When TikTok user and Sonic manager Angel (@undrgrndangel) took to the platform to address the sudden surge in orders for “Mermaid Water,” she probably didn’t expect her video to go viral. But with over 450,000 views and a caption reading “Thank you- tired manager,” Angel’s plea for clarity on the mysterious drink has people buzzing.
In her video, Angel, donning her full Sonic uniform, expressed her exacerbation with a text overlay: “I’m sick of this mermaid water thing. We didn’t create it. Our employees don’t just know how to make it. You have to tell us.” She ended the message with a cheeky smiley face emoji.
“Mermaid Water” references a viral TikTok video that popularized a particular drink order. The clip was posted in July by another TikTok user, Stephanie (@stephaniedreww), who declared it as her “new fave summer treat.”
Stephanie’s video described the concoction as “44oz of water with sugar-free raspberry and peach syrup with cut-up lemons and strawberries.” She confidently stated, “Can confirm the Sonic mermaid water is THE drink of the summer. Catch me drinking this every day.”
The comments section of Angel’s video was a delightful mix of humor, nostalgia, and off-the-menu hype.
One user humorously shared, “I’m seeing this as I wait in the car for my mermaid water I just ordered.”
Others reminisced about their own off-the-menu Sonic favorites. “Caramel Apple shakes were the best, green apple slush mix, caramel, half and half, and ice cream. Working at Sonic had me feeling like Walter White,” a former Sonic worker commented.
Another user quipped, “Once a Sonic employee made me a banana split shake, and I’ve been chasing that high ever since.”
@undrgrndangel Thank you- tired manager #sonic #mermaid #mermaidwater ♬ answering machine – ❀
Fans have even compiled a secret menu list including things like Purple Sprite, Frito Pie, and Dr. Pepper orgasm, which is a mix of Dr. Pepper, Powerade, and Lemonade.
Off-the-menu items have long been a part of fast-food folklore. In-N-Out Burger’s “animal style” burgers and fries are perhaps the most famous example, whispered about at celebrity after-parties and craved by burger junkies nationwide. Even Meghan Markle was seen recently grabbing her favorite special burger from the chain. But as Angel’s video highlights, not every employee is in the loop.
Food service workers have frequently taken to the internet to air their gripes with viral food crazes and urge customers to stop ordering them. When a Five Guys customer went viral showing off the “grilled cheese cheeseburger” they posted online, everyone and their mother flocked to the burger chain in order to get one, even if impassioned pleas from workers implored them to stop. Waffle House customers may also remember the hullaballoo surrounding the “Waffle Sandwich” which saw people dumping a bunch of fixins inside of a Waffle to create their own custom calorie bombs.
So, for those eager to try the latest TikTok-inspired treat, it might be wise to have Stephanie’s recipe on hand when ordering. And for fast-food workers everywhere, it’s clear: TikTok trends might just be the next big thing to hit your menu, whether it’s official or not.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Sonic via email and Angel via TikTok comment.