We ranked double cheeseburgers from 13 fast-food chains to see which one reigns supreme.
7th Street Burger, the smallest chain, blew me away with its saucy smash burger.
I thought In-N-Out's famous Double-Double was great value and undeniably delicious.
Practically every fast-food chain sells a double cheeseburger, but which one is the best?
Burgers remain one of the most popular foods in the US throughout the rest of the year. A 2023 report by Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation found that 79% of Americans order burgers at restaurants at least once a month. And, while chicken tenders may be the hottest fast-food menu item of the coming year, burger chains like McDonald's and Burger King still trump most chicken chains.
Over the years, I've tried practically every fast-food double cheeseburger on the market. For a definitive ranking, I tried double cheeseburgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Shake Shack, White Castle, Whataburger, P. Terry's, Five Guys, Cook Out, Checkers, Sonic, 7th Street Burger, and In-N-Out.
Here's every fast-food double cheeseburger ranked from worst to best.
My least favorite double cheeseburger was from Burger King. It cost me $3.89.
The burger was under $5, but I'm not sure it was worth the price.
It comes with two of the chain's beef patties, American cheese, pickles, mustard, and ketchup on a sesame-seed bun.
It comes with one slice of cheese.
This burger was super filling, but I liked the other burgers I tried more.
Right away, I tasted the thick beef patties. The burger had traveled a little more than 15 minutes from my local Burger King to my apartment, but the meat was still juicy and the cheese nicely melted.
The pickle slices were thick and crunchy, and I enjoyed the sesame-seed bun, which added a nice textural element. But I thought there was just a little too much ketchup, which will likely vary depending on who's making your burger that day.
It was also a little heavy for my liking. It filled me up a little more than I had anticipated before jumping into the rest of the burger comparison. Still, for a burger that costs just under $4, that might be more of an asset than a hindrance if you want a filling, inexpensive lunch.
Next was Wendy's double cheeseburger, which the chain calls a Double Stack. I ordered it for $4.49.
It was about the same price as the burgers from McDonald's and Burger King, though it landed squarely in the middle in terms of value.
A Wendy's double cheeseburger comes with two junior-size hamburger patties, American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and sweet onion.
The toppings looked a little stingy, and they were clustered in the middle of the sandwich. I would have liked to see them more spread out.
The burger bun was fluffy and light, and the toppings had a ton of flavor.
But I had to get a few bites in to reach the toppings in the center.
The toppings themselves were amazing. I thought the pickles were the most flavorful out of the burgers I tried, and I liked the use of an onion ring rather than diced onion, although I would've liked more.
The McDonald's double cheeseburger cost me $5.79.
It was slightly more expensive than Wendy's version but had more toppings. It came with an extra slice of American cheese plus chopped onions, and I thought it was still relatively affordable.
The double cheeseburger from McDonald's comes with two beef patties, pickles, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, and two slices of American cheese.
I was interested to see if the added toppings would amp up the flavor.
I thought the ingredients came together well in this burger, but the bun was a little lackluster.
The bun held everything together and was a good size, but it was a little too soft and didn't have a lot of flavor on its own. But I enjoyed the amount of condiments and didn't find them overpowering.
The chopped onions added a lot of flavor, and the burger patties were juicy despite being thinner than the Burger King ones. I liked the added cheese but didn't think it was necessary.
Next up was the double-meat Whataburger with cheese.
It costs $9 at a Whataburger in Austin, excluding tax and fees.
I ordered it with a large bun, American cheese, grilled peppers and onions, pickles, and ketchup.
The burger was a decent size and I could see the gooey cheese peeking out from underneath the soft potato bun.
Unlike the other double cheeseburgers, this burger had sliced jalapeño peppers that I imagined would add quite the kick.
The ingredients definitely set this burger apart from the others.
I thought the burgers had a delightfully crispy texture to them, and the toppings added a ton of flavor.
The bun was light and fluffy, but I did think the burger patties could have been a little thicker and juicier.
Coming in ninth was the double cheeseburger from P. Terry's Burger Stand, a regional chain I visited in Austin.
The burger cost only $5, making it one of the cheaper burgers I tried.
Despite being less expensive than the Whataburger double cheeseburger, the P. Terry's burger was larger.
I ordered it with pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard, and American cheese.
I again thought the cheese could have been more melted, but the size definitely made up for that small detail.
One of the benefits of ordering from P. Terry's is that you can easily customize your burger and add a number of toppings including grilled onions, the chain's special sauce, tomato, lettuce, and more.
I thought the burgers were juicy and the pickles had a tart crunch to them.
