I ordered the same meal from Wendy's, McDonald's, and Burger King and the cheapest chain won

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Erin McDowellJun 30, 2021, 20:58 IST
I ordered the same meal from Wendy's, McDonald's, and Burger King and the cheapest chain won

All three double cheeseburgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King.Erin McDowell/Insider

  • I ordered the same meal from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King to determine which was the best.
  • I compared the chains' double cheeseburgers, fries, chicken nuggets, and honey-mustard dipping sauces.
  • The Burger King meal was the overall best value, but I liked Wendy's nuggets the best.
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My meal from Burger King came in a brown paper bag. I got it delivered, and it was warm when it arrived.

My meal from Burger King came in a brown paper bag. I got it delivered, and it was warm when it arrived.
The Burger King bag. Erin McDowell/Insider

My Burger King meal cost $7.97, not including taxes and delivery fees. I ordered it through the Seamless app from my local restaurant in Brooklyn, New York.

I ordered a double cheeseburger, medium fries, 10-piece chicken nuggets, and honey-mustard sauce from the restaurant's a la carte menu.

I ordered a double cheeseburger, medium fries, 10-piece chicken nuggets, and honey-mustard sauce from the restaurant's a la carte menu.
My meal from Burger King. Erin McDowell/Insider

For this taste test, I ordered a double cheeseburger and 10-piece chicken nuggets from each chain. While my normal order would usually be one or the other, I wanted to try more than one classic main item from their expansive menus.

I decided I'd share any leftovers with my very grateful roommate so nothing was wasted.

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A double cheeseburger from Burger King cost me $2.29.

A double cheeseburger from Burger King cost me $2.29.
Burger King's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

This sandwich was definitely worth the price — it was less than what I usually pay for my morning coffee.

It comes with two of the chain's beef patties, American cheese, pickles, mustard, and ketchup on a sesame-seed bun.

It comes with two of the chain's beef patties, American cheese, pickles, mustard, and ketchup on a sesame-seed bun.
Burger King's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

The burger's biggest differences from the McDonald's version are that it doesn't come with chopped onions and that it has one slice of cheese, not two.

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This burger was super filling.

This burger was super filling.
Burger King's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

Right away, I tasted the thick beef patties. The burger had traveled a little over 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 taste test. Still, for a burger that costs just over $2, that may be more of an asset than a hindrance if you want a filling, inexpensive lunch.

I also ordered Burger King's chicken nuggets, which cost $2.29.

I also ordered Burger King's chicken nuggets, which cost $2.29.
Burger King's chicken nuggets. Erin McDowell/Insider

Burger King isn't famous for its chicken products — it is a burger chain, after all. But I gave its nuggets a try to see whether I would order them again.

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I thought their crispy coating was seasoned well, but it was also a little thick and hard to bite into.

I thought their crispy coating was seasoned well, but it was also a little thick and hard to bite into.
Erin McDowell/Insider

In my opinion, chicken nuggets are best when the fried outer shell has a little crunch to it when you bite in. These didn't really have that. But I still thought they were flavorful and delicious.

The nuggets tasted peppery and would pair nicely with a variety of sauces.

The nuggets tasted peppery and would pair nicely with a variety of sauces.
Burger King chicken nugget dipped in sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

I thought the chain's honey-mustard sauce complemented them nicely.

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The serving of Burger King fries I received was generous.

The serving of Burger King fries I received was generous.
Burger King's fries. Erin McDowell/Insider

Fries were spilling out of the carton and into the bag — but I wasn't complaining. An order of medium fries cost me $3.39, which was, surprisingly, more expensive than the burger and the chicken nuggets.

I tried the fries both plain and with a little honey-mustard dipping sauce.

I tried the fries both plain and with a little honey-mustard dipping sauce.
Dipping a Burger King fry in the honey-mustard sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

Like the rest of the Burger King items I tried, the fries were filling. They were thick and had more potato than other fast-food french fries I've tried.

But I thought they were a bit bland on their own. They worked well as a vehicle for sauce but could have used just a touch more salt.

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My meal from McDonald's arrived warm and ready to be eaten.

My meal from McDonald's arrived warm and ready to be eaten.
The McDonald's bag. Erin McDowell/Insider

My meal from McDonald's cost $14.17, not including taxes and delivery fees. I also ordered it through the Seamless app from my local restaurant in Brooklyn.

I ordered a double cheeseburger, medium fries, 10-piece chicken McNuggets, and honey-mustard sauce from the restaurant's individual items menu.

I ordered a double cheeseburger, medium fries, 10-piece chicken McNuggets, and honey-mustard sauce from the restaurant's individual items menu.
My meal from McDonald's. Erin McDowell/Insider

I was excited to see how the meal from McDonald's would compare to the one from Burger King, especially since it was more expensive.

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The McDonald's double cheeseburger cost me $3.79.

The McDonald's double cheeseburger cost me $3.79.
McDonald's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

It was slightly more expensive than Burger King's version but had more toppings — it came with an extra slice of American cheese plus chopped onions — and it was still affordable.

The double cheeseburger from McDonald's comes with two beef patties, pickles, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, and two slices of American cheese.

The double cheeseburger from McDonald's comes with two beef patties, pickles, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, and two slices of American cheese.
McDonald's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

I was interested to see if the added toppings would amp up the flavor.

