Hack That Dish: Fantastic Famous Food Forgeries and Secret Tricks You Can Use to Copy Any Dish

by Todd Wilbur

From popular copycat recipe developer and bestselling author Todd Wilbur comes a brand-new book of favorite dishes readers can recreate right in their own homes—and learn the secrets to creating delicious dupes of their own!

America’s #1 food hacker is here to help anyone looking to recreate their favorite drinks, dishes, and desserts right at home. Todd Wilbur is a one-man culinary cover band who identifies and decodes America’s favorite restaurant dishes and beloved brand-name foods, so you can make perfect copies at home.

No matter what you’re craving—from fast food breakfast staples to fast casual meals to sweet treats from the candy aisle—you won’t have to leave home or break the bank to satisfy your appetite. Todd’s got you covered with step-by-step recipes for favorites such

-McDonald’s Bacon Egg & Cheese McGriddles
-Chick-fil-A Spicy Deluxe Chicken Sandwiches
-Maggiano’s Mozzarella Marinara
-On The Border Enchiladas
-Crumbl Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk Cookies
-And so much more!

With Todd’s expert advice and entertaining experiences figuring out how to recreate all of these foods, you’ll learn how to hack dishes on your own. The secret’s out and you’ll be whipping up all your favorites at home in no time!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 28, 2026

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many recipes that I can't wait to try here. I am very excited for the dupe for the Starbucks pink drink recipe. I've looked for one before, and they only say buy the mix from Starbucks. This one you don't have to buy anything from them, which is amazing. I haven't had a pink drink in so long :)

Also, the spinach & artichoke dip from Applebee's and just so many more recipes.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copy cat recipes are some of my absolute favorites! I hate going to a restaurant and loving something and not being able to recreate it, such a bummer! There are some great copy cats in here but the ones I am most excited to try are for Maggianos Little Italy, I love that restaurant but as a mom of 3 it's just not a place I have the time or patience to frequent often.... if you know, you know!!

Some other contenders that I can't wait to try are Applebee's Chicken Wonton Tacos, Zesty apple dressing Chickfila, Chipotle Tomatillo salsa and a few more!

I can't vouch for if these taste just as good yet, but they definitely look promising.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Netgalley ARC- Wilbur's stuff is typically good and this wasn't an exception. I had a couple issues, one there wasn't a lot about how he hacks the actual recipes. I think it would be interesting to read about his process for each recipe (plus there's plenty or white space on the page). Second, there wasn't nearly enough photos and I think for hacking purposes and for those who aren't familiar with the restaurant might want to see the finished dish. Overall there were some gems Applebees, Olive Garden) in there that I'll try for sure.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: *Hack That Dish* by Todd Wilbur

Rating: 4 Stars

As a huge fan of copycat recipes, I was pretty excited to dive into Todd Wilbur’s *Hack That Dish: Fantastic Famous Food Forgeries and Secret Tricks You Can Use to Copy Any Dish*. Wilbur, known as America’s #1 food hacker, brings his signature knack for recreating beloved restaurant dishes and brand-name favorites right into your kitchen with this latest offering.

The book is packed with step-by-step recipes that let you whip up iconic dishes like McDonald’s Bacon Egg & Cheese McGriddles, Chick-fil-A Spicy Deluxe Chicken Sandwiches, Maggiano’s Mozzarella Marinara, and even Crumbl’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk Cookies. What I really appreciated was how the book goes beyond just recipes — Todd shares entertaining stories and insights into the origins of these popular dishes and how he figured out their secrets.

There’s also a handy section that breaks down the process of hacking a restaurant dish yourself. It’s a simple but effective approach: make the recipe, tweak it, and try again until you nail it. While I found this advice practical, I was hoping for a bit more depth on the “secret tricks” promised in the subtitle, especially when it comes to adapting recipes for dietary restrictions. As someone who often tweaks recipes to suit my family’s needs, I felt like I had to do a fair bit of hacking on Todd’s hacks.