The bun was slightly underwhelming, but I thought it was an excellent, large burger with tons of flavor, especially for the low price. I also thought the mustard really came through and added a lot to the burger.
The double cheeseburger from Shake Shack was the second most expensive burger I tried.
I paid $12.49 for a double cheeseburger. I could customize my toppings, but I went with pickles, onions, and Shack sauce.
Right away, I thought the burger was massive.
The burger patties were perfectly crispy on the outside and covered in gooey melted cheese. The pickles also looked large and homemade. It was even heavy to pick up.
The toppings were generous and the chain's signature Shack sauce, which is a mayo-based sauce with a slight mustard flavor, made it really tasty.
The cheese was thick and perfectly melted.
However, biting into the Shake Shack burger was a little overwhelming, in my opinion.
The burger was huge, which was both an asset and a hindrance. I struggled to get through more than a few bites.
However, despite being the second most expensive burger, I thought it was worth the price. The burger patties were much thicker than the other burgers I tried, and the toppings took it over the edge in terms of flavor.
Overall, I was impressed ... but stuffed.
In seventh place was the double-decker burger with cheese from Checkers.
The burger has since been replaced with the Big Buford, which has all the same ingredients but a bakery-style bun instead of a sesame-seed bun. The burger costs $7.69 at my local Checkers in Brooklyn.
I thought this burger was a little pricey for the size.
It was smaller than my hand, though it did include a variety of toppings like tomato, lettuce, and red onion. The burger also comes with American cheese, dill pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise on a toasted bun.
The burger patties were very juicy and the toppings tasted fresh.
I also thought the American cheese was very tangy and flavorful. Overall, I enjoyed the combination of flavors. However, the price prevented this burger from ranking higher.
I also tried the double cheese slider from White Castle.
White Castle sliders tend to be eaten in pairs, so I ordered two. Each burger cost me $3.55, so I ended up paying $7.10.
The burgers were small but packed with flavor.
The burgers smelled strongly of onions and condiments the second I removed them from the bag.
The amount of toppings on each burger was generous.
The pickles were crunchy and flavorful. Though the burgers each had a bun sandwiched in the middle of the burger, it wasn't too bready — instead, it allowed the flavors to really come together while still being filling.
I was blown away by the cheeseburgers from White Castle, a result I admittedly wasn't expecting.
As the cheapest and smallest burgers, I was expecting them to be a little lackluster. However, I found that good things definitely come in small packages. The onions, condiments, and pickles were flavorful, but it was the beef that really impressed me.
The small-but-mighty burger was one of the most flavorful out of the ones I tried, easy to eat, and perfectly priced.
My fifth-favorite double cheeseburger was from Five Guys.
Five Guys doesn't technically have a "double cheeseburger" — its regular cheeseburgers already come with two slices of cheese and two beef patties.
My burger cost $13.55, excluding taxes and fees, making it the most expensive burger I tried.
I was able to customize my toppings, but I ordered the burger with pickles, grilled onions, ketchup, and mustard.
Right away, I noticed that the toppings were generous. The pickle slices were large, and none of the toppings cost extra to add.
The burger was large without being too intimidating.
I thought it was a perfect size. It required two hands to pick up and eat, but it wasn't as heavy as the burger from Shake Shack. Slices of melted American cheese coated each burger, and there wasn't so much sauce that it dripped out from underneath the sesame-seed buns.
The burger patties were crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside.
I thought the pickle slices were thick, crunchy, and tart. I also really enjoyed the choice of a sesame-seed bun — it added a bit of texture to each and every bite.
The grilled onions also really impressed me. They were soft and almost caramelized, adding a lot of flavor that I didn't get from any other burger.
My fourth-favorite double cheeseburger came from Sonic Drive-In.
The SuperSonic double cheeseburger was the only burger I tried that came with lettuce and tomato. Since this was the default option, I decided to try it with these toppings rather than specifically remove them.
The burger cost me $9.75, excluding taxes and fees.
The burger came with a hearty serving of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, two slices of cheese, diced onions, pickles, mayonnaise, and ketchup.
Unlike Sonic's quarter-pound double cheeseburger, which comes with two junior patties, the full-size burger has a combined half-pound of meat.
The bun was perfectly soft but still held the sauce-covered burger together.
The ingredients tasted fresh and vibrant. The tomato wasn't too watery, the lettuce was crisp, and the burgers tasted well-seasoned and juicy. Plus, the burger was a very generous size.
However, despite all these accolades, I thought the price was a little steep compared to what I got from Cook Out and In-N-Out.
