McDonald's employees reveal their favorite menu items

Looking for some inspiration? McDonald's staff share their go-to orders. Koji Sasahara/AP Images The McDonald's menu has tons of options for fast-food fans.

And McDonald's crew members themselves have their own favorites.

Business Insider spoke with a number of current and former McDonald's employees about their go-to menu orders.

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. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. If you really want to know what's good and what's worth skipping at the Golden Arches you can turn to McDonald's crew members for their insight. They make the food, after all. And, according to Quora users who previously worked at the chain, many crew members choose to use their employee discounts - which vary from restaurant to restaurant - to buy McDonald's food during their meal breaks. So what orders do crew members gravitate toward, whether they're on their lunch break or off-duty? Business Insider spoke with several current and former crew members to find out. A number of McDonald's employees have also shared their favorite orders on Quora. Some crew members favored classic menu items, while others got more avant garde with signature-crafted selections. Here's a look at some of McDonald's employees' favorite orders:

The chicken nuggets and tenders are quite popular ... Hollis Johnson When asked about their favorite order, a former McDonald's crew member told Business Insider that they went for the chicken McNuggets and fries. Chicken McNuggets were first introduced in a limited capacity in 1981. "They're the best," the ex-crew member added. A Minnesota-based McDonald's crew member told Business Insider that they frequently eat at the restaurant, as they can order meals at a "discounted price." "The best thing to get is by far the tenders, but we do run out every now and again, so the next best thing is either nuggets or a cheeseburger," the crew member said. Another crew member from Georgia told Business Insider they enjoyed the chicken tenders, as well.

... as are the chicken sandwiches. Hollis Johnson Even in the era of the chicken sandwich wars, some employees consider the McDonald's buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich a go-to. "A chicken sandwich meal is my go to," a former crew member from Virginia told Business Insider.

A number of crew members love the breakfast options ... Hollis Johnson Breakfast is popular wth some crew members. One crew member wrote in a 2018 Reddit AMA that they craved the sausage, egg, and cheese McGriddle. Another employee in the same thread said they favored the egg McMuffin. And a third crew member wrote that they most enjoyed the steak, egg, and cheese bagel.

International crew members go for items that aren't available in the US. Greg's Kitchen / Youtube McDonald's menus vary around the world to better suit local tastes. So that means international crew members might have favorites that US employees don't even recognize. "I don't get McDonalds very often, but when I do I always get the same thing: A BBQ chicken legend, large fries, and a strawberry milkshake," former McDonald's crew member wrote on Quora. The chicken legend is a chicken breast fillet with mayo in a toasted roll, and it's available in the UK. Meanwhile, for Australia-based McDonald's crew member and Quora poster Grace Bridget, McBites and gravy-loaded fries are the order of the day.

Others look to McDonald's so-called secret menu ... AFP PHOTO/ ALEXANDER NEMENOV / Getty Images McDonald's so-called secret menu is a bit controversial among employees. A former McDonald's crew member from Virginia told Business Insider that "there is no such thing as a secret menu." That being said, one McDonald's crew member wrote in a 2017 Reddit Post that their favorite creation from the restaurant was a McGangbang - widely considered a jewel of the secret menu. This order is composed of a McDouble sandwich and a McChicken sandwich mashed together.