Arby's Classic Lemonade

About the Classic Lemonade

The Arby's Classic Lemonade ($2.89) is a three ingredient drink, just lemon juice, cane sugar and water, and a Medium cup has 150 cal. Four cups get poured here: Small, Medium, Large and the jumbo XL, with the starting price on the Small.

Arby's own copy calls the blend perfect, and the short list is the appeal. No syrup flavoring, no fizz, just lemon, sugar and water poured over ice. The color is a pale, cloudy yellow, the look of lemonade made from real juice instead of powder.

The flavor opens tart. Lemon juice hits the sides of your tongue first, then the cane sugar rounds it off so the sip ends sweet and clean. Cane sugar tastes a touch brighter than corn syrup, which keeps the finish from going heavy. Over ice it stays crisp, and as the ice melts the drink softens into something closer to an old fashioned porch lemonade.

This cup fits hot Texas afternoons, kids who do not drink soda, and anyone who wants a cold drink with zero fat on the label. A Medium lists 36 grams of sugar and 10 milligrams of sodium, so it is lighter than a shake but still a sweet drink.

If you track Classic Lemonade calories, size matters more than anything. The figure above covers the Medium, the Small comes in under it, and the Large and XL climb well past it. A Small with extra ice is the simplest way to keep the number down.

We took the Classic Lemonade price from an Austin menu board. Other stores set their own drink prices, so the cup near you can ring up a few cents apart. The value menu also carries a Small Classic Lemonade as its own line item.

What sets it apart from the soda fountain is the honesty of the recipe. Three ingredients, and every one of them is something you would keep in your own kitchen. The full drink lineup, from sweet tea to strawberry lemonade, is on the Arby's drinks menu.

The sharp lemon cuts through rich, cheesy food, so try it with a Ham and Swiss Melt, or pair it with a box of 3 piece Chicken Tenders for a lunch that feels lighter than it is.