My third-favorite double cheeseburger came from Cook Out, a regional chain I visited in South Carolina.
You can order a "big double" from Cook Out any way you wish, but I ordered mine with cheese, ketchup, mustard, onions, and pickles. It cost me $4.99, not including tax.
The burger came wrapped in foil and featured two juicy patties.
It also had thick slices of fresh onion and large pickle spears layered on top of the burger.
For the price, I thought the burger was out of this world.
The cheese slices were thick and tangy, and the burger was perfectly moist and medium-rare. It was also very large, and, after already eating dinner, I struggled to get through more than a few bites, though I kept wanting to go back for more.
At an amazingly low price, this burger definitely earned the second-to-top spot on my ranking.
My second favorite came from 7th Street Burger, a smaller chain based in New York City.
7th Street Burger is a small chain of quick-service burger restaurants with 19 locations in New York, New Jersey, and Washington, DC.
Since it opened in 2021, the chain has quickly grown a reputation for its no-frills approach to smash burgers, which feature crispy patties, gooey cheese, and the chain's signature sauce.
I ordered a double cheeseburger, which comes with two beef patties, American cheese, onions, pickles, and house sauce on a Martin's potato bun. It cost $9.50, excluding tax and fees.
There wasn't much customization to do for this burger — you can't order it with lettuce or tomato.
However, this burger was perfect exactly as the chain designed it. The burger patties were delightfully crispy on the outside yet managed to stay juicy.
Melted slices of cheese oozed between the two thin, expertly griddled, and charred beef patties, all smothered in the chain's signature sauce, a creamy, tangy take on classic burger sauce.
The burger was served on a pillowy-soft potato roll, which kept things simple.
There were no lettuce or tomato slices to cut through the rich, savory indulgence, but that only added to the burger's savory flavor. I didn't miss the opportunity to customize my burger with additional toppings. It was probably the best smash burger I've ever had.
With pickles and onions to round out the flavor, the double cheeseburger offered a satisfying, nostalgic flavor that elevated the classic smash burger experience.
In my opinion, the best double cheeseburger I tried was the famous Double-Double burger from In-N-Out.
It cost me $4.90, which I thought was an excellent deal for the large burger sitting in front of me. One of the first things I noticed was how thick the burger patties were — they were much thicker than other burgers I tried at a similar price point.
Most Double-Double burgers come with lettuce, tomato, onions, and spread.
To keep my burger similar to the other burgers I tried, I ordered it with onions, pickles, and spread, which I thought tasted similar to Thousand Island dressing.
The first thing I noticed about the In-N-Out burger was how juicy the burger patties were, followed by the incredible layers of cheese.
The cheese slices were perfectly melted and coated each part of the burger, something I couldn't say about any other burger I tried.
The bun was perfectly soft and held everything together perfectly, while the special spread had my mouth watering for another bite.
Of all the burgers I tried, I thought the In-N-Out double cheeseburger packed the most flavor for the best price.
When it came to a double cheeseburger, the West-Coast chain really nailed it. The burger was beyond flavorful, the perfect size, and, in my opinion, very good value for money.
The next time I'm in a state with an In-N-Out, I know where I'll be filling my burger craving.
I tried apple pies from Arby's, KFC, McDonald's, Panda Express, Popeyes, and Taco Bell.
I loved Arby's apple-infused croissant-textured pie.
However, my favorite was the $3.65 caramel apple empanada from Taco Bell.
Year-round, I opt for savory pies. But come fall, I ditch my go-to chicken potpies for the season's staple: apple pie.
When it comes to pies, everyone has their own traditions and favorite flavors, but apples have endured as one of the more popular choices.
Earlier this year, Holiday Calendar, a platform dedicated to holiday lists, analyzed the grocery habits of 12 million Americans and surveyed 4,500 people across 15 states to determine their favorite pie. It found that apple pie consistently ranked in the top five most popular pies across the country. Additionally, in 2022, Instacart revealed that apple pie accounted for over 27% of its pie sales between February 2021 and January 2022, declaring it a clear favorite among the American crowd.
While there's no substitute for the fresh-out-of-the-oven homemade version, on-the-go options served at fast-food chains make for good alternatives.
To find which fast-food chain serves the best apple pie, I tried pies from Arby's, KFC, McDonald's, Panda Express, Popeyes, and Taco Bell and ranked them from my least favorite to my favorite based on flavor, texture, and value.
Here's how every fast-food apple pie ranked.
My least favorite were the Apple Pie Poppers, which were added to KFC menus earlier this year.
A serving of four bite-sized apple pies cost $2.91, excluding tax and fees, at my local KFC in Manhattan, New York. When I tried these in August, the pies also came in a 10-count serving.
