McDonald's 20-for-$5 McNuggets meal may be the best deal in fast food. Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

McDonald's 20-for-$5 McNuggets meal is one of the best deals in fast food, offering a Costco-style discount in bulk.

Unfortunately, the deal is not available nationwide, so it may take some legwork to find a McDonald's location that still offers it.

It's worth it, though.

Hidden on many McDonald's restaurants' menus is a deal so good, it's not even on the board above the register.

It's the 20-piece McNugget for $5.

No commercial runs to announce its presence. It was last promoted way back in 2014. Perhaps the current price is just a mistake, an oversight from a leftover promotion that was never deactivated from the registers.

The price is not offered at all restaurants, and McDonald's has confirmed to Business Insider that it is not a national deal. However, franchisees have latitude to set their own prices and run their own promotions at their restaurants.

Whatever its cause, it's an unparalleled deal. It's a mountain of nuggets for only a little bit more than a non-meal burger or sandwich, depending on the market. It's also only about a dollar more than a 10-piece nugget meal, making the upgrade kind of a no-brainer.

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

The deal is reminiscent of what you might find at Costco: it's a popular item sold in bulk at a discount. And make no mistake - 20 McNuggets for $5 is a bulk price. It's just 25 cents a nugget.

The one thing you don't get with a 20-piece McNugget is variety. This is especially true considering McDonald's has its McPick 2-for-$5 deal, as well as the $1, $2, and $3 Menu, both of which add a whole lot of variety for a similar price.

But there's just something unique and special about opening up the enormous box to see all of the nuggety goodness inside. If you're a nugget fan, the only thing better than McNuggets is more McNuggets. The 20-piece is also easily shared, the hefty amount encouraging you to act like a feudal McNugget land baron, generously spreading your absurd nugget wealth to friends and family alike.

The only issue is finding a McDonald's that still offers the deal. It tends to vary by location, and the pricing seems random and inconsistent, as customers reported in a recent Reddit thread. After visiting two McDonald's restaurants in Manhattan within one week, I found one had the $5 deal while another charged $9 for the same item.

It might take some effort, but it's worth it to seek out the best deal in fast food.

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

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