrito | $7.43 | |||
| Grilled Steak Burrito | $9.00 | |||
| The Green Chicken Burrito | $9.19 | |||
| The Green Steak Burrito | $9.79 | |||
| Crunchy Beef Taco | $2.67 | |||
| Chicken Super Nachos | $7.46 | |||
| Steak Super Nachos | $7.77 | |||
| Beef Super Nachos | $6.69 | |||
| Beef Taco Salad | $7.80 | |||
| Chicken Taco Salad | $8.27 | |||
| Steak Taco Salad | $8.57 | |||
| 4 Cheese Quesadilla | $4.27 | |||
| 4 Cheese Chicken Quesadilla | $6.49 | |||
| 4 Cheese Steak Quesadilla | $6.61 | |||
| Guacamole | $1.18 | |||
| Freshly Made Chips | $1.75 | |||
Sandwiches |
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| Sausage Egg & Cheese Biscuit | $4.07 | |||
| Sausage Egg Biscuit | $3.63 | |||
| Bacon Egg & Cheese Biscuit | $4.04 | |||
| Monster Biscuit | $4.72 | |||
| The Breakfast Burger | $6.20 | |||
| Sausage Grilled Cheese Breakfast Sandwich | $4.73 | |||
| Bacon Grilled Cheese Breakfast Sandwich | $4.73 | |||
| Ham Grilled Cheese Breakfast Sandwich | $4.76 | |||
| Sausage Biscuit | $2.26 | |||
Side |
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| Fries | $2.83 | |||
Beverages |
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| MinuteMaid Orange Juice | $2.63 | |||
| Hand-Scooped Shake | $4.66 | |||
| Chocolate Milk | $2.07 | |||
| Coke De Mexico | $2.36 | |||
Chicken & More |
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| 3 Piece Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ | $5.20 | |||
| 5 Piece Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ | $7.85 | |||
| Charbroiled Chicken Club™ Sandwich | $8.27 | |||
| Charbroiled Santa Fe Chicken™ Sandwich | $7.69 | |||
| Spicy Chicken Sandwich | $3.14 | |||
| Charbroiled BBQ Chicken™ Sandwich | $7.23 | |||
Burritos |
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| Steak and Egg Burrito | $6.00 | |||
| Loaded Breakfast Burrito | $4.90 | |||
| Big Country Breakfast Burrito | $5.40 | |||
| Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Burrito | $4.73 | |||
Chicken |
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| Big Chicken Fillet Sandwich | $5.38 | |||
| Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders Box | $10.86 | |||
| The Big Chicken Fillet Sandwich | $6.88 | |||
| Big Chicken Fillet Sandwich Combo | $10.15 | |||
| Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders | $4.36 | |||
| The Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Fillet Sandwich | $8.23 | |||
| Charbroiled Chicken Club Sandwich | $7.69 | |||
| Char-Broiled Chicken Club Sandwich | $7.05 | |||
| Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich | $6.75 | |||
| BBQ Chicken Sandwich | $6.99 | |||
Breakfast Sides |
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| Hash Rounds® | $2.01 | |||
Drinks |
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| Colombian Coffee | $1.74 | |||
| Rise 'n Shine Coffee | $1.53 | |||
| Bottled Water | $2.17 | |||
| Hand-Scooped Shakes | $4.77 | |||
| Minute Maid Orange Juice | $2.59 | |||
| Minute Maid® Orange Juice | $2.55 | |||
| Soft Drink | $2.38 | |||
| Beverages | $1.86 | |||
| 1% Milk | $2.25 | |||
| Dasani Water | $2.23 | |||
| Orange Juice | $1.89 | |||
| Sweet Tea | $2.09 | |||
| ICED TEA | $1.93 | |||
| Dasani® Water | $2.06 | |||
| Milk | $1.55 | |||
Sides |
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| Crisscut Fries | $3.77 | |||
| Crisscut® Fries | $3.94 | |||
| French Fries | $2.08 | |||
| Hash Rounds | $1.87 | |||
| Beer Battered Onion Rings | $2.44 | |||
| Fried Zucchini | $3.89 | |||
| Jalapeño Poppers | $3.45 | |||
| Beer-Battered Onion Rings | $2.82 | |||
| Onion Rings | $3.80 | |||
| Natural-Cut French Fries | $2.47 | |||
| Strawberry Cheesecake | $3.15 | |||
Drinks: Breakfast |
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| Dasani® Bottled Water | $2.33 | |||
French Toast |
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| French Toast | $3.88 | |||
Charbroiled Burgers |
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| Beyond Famous Star with Cheese | $8.22 | |||
| Famous Star with Cheese | $5.48 | |||
| Beyond Famous Star® with Cheese | $8.07 | |||
| Famous Star® with Cheese | $5.43 | |||
| Super Star with Cheese | $7.47 | |||
| Western Bacon Cheeseburger | $6.61 | |||
| Super Star® with Cheese | $7.19 | |||
| Western Bacon Cheeseburger® | $6.30 | |||
| Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger | $8.29 | |||
| The Big Carl | $6.77 | |||
| California Classic Double Cheeseburger | $3.68 | |||
| The 1/3 lb. Guacamole Bacon Thickburger® | $8.50 | |||
| The 1/3 lb. Original Thickburger® | $7.50 | |||
| The 1/3lb. Guacamole Bacon Thickburger® | $8.25 | |||
| The 1/2 lb. Guacamole Bacon Thickburger® | $9.61 | |||
| The 1/3lb. Jalapeño Thickburger® | $7.36 | |||
| The California Classic Double Cheeseburger | $4.00 | |||
| 1/3 lb. Jalapeno Thickburger® | $7.97 | |||
| Big Hamburger | $3.05 | |||
Desserts |
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| Chocolate Chip Cookie | $2.89 | |||
| Chocolate Chip Cookies | $1.14 | |||
| Apple Turnover | $1.03 | |||
| Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake | $3.39 | |||
| Froot Loop Mini Donuts | $2.82 | |||
| Chocolate Cake | $2.80 | |||
Hardee's/Carl's Jr. prices provided by PriceListo.History
Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. began as separate entities on opposite sides of the United States.