One minor downside for me was the scarcity of photos — more visuals would have been really helpful — and the absence of nutritional information left me wishing for a bit more detail to balance indulgence with health awareness.

Overall, *Hack That Dish* is a fun, approachable guide that’ll inspire anyone who loves to recreate restaurant favorites at home. It’s entertaining and informative, with plenty of recipes I can’t wait to try. I’m giving it 4 stars — a solid addition to anyone’s kitchen library, especially if you enjoy a good culinary challenge.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has read Wilbur‘s and other copycat cookbooks for years, there are five good reasons to read them ––

1. To save money from buying them in restaurants.
2. To get favorite dishes that you can’t otherwise get, such as when you move away or the restaurant discontinues the item.
3. To make healthier versions of beloved dishes.
4. To make versions of beloved dishes that meet your dietary needs like a vegetarian or gluten free version.
5. Just for fun/bragging rights.

This, like all of his books, is great for those who want them for reasons 1, 2 and 5. Sadly, it falls short for those of us who want the recipes for health and dietary reasons. While he does give some recipes that use real foods instead of imitation ones, most of the recipes call for MSG and many of them call for buying ultraprocessed foods like pudding mix, energy drinks, artificial flavors and cake mix. It is ironic that he tells us how to make egg roll wrappers from scratch one minute and then calls for buying boxed and bottled products the next.

I was also hoping he would go into more of the promised tricks for hacking recipes yourself, and how to adapt recipes for special dietary needs. I do this myself all the time, but it would be great if I didn’t have to completely hack his hacks to feed my family.

Lastly, there are not nearly enough photos and there isn’t any nutritional information. If I didn’t love copycat recipes so much, I would have knocked off another star for those drawbacks.

This isn’t my favorite in the series, but there are some new recipes. Keep in mind that they are typically a lot of work, but if you enjoy this kind of hack it’s a good addition.

Read via netgalley.

[Little Batties · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good hacked dish like the next person, and this cookbook by Todd Wilbur has plenty of choices from big food chains and companies. It is something that I am sure will delight those who love the dishes in this book and would like to recreate them at home.

One of the major issues I had with this book is that it didn't take into account where people might be regionally. There were restaurants and chains that I haven't heard of a day in my life. The descriptions of the dishes and the place that created them didn't help with that. While the author clearly put some thought into the descriptions of each dish, it only gave you an idea of what you will be working towards and that's it.

The recipes themselves were, at times, convoluted. They are written with simple language that, for the most part, the average person will understand. However there are a lot of steps that need to happen to hack the dish, which may not be what people are looking for. Typically, a hacked dish is supposed to be a little easier and, in a lot of cases, this is not the case in his book. There are some recipes in this book that makes it feel like it it would be easier just to go to the restaurant then to recreate it yourself.

Lastly, this cookbook really needed more photos of the dishes. There are not many in this book, and it would have be nice to have them. For people like me, who live no where near these chains, it would be nice to know what I am visually working towards. The visuals would also break up the overwhelming walls of text and instructions for each dish.

While this feels like I ripped through this book, it is still has recipes that people will enjoy. Those who wish to try it would just need to keep in mind that you'll need to be patient and carve out the time to hack the dish if you want to try a certain recipe.

Thank you NetGalley and Adams Media for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sadie E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

I love copycat recipes and this book didn't disappoint. Watching the author figure out how to recreate things at home is kind of magical.

First off: this book is very American. Applebee’s, Chick-fil-A, Cracker Barrel… but even though I didn't know half of them, it didn't lessen my enjoyment.

I loved the little histories of the restaurants and how certain recipes came to be. Maybe if you’ve eaten at these places your whole life you won’t be blown away, but I was hooked. Fried wonton tacos?? Bacon candy?? Chicken and waffle sandwich?? Yes, yes, and yes.