The apple pie poppers were only added to KFC's menu in April, so I was excited to try them. KFC's menu no longer lists the apple pies, but it did add a cherry pie version in October. The brand did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Each pastry was about 2 inches long and had slits on one side.
I placed an online order through DoorDash and received my pastries within 14 minutes. Despite the quick delivery, when I opened the packet, the pastries were barely lukewarm and already slightly soggy.
When I tasted them, I thought the ratio of fruit to dough was off, with each popper only holding about two tiny cubes of apple.
Three bites into the tiny pocket pie, I still hadn't gotten the gooey apple taste I love. Instead, I felt like I was eating fried flour.
I thought the four mini pies, which were 340 calories, would be great for groups to share.
While these weren't my favorite apple-pie dessert, I could see how they could be a good snack option because of their size. Given that they came in packs of four or 10, I thought groups might enjoy ordering them.
My fifth favorite was the Apple Pie Roll from Panda Express.
The pie roll cost $2, excluding tax and fees, at a Panda Express I visited in Chicago.
At first glance, it looked like a cross between a pie and a Chinese egg roll.
The chain's first-ever dessert option, introduced in 2023, was created to combine the flavors and textures of an American apple pie and a Chinese egg roll.
It's made using a wonton wrapper and apple filling, topped with cinnamon sugar.
It came hot and crispy straight out of the fryer and had a warm cinnamon smell.
I was impressed with the freshness of this roll and liked that it is always served hot. Before I even took a bite, I could tell the pastry had a nice crunchy exterior.
However, the overpowering cinnamon and sugar coating made this pie roll too sweet for my taste.
A dessert doesn't need to be doused in sugar, but this one was, putting it fifth in my ranking.
However, I loved the crunch of the pastry, and the serving had the fewest calories of all the pies I tried — 150 calories — so it may be a good sweet option for some diners looking for lower-calorie options.
My fourth favorite was Popeyes' Cinnamon Apple Pie.
The cinnamon-coated dessert cost $1.89, without taxes and fees, at the Popeyes I visited in Chicago.
The pie was not as hot as I would've liked, but it had a nice crispy exterior.
Unlike the pies from KFC, this 240-calorie pie has no slits or holes on either side. It comes wrapped with a few fork-like impressions on its corners to prevent the filling from escaping.
I thought this pie had an overpowering cinnamon flavor.
I think spices like cinnamon are less for taste and more for their fragrance — if you add just the right amount, it can be a game changer, but overdo it, as in the case of this Popeyes pie, and it can really throw the whole recipe off-balance.
But I enjoyed its slightly zesty apple filling.
The one thing Popeyes got right was the flavor of its filling, which had just the right hint of lemon and some apple chunks. I'm obsessed with mixing tangy and sweet flavor profiles, and I think it helped this pie stand out from the rest.
My third favorite was Arby's Apple Turnover.
It cost $2.40 at the Arby's I visited in Chicago, excluding tax and fees.
At first glance, I thought the frosting drizzle on top seemed unnecessary.
The turnover came in a regular, white-colored pastry packet with no branding. The basic packaging and the sugary drizzle didn't appeal to me at first, but when I did take a bite, I was pleasantly surprised.
I loved its flaky croissant-like texture and the jam-like apple filling inside.
The inside had the perfect layer of apple filling, which was molten but still a bit thick. It was encased in crisp pastry.
Despite having only one layer of apple filling, this 430-calorie pie did not taste doughy and was well-balanced.
However, it did not have that overall pie feeling. I felt as though I was eating a stuffed croissant.
Most importantly, the apple chunks were missing. The jam-like texture in the filling meant there was a hint of artificialness, which took away from the spirit of the season and the pie for me.
My second favorite was the Baked Apple Pie from McDonald's.
At $1.89 — excluding tax and fees— this apple pie from a Chicago McDonald's was priced similarly to the one at Popeyes.
The pie came in a signature yellow box and was served warm.
First launched in 1968, the brand's apple pie was fried in its early days. Over the years, though, it has undergone several transformations. The most significant of these was the switch from frying to baking in 1992. It's now 243 calories.
I loved that it had a pie-like texture with a lattice on top.
Although the shape of the pie was pretty standard, I was happy to see McDonald's added patterns to the pastry.
It had the perfect tartness, a nice crunch, and big, chunky apple pieces spread evenly throughout.
This pie had the right ratio of apples to dough, and I enjoyed the warm and soft interior and its crispy biscuit-like exterior.
My favorite was Taco Bell's limited-time caramel apple empanada.