Carl Karcher opened the first founded Carl’s Drive-in Barbecue as a hot dog stand in 1941 in Los Angeles, California. The single location was soon joined by four other full-sized Carl’s Drive-in Barbecue restaurants in just five years. With the success of his first venture was so successful that Karcher also opened Carl’s Jr., a separate group of quick-service burger restaurants.
William Hardee opened the first Hardee’s in 1961 in North Carolina. Soon, Hardee’s was a familiar sight in the South and Midwest; the chain opened its restaurants in areas were the likes of Burger King and McDonald’s didn’t have restaurants, a gamble that paid off well.
In 1997, Karcher and CKE Partnership acquired the Hardee’s chain as part of its expansion plans. The two separate chains were operated as co-brands with similar, if not the same, menus although their respective names and logos were retained in most areas.
But on February 2018, the chains’ management announced a campaign that shifted its focus from emphasizing the chains’ oneness to focusing on their distinctiveness as two separate brands. Carl’s Jr. launched The Call of Carl’s, the first Carl’s-only national campaign. Hardee’s soon followed.
Furthermore, the management has also stated that the two brands will develop distinctive menus over time. There will be specific menu items relevant to each of these two brands but with certain overlaps, a development that fans of the brands will likely find to their advantage.
What They’re Famous For
Both Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. are famous for their line of charbroiled burgers available in several varieties. Carl’s Jr. is especially known for its use of sexy marketing gimmicks in enticing consumers to try its hamburgers.
Why Eat Here
Each of these two brands have their distinctive identities despite the similarities in their menus and marketing programs. On one hand, Carl’s Jr. has a more aggressive and disruptive –or bigger and bolder, if we say so ourselves – West Coast look and feel about it. On the other hand, Hardee’s has a more East Coast/Southern attitude with its emphasis on comfort food, as well as an earnest approach to the American classics.
Take your pick although your choice will be largely influenced by your location. Carl’s Jr restaurants are concentrated in the West Coast while Hardee’s restaurants are in the East Coast. For now, the menus are still similar so either pick doesn’t mean a significant difference in dining experience.
The menus are as extensive as the food are flavorful, filling and satisfying, especially with the use of premium ingredients and with generous serving sizes. The hamburger selection features Famous Star with Cheese, Beyond Famous Star with Cheese, Superstar with Cheese, Western Bacon Cheeseburger, and the Big Carl, all of which are seriously a cut above the rest. The iconic burgers include the 1/3-Pound and ½-Pound Original Thickburger and the Guacamole Thickburger.
If you have a hankering for larger hamburgers with a wow factor, then go to your nearest Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s joint and satisfy your craving.
The chicken-based items include grilled chicken, hand-breaded chicken, and the chicken fillet sandwiches. While these are delicious, keep in mind that Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. are more known for their hamburgers than their chicken dishes.
There are several salads and sides, too, although the selection is quite limited. The sides, for example, only consist of fries in a few versions, as well as onion rings and fried zucchini.
The desserts are chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookie, and strawberry swirl cheesecake. The limited selection is understandable as you may not have the space in your stomach for dessert once you finish an entire burger.
The drinks are aplenty, nonetheless, from soft drinks to coffee, orange juice, milk, and shakes. The shakes are available in chocolate, strawberry, and Oreo cookies.
In keeping with both chains’ healthy eating thrust, the menus also feature several healthier options. At Carl’s Jr. restaurants, these include Gluten Sensitive, Trim It, Low carb It, and Veg It.
Be sure to try the burritos and tacos, too, since these are more than decent food. These are also served in large portions suitable for sharing.
In both Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants, the customer service is above par and it’s something that customers are keen to express their appreciation for.
To learn more about Hardee’s / Carl’s Jr. or to find a location near you, visit their website at www.hardees.com and www.carlsjr.com.
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