Before I visited, I expected to be able to order the chain's Really Big Meal Deal, which costs $9.99 and includes the choice of a classic bacon cheeseburger or chicken sandwich, a drink, and bottomless fries.

However, the deal wasn't advertised or available at the location I visited when I went in early March. My server, however, did tell me about the chain's lunch deal, which was similar.

For $12.99, plus tax, I got the choice of a cheeseburger or the chain's bacon ranch chicken sandwich, fries, and a refillable drink. The deal is available at participating locations Monday through Friday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and is only available with dine-in service.

The Diet Coke was crisp and complemented the rest of my meal.

At the same location, the chicken sandwich typically costs $16.99, excluding tax. The deal cost $12.99 and also included a drink, which I thought made this meal good value.

The chicken sandwich also included pickles and shredded lettuce on a brioche bun.

The chicken's breading lacked the crunch I typically look for in a chicken sandwich, though the pickles and ranch dressing did increase the moisture and flavor.

The chicken breast itself was thick and moist, though the bacon strips were just slightly overdone for me. Some people love their crispy bacon, but I like my bacon to have just a touch of chewiness.

Overall, this meal didn't taste bad and was a decent value — I'd even order it again the next time I'm at Applebee's.

However, I thought it didn't compare to the meal I received from Chili's.

The meal deal starts at $10.99 and includes the choice of a beverage, a starter, and a variety of entrées.

The chain's crispy chicken sandwich was included in the cheapest tier of the meal deal, so I opted for that. Other options at the $10.99 price point included the chain's OldTimer burger with cheese or the chain's Big Smasher burger.

I appreciated the ability to upgrade my meal with a different appetizer, like the chain's Dip Trio, or choose an upgraded entrée for a few dollars more.

The $10.99 meal deal came with a fountain drink, lemonade, or iced tea.

However, for $3.99 more, I could upgrade my drink to a classic or frozen margarita or opt for the "margarita of the month" for $6 more.

I decided to upgrade my drink choice to a classic margarita to see if it was worth the extra few dollars. The margarita was perfectly sweet and salty and enhanced my dining experience overall.

The chips were thin and crispy and paired well with the chain's salsa. Before my entrée even came, I was nearly full thanks to the bottomless appetizer.

I could have easily shared this with other people, which made the meal deal feel like even better value if you're dining out with friends or family.

The chicken sandwich typically cost $14.49 at my local Chili's in Brooklyn, New York.

By ordering through the meal deal, I saved nearly $4 and also received an appetizer and drink.

"The amount of food that you get is unbeatable, especially with the bottomless chips and salsa and bottomless drink," George Felix told Business Insider of the chain's signature meal deal, adding that the chain is also focused on providing great service and food quality.

"When you take all of that in totality, we're really confident that it's the best value in the industry," he said.

The chicken breast was fried to crunchy perfection, and bits of fried goodness practically spilled out of the sandwich. Judging by its appearance alone, I couldn't wait to bite in.

After biting in, waves of salty, briny flavor hit my tastebuds. The chicken sandwich was perfectly crunchy and crispy but still moist, thanks to the chicken breast and generous serving of mayonnaise on both buns.

The fries were also well-seasoned and paired well with the sandwich, though after the bottomless chips and salsa, they weren't even necessary.

For the price point, I couldn't believe the amount of food I received at Chili's. I also liked the ability to expand and upgrade my meal — I simply had way more options at Chili's.

However, in my opinion, the actual taste of the food clinched Chili's win.

While I did enjoy the bacon and ranch chicken sandwich from Applebee's, I personally preferred the taste of the classic crispy chicken sandwich from Chili's, which crunched with every bite.

The winner was clear: For a few dollars more, I could upgrade my drink to a salty margarita, and fill up on bottomless chips and salsa before my meal even arrived, making Chili's 3-For-Me the better value.

I ordered the burger as part of the chain's "2 for $2X" deal, which also allowed me to get an order of boneless wings and a chicken tender basket.