At $3.65 — excluding tax and fees— this apple pie from my local Taco Bell in New York, which I ordered via DoorDash, was the most expensive on the list.
The empanada is part of Taco Bell's new limited-time menu, which features fan-favorite items from the past.
Four items have been available since Halloween, but the brand recently added its 2004 hit, the caramel apple empanada.
The empanada was first introduced as part of the brand's Big Bell Value Menu but was discontinued in 2019 until now.
I loved that I could taste the filling right from my first bite.
As soon as I held the pastry's paper sleeve, I noticed how warm it felt. It had remained hot even though I was trying it about 15 minutes after I received it on a cold day.
As I took my first bite, I could immediately taste the warm and velvety filling alongside the crispy pastry. Its freshness stood out, and unlike the other pies I'd tried, this one got to the star of the dish — the filling — right from the start.
Even the apples had a nice tart and juicy crunch to them and paired nicely with the caramel.
All the elements of a pie perfectly align in this one: a warm and creamy filling paired with the crunchiest pastry.
As far as fast-food pies go, this was by far the best I'd tried.
The filling struck a perfect balance and was not overly sweet, and it paired beautifully with the crispy, lightly salted dough. I had every intention of sharing a few bites with a friend but ended up eating the entire pastry myself.
It also felt slightly larger and more satisfying than the other pies on this list, which perhaps explains why it's also the priciest option.
Overall, each pie I tried had a unique flavor profile and varied textures, ranging from crispy and toasted to soft and molten.
But Taco Bell's caramel apple empanada stood out for its well-balanced flavors: a warm, crispy pie with juicy whole chunks of apple complemented by creamy caramel, setting the perfect tone for the cozy days ahead.
Photojournalist Gary He has visited McDonald's restaurants in more than 55 countries.
He dined at McDonald's locations with distinct architecture and unique local integration.
He said the most unique include the McSki in Sweden and a UFO-shaped McDonald's in the US.
Most McDonald's locations around the world follow a familiar design: red and white branding topped with golden arches. But some stand out for their distinct architecture and unique backstories.
In his upcoming book, "McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches," which will be released on November 29, author and photojournalist Gary He captures the essence of some of these locations while explaining what makes each one special.
Since 2019, He has traveled to over 55 countries and dined at more than 100 McDonald's restaurants. When it came to picking his favorite locations, he had clear favorites.
"I wanted to document the more interesting parts of the largest restaurant group in the world," He told Business Insider, emphasizing that the project was an independent undertaking.
Here are five unique McDonald's locations that He recommends fans of the brand must visit.
Nestled in one of Sweden's biggest ski resorts, Lindvallen, this spot offers a unique "ski-thru" experience. It allows skiers to grab a Big Mac without leaving their skis.
The restaurant opened in 1996 and operates daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. during ski season.
"The air is so clean and crisp — it's like being on top of the world," He told BI, adding, "When I visited, it wasn't even busy. It was just me, the McSki, and the mountains. I was just hanging out and enjoying myself."
Getting there isn't easy, though. He said it took him six hours to travel from Stockholm, with three transfers — first, from a train station at Borlänge Centralstation to a bus, and then 48 stops later, another bus — but the journey was worth it.
"The McSki is hands-down the coolest McDonald's I've visited anywhere in the world," He said.
The McDonald's on Dongmen Street in Shenzhen, China
"I really love the Shenzhen location in China," said He, adding, "It was the first McDonald's in China at a time when the country wasn't fully open to American businesses."
The restaurant opened on October 8, 1990, in Shenzhen's special economic zone. On its first day, it welcomed over 40,000 customers despite a seating capacity of 460, the South China Morning Post reported.
The restaurant balances local design with the chain's signature branding. The three-floor building features pagoda-style roofs, integrating traditional Chinese architectural design with the golden arches.
Reflecting on its distinct appearance, He added, "It's pretty epic."
The airplane McDonald's in Taupō, New Zealand
Ever wondered what it's like to enjoy a Big Mac on a static passenger plane? In Taupo, a town in New Zealand, you can.
Named one of the "world's coolest McDonald's," per a sign post, this restaurant is inside a decommissioned DC-3 plane built in 1943. At first, it was used as a passenger plane and then as a crop duster, an agricultural aircraft that sprays pesticides on crops from the air.
In 1984, it was decommissioned and, per Atlas Obscura, became a promotional product in Taupō's Aeroplane Car Company's parking lot until McDonald's bought it in 1990.
"The airplane location in Taupo is iconic," said He.
