If you live in the United States, then you probably have a McDonald’s nearby. Within the continental U.S., the farthest you can ever be from a McDonald’s is 115 miles!
But being close to a McDonald’s doesn’t mean you’ll be able to order your favorite menu items all the time.
If you’re craving a lunch option like a McChicken or McDouble, when can you get it?
Most McDonald’s locations serve lunch from 10:30 AM to closing time on weekdays, or 11:00 AM to closing time on weekends. Twenty-four-hour locations serve lunch from 10:30 or 11:00 AM until breakfast time the next morning, which typically begins at 5:00 AM. McDonald’s lunch menu items are not served during breakfast hours.
Keep reading to learn more about the lunch hours at McDonald’s.
We’ll also discuss breakfast and lunch items, why you can’t order lunch during breakfast hours, and whether various items are available all day.
Topics
McDonald’s Lunch Start Serving Start Time
At most McDonald’s locations, lunch begins at 10:30 AM on weekdays and 11:00 AM on weekends.
However, this can vary depending on the specific McDonald’s restaurant. Some 24-hour locations have slightly different schedules.
In general, you will not be able to order lunch when breakfast is still being served. Breakfast typically runs from 5:00 AM to 10:30 or 11:00 AM.
Is Lunch Served All Day At McDonald’s?
Lunch is not served all day at McDonald’s.
The McDonald’s lunch menu is served from 10:30 AM to closing time on weekdays at most locations. On the weekends, you can typically order lunch from 11:00 AM to closing time.
At 24-hour locations, lunch starts at 10:30 or 11:00 AM and is served until 5:00 AM, when breakfast begins.
Can You Order Lunch During Breakfast Hours?
You cannot order lunch during breakfast hours at McDonald’s. From 5:00 AM to 10:30 AM (or 11:00 AM on the weekends), the fast-food chain only serves its breakfast menu.
Since breakfast items like eggs and lunch items like hamburgers must be cooked at different temperatures, most McDonald’s locations simply don’t have enough grill space to cook both breakfast and lunch at the same time.
Can You Get A Big Mac In The Morning?
You can get a Big Mac in the morning, as long as you stop by your local McD’s at 10:30 AM or later on weekdays.
On the weekends, you’ll have to wait until 11 o’clock in the morning to get your Big Mac.
You cannot get a Big Mac earlier in the morning because McDonald’s only serves its breakfast menu at that time.
When Does McDonald’s Start Serving Fries?
McDonald’s starts serving fries at the same time it starts serving its entire lunch menu. This is 10:30 AM on the weekdays and 11:00 AM on the weekends at most locations.
Unfortunately, you can’t order fries during breakfast hours at McDonald’s. From 5:00 AM to 10:30 or 11:00 AM, you’ll have to get some hash browns instead.
Does McDonald’s Serve Chicken Nuggets All Day?
No, McDonald’s does not serve chicken nuggets all day. Chicken nuggets are served during lunch hours, which run from 10:30 AM to closing time on weekdays, and 11:00 AM to closing time on weekends.
At 24-hour locations, you can get chicken nuggets from the end of breakfast time to the beginning of breakfast time the next day. This will usually be from 10:30 AM to 5:00 AM.
Breakfast and lunch hours can vary depending on the location you visit.
McDonald’s Lunch Menu
Here are all of the items on the McDonald’s lunch menu:
- Hamburger
- Chicken McNuggets
- Double Cheeseburger
- Spicy Deluxe Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- Cheeseburger
- Quarter Pounder with Cheese and Bacon
- Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- McDouble
- McChicken
- Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe
- Deluxe Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese
- Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- Quarter Pounder with Cheese
- Filet-O-Fish
- Big Mac
You can also order various combo meals, shakes, desserts, Happy Meals, and McCafe drinks during lunch hours. Sides, including apple slices and fries, are available as well.
What Time Does McDonald’s Start Serving Breakfast?
Although breakfast hours can vary by location, the vast majority of McDonald’s restaurants begin serving breakfast at 5:00 AM.
Breakfast typically continues until 10:30 AM on weekdays and 11:00 AM on weekends. At that point, the lunch menu is available until closing time.
At 24-hour locations, the McDonald’s lunch menu is available until breakfast starts the next day.
Breakfast items include:
- Egg McMuffin
- Sausage Biscuit
- Bacon, Egg, and Cheese McGriddle
- Sausage McMuffin
- Hotcakes and Sausage
- Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McGriddle
- Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit
- Sausage McMuffin with Egg
- Fruit and Maple Oatmeal
- Sausage Biscuit with Egg
- Hotcakes
- Sausage Burrito
- Big Breakfast with Hotcakes (includes a biscuit, sausage, scrambled eggs, hash browns, hotcakes, and a side of butter)
- Hash Browns
- Big Breakfast (includes a biscuit, scrambled eggs, sausage, and hash browns)
- Sausage McGriddle
Why Doesn’t McDonald’s Serve Breakfast All Day?
McDonald’s used to serve breakfast all day. The fast-food chain’s All Day Breakfast initiative began in October of 2015. However, it was discontinued in March of 2020.
The company released a tweet stating that it had stopped All Day Breakfast to make kitchen operations simpler. McDonald’s hoped that its employees would be able to improve their accuracy and speed as a result.
At the time of the tweet, which was posted in July of 2020, McDonald’s explained that it was currently evaluating bringing All Day Breakfast back.
However, as of 2023, it seems the fast-food chain has decided to maintain separate breakfast and lunch hours.
Conclusion
The majority of McDonald’s locations start serving lunch at 10:30 AM until closing time. On the weekends, you can get lunch from 11:00 AM to close.
Twenty-four-hour locations serve lunch from 10:30 or 11:00 AM up until breakfast begins the next day at 5:00 AM.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get lunch items during breakfast hours, and vice versa.
In addition, breakfast and lunch hours can vary depending on the specific restaurant you visit.