However, the burger typically costs $16.99, excluding tax, at the location I visited in Brooklyn, New York.

This year, Applebee's teamed up with the NFL as the league's official grill and bar partner, recognizing overlap between their customer base and NFL viewers.

"We know our guests are football fans," Applebee's chief marketing officer Joel Yashinsky told Business Insider, adding, "This season, we've been all in on the NFL."

Data collected by Applebee's in April showed that 64% of its guests were interested in or very interested in the NFL, and around 34% had watched the NFL in the past year, which helped shape the chain's strategy for the football season, Yashinsky said.

The burger patty's exterior was noticeably dark, initially making me worry that it had been overcooked beyond the medium level I had requested.

However, to my surprise, it was incredibly juicy and even leaned slightly toward medium-rare.

The thick slices of red onion added a lot of bold, tangy flavor, as well as a delightful amount of crunch to each bite. I also thought the lettuce and tomato slices tasted fresh.

Although this burger didn't come with any sauce, it was still moist, thanks to the melted cheese and a buttery bun.

I ordered the All-American Cheeseburger at my local Buffalo Wild Wings in Brooklyn, New York. It cost $14.49, excluding tax.

I typically regard Buffalo Wild Wings as a chicken chain, known for its traditional and boneless wings, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this classic cheeseburger.

The All-American Cheeseburger came with two beef patties, American cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, and pickles.

Each patty had a crispy exterior and was generously coated in gooey, melted cheese.

It differed slightly from the Applebee's burger in that it already came pre-topped with mayonnaise and mustard, adding even more moisture to this juicy burger.

The mayonnaise and mustard added extra moisture and flavor to this burger, but honestly, it didn't even need it.

It felt like an upgraded take on a classic fast-food cheeseburger, instantly transporting me back to childhood with its fresh toppings, crispy beef patties, and perfectly melted, tangy cheese.

The second patty made a noticeable difference in making this burger even more filling and juicy, elevating the overall experience. And at just under $15, it was also an excellent value.

This location is locally owned and operated, so it is not included in the larger company's bankruptcy filing.

TGI Fridays Inc. owns 39 locations in the US, but there are 122 franchised locations in the US and 316 franchised international locations that are not included in the bankruptcy filing.

The soda at TGI Fridays was roughly the same size as the drink from Chili's and Applebee's. It cost $3.29, plus tax.

TGI Fridays also offered a cocktail menu, but it didn't seem as central to the brand as the margaritas for Chili's and Applebee's.

Chili's and Applebee's both advertised their drinks on prominently placed menus on the dining table, while TGI Fridays just had the regular cocktail section inside its standard menu.

Chili's and Applebee's also emphasized new, seasonal cocktails. Chili's offered a seasonal margarita of the month for $6, making the restaurants feel more playful.

The wings at TGI Fridays didn't come in a house Buffalo sauce but rather were tossed in Frank's Red Hot Buffalo sauce.

The order of eight wings cost $12.19, plus tax, which was cheaper than the wings from Chili's and Applebee's. These wings also came with a side of sliced celery sticks.

I was given a selection of drumsticks and flats in the order. However, while these wings were perfectly meaty and crispy on the outside, the sauce didn't blow me away.

These wings tasted like standard Frank's Red Hot sauce, just like countless others I've had before, with nothing unique or exciting to set them apart.

The cheeseburger includes all the classic toppings: tomato, lettuce, American cheese, red onion, and pickles.

While there's no sauce on the burger by default, ketchup is available on every table, and you could easily ask for mustard or ketchup to be added if you prefer.

The burger was priced at $12.49, before tax.

TGI Fridays is also offering a value meal deal that sells its classic cheeseburger with fries and a drink for $9.99, plus tax, which was the most affordable offer out of the three chains.

The bun was dry and untoasted, setting the tone for what turned out to be an overall burger experience that lacked a lot of flavor and moisture.

Although I requested my burger medium, it leaned toward well-done and lacked juiciness. While I appreciated the flavor of the meat itself and the toppings tasted fresh, my praise for this burger ended there.