The UFO-shaped McDonald's in New Mexico, US
A McDonald's in the shape of a UFO is fitting for Roswell, a town known for its rumored alien sightings and extraterrestrial encounters.
The town became popular in 1947 when a mysterious aircraft, which the local newspaper, the Roswell Daily Record, identified as a "flying saucer," crashed into a ranch. Then, in 1980, Stanton Friedman, a former nuclear physicist, came across the 1947 news story and alleged it to be an alien spacecraft, sparking widespread outcry.
Government records later showed the aircraft was a top-secret government surveillance balloon used to detect echoes of Soviet nuclear-testing blasts.
But by then, people were convinced the government was hiding information about alien life, and UFOs had become a mini-industry with several themed attractions, such as the annual UFO festival and a museum, spread across town.
In 2005, a few miles from the crash site, McDonald's opened a restaurant shaped like a spaceship with neon lights.
But He loves the restaurant for more than just its exteriors.
"It has a gift shop," he said, adding, "I mean, it's cool looking, but they have merchandise, which I think is super cool."
The gift shop features Ronald McDonald in a spacesuit and alien statues.
The Méqui1000 in São Paulo, Brazil
He's final favorite is the Méqui1000 in São Paulo, Brazil, a spot that combines playful creativity with historical significance.
"It looks like the White House but decorated as a kindergartner's art project," He said, adding that the restaurant's façade undergoes multiple changes in a year and is usually adorned with vibrant artwork for promotional campaigns.
Méqui1000 also holds cultural significance; it was the 1,000th McDonald's in Brazil, one of 20 nations with over 1,000 McDonald's stores, according to Yahoo Finance.
"It's a huge market and an important location," He said.
The menu here also features items exclusive to Brazil, like the Super Mac, a fully loaded burger with lettuce, tomato, and onion, which is in a contrast to the simpler burgers popular in the US.
"Culturally, Americans want it [their burgers] cheap, fast, and straightforward, but in Brazil and other countries, people want their burgers a little more dressed up," He said.
The Magnífico, another Brazilian favorite, follows this trend with its premium toppings, making Méqui1000 a must-visit for travelers and food enthusiasts alike.
Originally, the McDonald's meal was only supposed to stick around for a month, from the end of June through July. However, the chain first extended the deal through August and then announced in September that it would be around through the end of the year.
Then, in November, the chain announced the value meal would be the centerpiece of a new menu, dubbed the McValue menu, launching in Q1 next year.
I recently tried the $5 Meal Deal and understand why the chain is keeping it around. Here's what I got in the meal and what I thought of each component.
For $5 — give or take a few cents after tax — I was able to get a small Diet Coke, four Chicken McNuggets, a McDouble, and small fries.
If I ordered these items separately at my local McDonald's in New York, it would cost $3.39 for the McDouble, $2.59 for the McNuggets, $2.79 for the fries, and $1.49 for the Diet Coke, which would come out to $10.26 before tax.
The McDouble wasn't the best burger I've ever had, but it was certainly passable.
A McDouble is a hamburger with two patties. It comes with cheese, ketchup, pickles, and onions. The McDonald's website says it should also include mustard, but I didn't taste any or see any.
My biggest issue with the burger was that I thought it was bone-dry. After taking a few bites, I needed to chug my soda.
But even though I didn't love my McDouble, I'm not writing the meal off. I could always get a McChicken as part of the deal instead or try a different location's McDouble burger.
I'm a big McNugget fan, so I was happy to have some in my meal.
The $5 Meal Deal comes with four Chicken McNuggets.
My typical McDonald's order is a medium 10-piece McNugget meal, so I was happy to snack on a few. Even though these ended up not being my favorite nuggets when I compared $5 meal deals from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King — Wendy's has the best nuggets in my opinion — McNuggets are a safe bet.
They have a good texture, the breaded coating isn't too salty or thick, and the nuggets aren't dense at all. These are classic for a reason.
McDonald's fries cannot be beat.
As this photo shows, McDonald's fries were the thinnest of the three chains I tried.
They were also the saltiest, which is the key to tasty french fries, and had the best texture. I thought Wendy's and Burger King's fries were too dense and almost soggy, while McDonald's fries were the perfect amount of crispy.
My McDonald's drink was a good size, especially when compared to other chains' meal deals.
As you can see, the McDonald's and Wendy's sodas — 21 ounces and 20 ounces, respectively — are significantly larger than the 16-ounce drink offered by Burger King, and all three meals are the same price.
I can see why the $5 Meal Deal is driving customers to the Golden Arches.
In a July memo, McDonald's executives wrote that the meal is "meeting the objective of driving guests back to our restaurants."
