Is the Dairy Queen $7 Meal Deal a Good Deal?

Dairy Queen is known for their Blizzards and Peanut Buster Parfaits — but at The Krazy Coupon Lady, they’re also known for their money-saving deals. Aside from Dairy Queen coupons and hacks for cheap Blizzards, the Dairy Queen $7 Meal Deal is one of the best ways to save money at the fast food chain. 

Whether you choose the chicken strips or cheeseburger, we’re breaking down the $7 Meal Deal so you can see how it stacks up to other Dairy Queen menu prices and other fast food chain deals.  For more smart shopping tips and savings hacks, text HACKS to 57299, and be sure to download the Krazy Coupon Lady app.

What is Dairy Queen's $7 Meal Deal?

The $7 meal deal is exactly what it sounds like: A full meal for seven bucks. There are two options to choose from: One with chicken strips and one with a cheeseburger.

Also, keep in mind this deal is not available at Texas Dairy Queen locations. It also appears that the price varies by franchise location; some Redditors have commented that the $7 Meal Deal actually costs $8 or $9 for them. (Dairy Queen says prices increase in Alaska and Hawaii.) 

So while this DQ Meal Deal may not be $7 for you, it's still a good value considering what's included.

What Exactly Comes in the $7 Meal Deal?

Here’s what you’ll get with each meal option. 

3-Piece Chicken Strip $7 Meal Deal

• 3 white meat seasoned chicken strips 

• Choice of dipping sauce 

• Regular fries

• 21 oz. fountain drink

• Small sundae

Original Cheeseburger $7 Meal Deal

• Original Cheeseburger 

• Regular fries

• 21 oz. fountain drink

• Small sundae

Comparing the Meal Deals

Comparing the $7 Meal Deal to Other Dairy Queen Deals

In terms of savings, the $7 Meal Deal is a better value than some of the other DQ deals—specifically the 2-for-$5 Mix & Match special. 

With the 2-for-$5 deal, you can choose any two of the following: 

• Original Cheeseburger 

• Small Sundae 

• Pretzel Sticks with Zesty Queso 

• 2-Piece Chicken Strips 

• Regular Fries 

• Any Size Fountain Drink 

The best value from the 2-for-$5 menu is the Original Cheeseburger with a small sundae. With the $7 Meal Deal, you get a regular fry and a 21-ounce drink for just $2 more. If you ordered both of those items al-la-carte, it'd cost you $4.98 — well over that extra two bucks.

How Does Dairy Queen's $7 Meal Deal Stack Up to Other Fast Food Deals?

As far as other fast food chains go, the meal deal is most comparable to Wendy’s $5 Biggie Bag. The Biggie bag includes: 

• Sandwich (Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, Double Stack, or Crispy Chicken BLT) 

• Four chicken nuggets 

• Jr. fries 

• Small fountain drink 

If you choose the Cheeseburger option, this is essentially the same meal as DQ’s Meal Deal, except you’ll get chicken nuggets instead of the sundae — and it’s $2 cheaper.

Redditors also note that Wendy’s has better upgrade options. You can request a premium bun for your sandwich, there are no charges for extra toppings, and for just 30 cents, you can upgrade the size of your fries and drink. 

Overall, we think these two meals are extremely similar in value — but if you're craving ice cream, Dairy Queen is the place to go.

How to Get the Most Out of Your $7 Meal Deal

The $7 bundle is a fairly good deal, but you can customize it to get even more out of your usual order. Here’s what to know before you order. (And if you order on DQ’s Free Cone Day, you can get a free ice cream cone with your order, too!) 

Tips and Tricks for Customizing Your Meal

You can customize your meal pretty much any way you like — you’ll just have to pay an upcharge for menu items that are more expensive than what you’re swapping for. 

Let’s say you don’t want the sundae, and you’d rather have a Blizzard instead. Most DQ locations will only charge you the difference between the two items. A small sundae is $3.49, so if you want to swap it out for a small Butterfinger Blizzard, you’ll pay a $1 upcharge. A small Blizzard normally costs $4.49, so getting it for $1 in this meal is a steal.

In this case, you pay $8 total for a small Blizzard, Original Cheeseburger, fries, and a fountain drink — 37% less than ordering these items separately.

Conclusion: Is Dairy Queen's $7 Meal Deal Worth It?

If you’re already going to be ordering an entree, fries, drink, and dessert, then yes — the $7 Meal Deal is totally worth it. 

If we tally up the regular prices for medium fries (reg. $2.79), a 21-ounce fountain drink (reg. $2.19), an ice cream sundae (reg. $3.49), and an Original Cheeseburger (reg. $3.29), you’d spend $11.76. 

The Dairy Queen $7 Meal Deal gets you the same meal for $7 — a 40.5% discount.