I reminded myself that this is the chain's simplest burger, so perhaps it's only fair to expect a straightforward flavor profile without much pizzazz.

I arrived at an Applebee's in Brooklyn on a busy weeknight with two other people and was seated promptly.

I also expected to pay slightly more at this restaurant than at the Chili's and TGI Fridays restaurants I visited since they were both located in Massachusetts, not New York City. However, I found that the prices didn't differ greatly between the two states.

At my local Applebee's in Brooklyn, an order of nine classic bone-in wings costs $18.99, excluding tax and fees. They came with celery sticks and sides of ranch and blue cheese.

I also ordered a diet soda. It cost $3.29, plus tax.

The wings were tender and juicy, with the sauce delivering a rich, buttery flavor. The Buffalo sauce struck a great balance between its spicy kick and savory, buttery notes, creating a well-rounded flavor.

I ordered the burger as part of the chain's "2 for $2X" deal, which also allowed me to get an order of boneless wings and a chicken tender basket for about $30.

However, the burger typically costs $16.99, excluding tax, at the location I visited in Brooklyn, New York.

The exterior of the burger patty was quite dark, which initially made me worry it had been overcooked past the medium level I requested.

To my surprise, the burger turned out to be incredibly juicy and leaned slightly toward medium-rare.

The melted, tangy cheese enveloped the entire burger, creating a perfectly balanced bite. The thick slices of red onion added a bold flavor, while the lettuce and tomato were fresh.

Although this burger lacked a sauce, it remained far from dry, thanks to the melted cheese and a buttery bun.

Despite having similar ingredients to the TGI Fridays burger, this one tasted juicier and more flavorful.

I visited a Chili's in Massachusetts, but I've also been to the location in Queens, New York, before.

Chili's has always impressed me with its portion sizes, value-focused meals, and its famous Triple Dipper, which the company said is popular among younger customers. CNN reported in October that it accounts for 11% of Chili's sales.

It cost $3.29, plus tax.

Chili's offers boneless and bone-in wings in several flavors, including honey chipotle, barbecue, and Nashville hot.

The order of eight wings cost $14.99, plus tax.

The wings came in a selection of drumsticks and flats. Though they were a little on the smaller side compared to the wings from Applebee's, they were piping hot when I picked them up and fried to a golden crisp.

They also packed much more flavor than the other wings I tried, and the chicken meat inside was moist and juicy.

The wings paired well with the chain's signature ranch and decadent blue cheese dressing.

The Oldtimer burger, which I ordered with cheddar cheese, comes topped with pickles, lettuce, sliced tomato, diced red onions, and mustard.

It cost $13.29, plus tax, and was the largest burger I tried when it came to overall size.

I also could have ordered this burger as part of the chain's "3 For Me" menu and gotten an appetizer, the burger with fries, and a non-alcoholic drink, for $10.99, plus tax. This made me feel like Chili's was really serving up value.

The only downside was the generous serving of mustard smeared onto the burger patty. The mustard had a strong, sharp flavor, and while I do like mustard, it was a bit overpowering for me.

But the rest of the burger was impressive. The char on the slightly smashed patty was wonderfully crispy, and the other ingredients were incredibly fresh. The red onion added a nice punch of flavor, while the bun held everything together perfectly.

The food tasted high-quality, and I enjoyed the vibe and more youthful, playful atmosphere of both the restaurant and the menu.

The overall cost of the meal was pretty similar across all three chains, though, as I had expected, the Applebee's in New York was slightly more expensive than the two restaurants I visited in Massachusetts.

Even though the meal from Chili's wasn't the cheapest — the meal from TGI Fridays cost less — I thought it provided the best value when I considered the experience and taste of the food.

"I think a lot of brands mistake the lowest price point for being [the best] value, and I don't think that's giving consumers enough credit," Chili's CMO George Felix told Business Insider. "So for us, we believe value is the entire holistic experience of what you pay for what you get."

Ultimately, when it came to the most flavorful meal with the highest-quality-tasting ingredients, Chili's was the winner for me.