As Business Insider reported using Placer.ai data, which keeps track of foot traffic at restaurants, there were 8% more visitors to McDonald's on the day the meal deal was introduced back in June — and it was the busiest Tuesday of the year to that point.
That record was broken the following week.
After getting a good amount of food at a considerably lower price, I can see why people love the deal. I correctly predicted back in July that the Meal Deal would be extended and eventually be permanently added to the menu — and in 2025, I'll be proven right.
McDonald's is launching a new value menu to attract budget-conscious customers in the US.
The chain has raised prices in recent years in response to inflation, putting off some customers.
It's now refocusing on value.
McDonald's is preparing to launch its new value menu in the US to win back cash-strapped shoppers.
The chain has touted this new menu in recent earnings calls, saying it plans to roll it out in Q1 next year.
Per Bloomberg, the new platform will be dubbed McValue and includes its $5 meal deal launched in June — a bundle including a McDouble or McChicken sandwich, four Chicken McNuggets, a small order of fries, and a small soft drink.
It will also include a new offer where customers can buy one item and get another for $1, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
McDonald's did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment.
The fast-food chain has struggled in recent months as it raised prices in response to inflation, which put off some customers and hurt sales.
Global same-store sales were down 1.5% in its third quarter, following a 1% slide in the previous quarter.
The company has been sounding the alarm on the struggles of lower-income consumers for some time and said that value will be key to winning these diners back.
It has also had to recover from backlash from an E. coli outbreak linked to slivered onions served on its Quarter Pounders hamburgers. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 100 people across 14 states were infected; 34 were hospitalized, and one died.
It is unclear how the outbreak might affect fourth-quarter sales. But McDonald's is investing $100 million to regain trust, per a memo sent to employees seen by CNN.
$35 million of the investment is going toward marketing, including a value deal centering on the chain's chicken nuggets, and $65 million will be spent on the franchisees that were worst affected by the outbreak, it said.
I tried the biggest burgers at McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, In-N-Out, and Shake Shack.
Shake Shack's burger was a little overwhelming, in my opinion.
Burger King's Triple Whopper impressed me with its flame-grilled patties and fresh toppings.
The biggest burgers at fast-food chains are usually among the more expensive menu items, but which burger is worth that extra cost?
Fast-food costs are a hot topic. Hikes in fast-food prices and "shrinkflation" — a phenomenon in which customers claim menu items are getting smaller while either remaining the same price or costing more — are upsetting customers, and chains are coming out swinging with meal deals aimed at luring customers back. Yet, as some chains see declines in sales, brands are also thinking beyond limited-time promotions.
"We're thinking about value," Wendy's CFO Gunther Plosch said in October, Business Insider reported. "We absolutely believe that value in an environment of value-seeking consumers is not about only executing price-pointed promotions and value deals and value bundles — there's more to that."
In a bid to find out which chain offered the best value on its bigger-ticket items, I recently compared six of the largest burgers sold at fast-food chains. I tested burgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, In-N-Out, and Shake Shack to see how they stacked up in terms of taste, price, and overall value.
Shake Shack's double cheeseburger was a little too heavy for my liking, while Wendy's and Burger King both impressed me with their triple-stacked burgers.
Here's how the biggest burgers at five fast-food chains ranked, from worst to best.
Shake Shack's double cheeseburger, my personal least favorite, was particularly large.
It cost me $12.49, not including tax, making it the most expensive burger I tried. I chose pickles, onions, and Shack sauce as my toppings.
The burger patties were perfectly crispy on the outside and covered in gooey melted cheese.
The pickles were large and crunchy, and the amount of other toppings was generous. The chain's signature Shack sauce also added a lot of flavor, and the cheese was perfectly melted.
However, the burger was almost too heavy to pick up.
Biting into the Shake Shack burger was a little overwhelming, in my opinion.
I know I purposefully ordered the largest burger on the menu, but this burger was massive. I saw it as a hindrance rather than an asset, and I struggled to get through more than a few bites.
Despite being the most expensive burger, I'm not sure it was worth it. The burger patties were much thicker than quite a few of the other burgers I tried, and the toppings definitely enhanced the flavor. However, it was simply too big, to the point where it tasted like a giant meat-and-cheese grease-bomb.
My second-to-least favorite burger was a classic: a McDonald's Big Mac.
I was conflicted over whether the biggest burger at McDonald's was the Big Mac — which is physically the largest thanks to the extra bun — or the Double Quarter-Pounder, which is the burger with the most meat. I decided to try both to appease both sets of McDonald's fans who argue for one over the other.