There’s also a whole section on “how to hack a restaurant dish” for yourself. In reality, it just comes down to: make it, make it again, make it one more time. But it still works, and I love seeing someone else’s thought process. Reverse engineering food is its own little thrill.

Recipe-wise… oh my. I made the cajun fries last night and it was basically a religious experience. Country fried steak is on next week’s menu. Cannoli cake? I’m doing that this weekend. Fried chicken looks unreal. After ages of trying to nail KFC-style fried chicken (I'm almost there!), this recipe looks pretty dang close. And the shortbread's delightfully authentic. Most recipes get carried away and start adding a heap of unnecessary ingredients, but this one's simple and exactly what you’d expect from a proper Scottish kitchen.

This isn’t fine dining or seasonal experiments; it’s pure, joyful, “I want that exact thing I had at the drive thru yesterday” cooking. It’s chaotic, nostalgic, funny, and practical all at once.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Adams Media for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Hack That Dish is very much like the author’s previous works (Top Secret Recipes); included in this book are some lesser-known restaurants, at least here in Wisconsin. There were quite a few items that I may not have necessarily had in-store but was interested in the recipes. However, every recipe I was interested in turned out that they had to be deep fried to achieve the closeness of the restaurant food. I personally wish that there was a way to make these recipes healthier, but I also realize that’s not the purpose of the book.

Some of the recipes that I was interested in and generally speaking do not include deep frying include:

Carrabba’s Italian Grill’s Cannoli Cake for Two
The Cheesecake Factory’s Chicken Piccata
Chick Fil A’s
Spicy Deluxe Chicken Sandwich
Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Chipotle’s Chicken al Pastor
Little Caesar’s Crazy Puffs and Sauce
Olive Garden’s Chicken Tortilla Soup
Pizza Hut’s Creamy Italian Dressing
Overall, a good book with a few interesting recipes, although as I’ve said before, there are quite a few restaurants mentioned that have not made their way to NE Wisconsin.

[Karalee Shotola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hack That Dish includes 101 copycat recipes from a variety of restaurants and brands. The cookbook begins with a brief introduction and tips on how to hack your own recipes. Each recipe includes an introduction to the dish, an ingredient list, numbered directions, prep time, and difficulty level. The recipes also include a top secret hack, which I thought was great. However, only a third of the recipes have photos. I do think the lack of photos is a misstep because not everyone will be familiar with the dish from the restaurant or brand. Furthermore, photos let people see what the finished hacked version looks like and if they are on the right track when making the recipe. That said, I did find some recipes I would like to try, including the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Crumbl, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno from Olive Garden, Creamy Italian Dressing from Pizza Hut, Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies from Subway, and the Meximelts from Taco Bell. Overall, I do think Hack That Dish is a good cookbook if you are looking for copycat recipes or inspiration on what to make, but the lack of photos does bring the cookbook down.

Thank you NetGalley for sending this book for review.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all Todd Wilbur's books it has tons of copycats of famous recipes. And you won't just find restaurant food here -- he includes recipes for copying Butterfinger bars, Bubble Pops, Fruit Roll-ups and more. One of the awesome aspects of his recipes is that he leaves out all the weird chemicals that show up in all processed (and most restaurant) food. When you're making the food for yourself you just don't need all those preservatives and shelf stabilizers, and your diet will be way healthier without them!

I knocked off a star because Wilbur didn't go into as much detail as I hoped on his overall hacking strategies. Based on the cover description I was expecting a substantial amount of info on how to hack recipes myself, but what I got was three pages describing his typical hacking process and a few clues sprinkled through the recipe pages.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advance copy of this book.

[Penmouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hack That Dish by Todd Wilbur gives cooks the opportunity to whip up restaurant quality recipes thanks to Wilbur's faithful hacking of popular recipes. The reason why I love Wilbur's recipes is they give me the opportunity to eat well at home while saving money. I also live in the middle of a desert and there's few restaurants like the Cheesecake Factory, Applebee's, California Pizza Kitchen, Chick-fil-A, IHOP or Cracker Barrel. If we want to eat recipes like that, I'm the one using Wilbur's recipes to create those meals. I was not disappointed with Hack That Dish as the author included recipes from a lot of the places we'd like to eat at or would like to try. I plan to give his recipes a try as it's fun as we like eating out while eating in.

Review written after receiving an ARC from NetGalley and Adams Media

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hack That Dish is another fun cookbook by the copycat king, Todd Wilbur. He gives us his make at home versions of dishes from favorite restaurants plus some grocery store items that many people buy. You can find recipes for pizza, taco seasoning mix, lollipops, pasta, cake, hamburgers and more. Really, this is a great basic cookbook with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack recipes. The recipes are easy to follow with basic instructions. The ingredients are mostly things found in common pantries. There are gorgeous full-color photographs of many of the dishes. I would recommend this cookbook for anyone who likes to cook and loves to eat.

I received a free advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than just a recipe book, this book gives you the tips and tricks to hack your own favorite dishes as well. Beginning with the recipes, you'll find everything from your favorite chicken sandwich to a recipe to create your own Butterfingers, and everything in between. The book goes over a brief introduction of the author, how he got his start, what he did, and then dives into you doing it yourself. Tips include how to break down dishes so you can recreate them, kind of spy on your restaurants kitchen (if possible), and various aspects on what you'll need to keep in mind when trying to copycat your favorite dishes. Excellent read, great gift for the foodie in your life too.

I received an advanced reader copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Anastey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Todd Wilbur for sending me this advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a really fun cookbook!

The recipes were well written and easy to follow. Most of the recipes take ingredients that are easy to find at most grocery stores. The photos are nice too. I made the Manwich sauce and while it didn't taste exactly the same, it was fairly close and tasted really good.

I think this would be a great book if you like to have friends over, and there are a ton of really good party foods. I also can't wait to try some of the other recipes like the McDonalds Mcgriddles, and the Dole Whip recipes

Overall this is a really neat cookbook, and has a great variety of foods in it.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Todd Wilbur’s name is synonymous with copycat recipes, so I knew this cookbook would be pretty good, and I was not disappointed. Wilbur has everything from the Cheesecake Factory’s Chicken Piccata and Panda Express’ Chow Mein to Starbuck’s Pink Drink and Cracker Barrel’s Country Fried Steak to Brach’s Candy Corn and Charms’ Blow Pop. Whew!

I also love how Wilbur tells cooks how to make dishes that are either being phased out (like Pizza Hut’s Creamy Italian Dressing) or already gone (Manwich’s Original Sloppy Joe recipe). A must-read!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Adams Media in exchange for an honest review.

[OutlawPoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nicely done cook book.

The recipes are plentiful and easy to follow - resulting in dupes of your favorite meals!

My one complaint is that it needs photos of everything. I really, truly wanted photos of everything. The thing is that there were a lot of regional restaurant meals and I either hadn't heard of them or hadn't ever been there. I wanted to know what those foods looked like.

I've tried a few recipes and they were very good and very true to the originals.

Will I use this all the time? No...I'm tired. But it's fun and when I have a little energy, I'll pull this out

[Tam Sesto · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part to this cookbook was the chapter on recipe hacking. The author gives you step by step instructions on devising a copy cat recipe. Many restaurants and their recipe hacks are included. Some examples include Applebees Chicken Wonton Tacos, Gino’s East Deep Dish Pizza, and Popeyes Ghost Pepper Wings. I made the Manwich hack, which was good; not an exact copy, but very close. The recipe was easy to follow and quick to make. I do wish there had been pictures for every recipe, but the ones that were there were nice shots.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25*

A great resource for making copies of popular restaurant dishes at home. Not only does it feature a bevy of restaurant recipes, it also helps you experiment at home trying to recreate dishes. The recipes are well planned out with simple steps. Each recipe is given a difficulty rating as well as time required. I find these components helpful when planning. The pictures of the at home dishes are appetizing.