My meal cost $8.58, plus taxes and fees. I ordered it through the Doordash app from my local restaurant in Brooklyn, New York.

I got a medium order of hash browns and thought it was more than enough.

It came packed to the brim with small fried hash browns.

They could have used a little sauce for added flavor but were just fine on their own as well.

It cost $5.39 and came wrapped in wax paper to keep the heat and buttery biscuit safely tucked inside.

Butter had completely coated the wax paper wrapping.

The biscuit was a dark yellow color and almost crispy in texture. This told me right away that a lot of butter was added to whatever batter they use to make their biscuits.

When I bit into the breakfast sandwich, it tasted heavily of butter, but I could still taste the juicy sausage patty and egg.

However, that didn't really turn me off. There's nothing worse than a dry biscuit ... which I would discover later on in this taste test.

The biscuit was crumbly rather than flaky, but it complemented the other flavors and provided the perfect vehicle for the other ingredients.

My meal cost $9.38, plus taxes and fees. I also got it delivered through the Doordash app.

When I compared the same meals from Burger King and McDonald's, the meal from the larger chain was also more expensive.

However, it was more expensive at $3.69.

It wasn't as fluffy as the Burger King hash browns. The potato inside was more shredded in texture and had a lot more moisture. I liked it but thought the serving size was a little small and expensive for getting basically the same menu item taste-wise. 

The sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit sandwich cost me $5.69, which was more expensive than the one from Burger King. 

However, when I bit in, I was surprisingly a little disappointed.

It stuck to the roof of my mouth. The texture made it difficult to really taste the other ingredients — all I could taste was the biscuit.

The eggs and sausage were both pretty moist, but not enough to overpower the dry biscuit. In my opinion, the biscuit could have used some of the butter I found the Burger King sandwich practically drenched in.

I then had to decide which meal I preferred based on each item.

Even though it bordered on too buttery, the Burger King option had more flavor and the biscuit's consistency allowed the other flavors to come through. The biscuit from McDonald's was simply too dry for my tastes and made the other ingredients fade into the background.

However, the Burger King order came with more and they were less expensive. In my mind, that gave the smaller chain an obvious win.

I thought the biscuit sandwich was flavorful and moist, and the hash browns were a great value for the size of the order. In my own personal breakfast wars, this fast-food chain came out on top.

The foot-long sandwich came to $11.89. When combined with the other items, my total meal came to $17.17, not including taxes and fees. 

I decided to compare the sandwiches alone since I couldn't order the same drink or chips from both chains.

I thought the sandwich was a good size for the price.

The 6-inch sub would have been more than enough to satisfy me for lunch, but I was happy the sandwich was large enough to split with a friend or for me to save the other half for later.

It definitely looked like a lot of care went into crafting the sandwich to ensure that each bite contained all of the ingredients.

As I predicted, I could taste every part of the sandwich in each bite. The ingredients, especially the lettuce, tasted fresh, though I thought the tomato slices could have been a little thicker.

There was a lot of sauce slathered on the sandwich, which I liked, and the mustard added a lot of flavor. 

However, I thought the bread felt on the lighter side and didn't have a lot of flavor to it.

The sandwich came to $13.69, making it a little more expensive than the sandwich from Subway.

I also added chips and a drink, so the entire meal cost $21.57, putting it at $4 more than Subway's.

The two sandwiches couldn't have looked more different. Whereas the Subway sandwich (pictured left) came on flat-looking multigrain bread, the bread Potbelly used was crusty and appeared to be of a higher quality.

I was excited to see how the actual taste of the sandwiches would compare.

The ingredients were laid out less methodically, and I worried that each bite wouldn't include all the ingredients at once, which is what I prefer.

There was also a generous serving of lettuce, onions, and tomato that really helped make the sandwich stand out. However, I thought it was a little light on the sauce — I couldn't really taste the mayonnaise or mustard.

The sandwich delivered on price, size, and flavor — and I loved how they weren't afraid to hold back on the sauces.