A Big Mac cost me $7.29 at my local McDonald's, excluding tax.
There was a generous layer of pickles, lettuce, and sauce on the sandwich.
The burger patties weren't overwhelming, nor was the sandwich as a whole. I also liked the tangy, creamy Big Mac sauce. However, I thought the added bun made the sandwich taste too much like bread and the other flavors were slightly lost, in my opinion.
The sandwich was a good size and very filling, but I wasn't crazy about the flavor profile.
I simply wanted more flavor happening. Between the extra bun and the generous serving of Big Mac sauce, that was all I could taste. Tomato, cheese, or simply other condiments might have taken the sandwich to the next level.
The 4x4 is the largest burger available at In-N-Out.
The burger, which is on In-N-Out's "not-so-secret" menu, is also referred to as the "Quad Quad," and comes with four beef patties, four cheese slices, lettuce, tomato, spread, and the option to add onions. It cost $9.49, excluding tax and fees.
The giant burger was difficult to hold in one hand, let alone bite into.
The burger was far too large for me to eat in one sitting, though the flavor made me want to.
All of the elements of the burger were delicious, from the juicy beef patties to the layers of cheese and fresh lettuce and tomato.
However, the additional burger patties ended up detracting from the burger's overall ranking instead of enhancing it. The burger was overwhelmingly heavy, with the tomato and lettuce failing to offset the excessive amount of meat and cheese.
The buns couldn't contain the juicy beef patties, and they started disintegrating as I ate the burger. Truthfully, I wouldn't order this again. Although it was tasty, the amount of meat was just too much for me.
I also tried McDonald's Double Quarter-Pounder with cheese. I preferred it over the Big Mac.
Looking at the burger in the box, I immediately noticed that it had more meat than the Big Mac. The meat was clearly the star of the show, with the other toppings barely visible beneath the patties and bun.
The burger cost me $9.79, excluding tax. I thought this was a fair price for the meat-heavy burger.
The Double Quarter-Pounder with cheese comes with a whopping half-pound of meat, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard.
I found this burger to be pretty flavorful, especially thanks to the condiments and large slices of crunchy pickles. However, I wasn't crazy about the bun — while I normally love a sesame-seed bun, I found this one to be pretty bland, airy, and artificial-tasting.
I would order this burger again.
Despite having a lot of meat, the burger didn't feel too overwhelming to eat. I thought it was a realistic sandwich, especially compared to the gigantic burgers from Shake Shack and In-N-Out.
The second-best burger I tried was Wendy's Dave's Triple.
When I arrived at my local Wendy's drive-thru, this extra-large burger wasn't even on the menu. However, thanks to my online research, I knew it could be made and decided to order it anyway. I did wonder how popular this sandwich was, and if many people opt for the triple-patty burger.
The Dave's Triple burger cost $11.24, excluding tax.
Wendy's Dave's Triple burger comes with nearly a pound of beef, American cheese, crisp lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, mayo, and onion.
The sandwich was difficult to pick up, but all of the ingredients appeared to be well-balanced. There was a large serving of tomatoes, pickles, and cheese, so it didn't look like the beef patties would be overpowered.
I thought this burger had a ton of flavor. The cheese was perfectly melted, and the patties were super juicy.
While I personally couldn't finish the entire thing, I definitely thought the flavors were there and it was a good value for the price.
If I were to change one thing, it would be to remove the mayonnaise. It ended up mixing with the juice from the tomatoes in an unappetizing way, creating a tomato-mayo sauce that I thought brought the other flavors down.
My favorite burger I tried was the Triple Whopper with cheese from Burger King.
Similar to the Dave's Triple, the Triple Whopper also comes with three quarter-pound beef patties, although the ones at Burger King are flame-grilled. The burger cost me $11.29, excluding tax, making it the second-most expensive burger I tried.
Unlike the other burgers, the Triple Whopper only comes with one slice of cheese.
However, I felt that this allowed the other flavors to really come through, and it led to a less gut-filling, more appetizing eating experience.
The lettuce, tomatoes, and onions all tasted fresh, and they added a delicious crunch to the burger.
I also liked the beef patties on this burger the most out of the ones I tried.
The burger patties had a smoky, savory flavor that made the sandwich taste fresh off the grill. I also thought the patties' shape, which were larger in circumference but flatter than some of the other burgers, made the sandwich easier to eat.
Overall, I really enjoyed this burger and would definitely order it again — if I have the appetite.
While I'm not sure I'm happy to pay more than $10 for any fast-food burger, it was a very generous serving and the most flavorful out of the bunch, without being overwhelmingly huge.