Thank you @netgalley and @adams_media for giving me access to a eARC. I really enjoyed it.

[Tammy Buchli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Wilbur’s books from back in the day, and his short-lived TV series, too. So, I was excited to see this new volume pop up. The format is very similar to his previous books: a little history of the restaurant or brand, then a little discussion of the dish, then the recipe. This book also included tips on hacking recipes on your own - handy in case I ever decide to do that (which I’m sure I’ll be too lazy to do, unfortunately). One thing I did miss from the earlier books was the cool drawings/ schematics that used to be featured with each recipe.

[Melanie Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hack That Dish presents 101 copycat recipes from over 60 famous chain restaurants and brands including appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts and candy. The recipes are easy to make and well-tested. Each recipe is ranked for difficulty and includes prep time, the number of servings and a brief summary of the process it took to replicate.
I wish the book had more color photos other than the few it does have. It is a fun and tasty resource for replicating some of the food industry's most popular recipes.
I received an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Ro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hack That Dish is such a fun and useful cookbook! Todd Wilbur does a great job breaking down famous restaurant favorites into easy, doable recipes. I tried a couple of the ‘copycat’ dishes and was surprised how close they tasted to the originals. His tips make the recipes approachable for any home cook. It’s a great pick if you love experimenting in the kitchen or want to recreate your favorite meals at home.

[Dawn Probert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loads of great recipes to browse and try.
Being in the UK and never having been to USA I have no comparison to the “real” items.
This will be great to try from. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Robin Augustine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting idea and some interesting recipe hacks. Not enough photos and most of the recipes have a lot of steps. My son who loves cooking called this more of an advertisement for the restaurants. Thanks to Net galley for the ARC.

[Danielle Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

Another great cookbook full of favorite restaurants food. With easy hacks to make your cooking taste just like your favorites. I'm drooling now. Though it could use a few more pictures.

[LittleRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned something new with this book. Quite a few tricks actually. I’m always trying to recreate things we have out, lightening them at times for my tastes, and some of the tips in here are excellent.

Enjoy and get your own hack on!

[Thebestdogmom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a nice book. So many fun recipes to try. I know I’ll be making a few of my restaurant favorites at home!

[Kristen Barenthaler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love getting to enjoy my favorite restaurant dishes at home! Some of my absolute favorites are contained within this book!

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todd Wilbur’s Hack That Dish is an engaging, well‑organized cookbook that delivers exactly what fans of restaurant copycat recipes crave. The table of contents is grouped by restaurant and dish, making it easy to jump straight to favorites such as:

Applebee’s Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Jason’s Deli Irish Potato Soup
Lazy Dog Crispy Deviled Eggs
P.F. Chang’s Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
Panda Express Blazing Bourbon Chicken
Walkers Shortbread
The book even includes a helpful tutorial on how to “hack” recipes yourself—a fun and empowering addition for home cooks who want to go beyond the provided dishes.

Each recipe includes background information on the restaurant that inspired it, clearly highlighted ingredient lists, and numbered step-by-step instructions. I especially appreciated the “Top Secret Hack Sheet” and “Field Notes,” which add depth, guidance, and behind-the-scenes insight into the recreation process. Many recipes also feature beautifully plated photos of the finished dish.

The layout is exceptionally user-friendly. Prep time, difficulty level, and serving size are all clearly labeled, making planning effortless. Overall, this is a very well-designed cookbook that is easy to read, easy to use, and packed with clever culinary inspiration.

My only suggestion would be to include more photos—because the ones that are included are gorgeous, and additional images would only enhance the experience.

A fantastic cookbook. Buy the hard copy and display it proudly in your kitchen.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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