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I thought all the ingredients came together well in this burger, but the bun was a little lackluster.

I thought all the ingredients came together well in this burger, but the bun was a little lackluster.
McDonald's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

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 totally necessary.

The fewest chicken nuggets I could order from Burger King was 10, so ordered the same number from McDonald's.

The fewest chicken nuggets I could order from Burger King was 10, so ordered the same number from McDonald's.
McDonald's chicken McNuggets. Erin McDowell/Insider

It cost $6.69, which I thought was a little pricey. But this chain lists its nuggets as an entrée rather than a side, as Burger King does.

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The chicken nuggets from McDonald's were a little meatier than Burger King's.

The chicken nuggets from McDonald's were a little meatier than Burger King's.
A McDonald's McNugget. Erin McDowell/Insider

The breading also had more of a crunch, which I prefer.

The McDonald's honey mustard was flecked with grains of mustard and was slightly tangier.

The McDonald's honey mustard was flecked with grains of mustard and was slightly tangier.
McDonald's chicken nugget dipped in sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

However, both were delicious and paired well with the nuggets and fries.

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The fries from McDonald's cost $3.69 and came with two sauces.

The fries from McDonald's cost $3.69 and came with two sauces.
Dipping a McDonald's fry in the honey-mustard sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

The fries were crispy and well salted, though they were starkly thinner than Burger King's.

I stopped by my closest Wendy's in Manhattan to try the same order: a double cheeseburger, medium fries, 10-piece chicken nuggets, and honey-mustard sauce.

I stopped by my closest Wendy's in Manhattan to try the same order: a double cheeseburger, medium fries, 10-piece chicken nuggets, and honey-mustard sauce.
The Wendy's bag. Erin McDowell/Insider

It cost $13.35, including tax, making it cheaper than the McDonald's meal but more expensive than the price of the Burger King meal.

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I ordered each item separately, not as part of a meal deal.

I ordered each item separately, not as part of a meal deal.
My meal from Wendy's. Erin McDowell/Insider

I've heard great things about Wendy's chicken nuggets, so I was excited to try the meal and see how it compared to the two other chains.

I ordered Wendy's double cheeseburger, which the chain calls a Double Stack, for just $2.59.

I ordered Wendy's double cheeseburger, which the chain calls a Double Stack, for just $2.59.
Wendy's Double Stack cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Insider

It was around the same price as the burgers from McDonald's and Burger King.

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A Wendy's Double Stack burger comes with two junior-size hamburger patties, American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and sweet onion.

A Wendy's Double Stack burger comes with two junior-size hamburger patties, American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and sweet onion.
The Wendy's Double Stack. Erin McDowell/Insider

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.

The burger bun was fluffy and light, and the toppings had a ton of flavor.
Wendy's Double Stack burger. Erin McDowell/Insider

However, 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. However, I would have just liked a little more.

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A 10-piece chicken nugget cost me $4.39 at my local Wendy's.

A 10-piece chicken nugget cost me $4.39 at my local Wendy's.
Wendy's chicken nuggets. Erin McDowell/Insider

I've heard promising things about Wendy's spicy and regular crispy chicken nuggets, so I was excited to try them.

The chicken nuggets were crispy and crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

The chicken nuggets were crispy and crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Wendy's chicken nugget. Erin McDowell/Insider

They were definitely the best nuggets I tried out of the three chains.

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The nuggets were also a perfect vehicle for the chain's honey-mustard sauce.

The nuggets were also a perfect vehicle for the chain's honey-mustard sauce.
Wendy's chicken nugget dipped in sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

The honey mustard was perfectly sweet and tangy. It coated every fry and nugget.

The fries were fluffy and cost only $2.59, but they could have used a touch more salt.

The fries were fluffy and cost only $2.59, but they could have used a touch more salt.
Wendy's fry dipped in honey mustard. Erin McDowell/Insider

They were just a bit bland for my liking, but they were also the cheapest fries. I felt I got what I paid for.

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I liked the McDonald's double cheeseburger the best - it was the most expensive of the three.

I liked the McDonald's double cheeseburger the best - it was the most expensive of the three.
All three double cheeseburgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King. Erin McDowell/Insider

Burger King's double cheeseburger is ridiculously inexpensive at $2.29, with Wendy's following closely behind at $2.59. McDonald's double cheeseburger runs for $3.79, but you get more in my opinion.

The additions to the McDonald's burger took it over the edge. It's worth spending a little extra to get a lot more flavor. On the other hand, the Burger King version really tasted only of the meat and condiments, and Wendy's burger didn't have enough toppings.

The chicken nuggets from Wendy's were my favorite.

The chicken nuggets from Wendy's were my favorite.
The chicken nuggets from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King. Erin McDowell/Insider

I loved the crunch of the chicken nuggets from Wendy's, but they were still juicy on the inside. To me, that makes for a perfect nugget. They were also reasonably priced at $4.39.

Burger King does get an honorable mention, however, for its tasty and cheap nuggets.

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This is up to personal preference, but I preferred the salty crispiness of the McDonald's fries to both the other chains' offerings.

This is up to personal preference, but I preferred the salty crispiness of the McDonald's fries to both the other chains' offerings.
Erin McDowell/Insider

The fries from Burger King and Wendy's were a better value, but they were both just a tad underseasoned to grab the win.

Each chain nailed one menu item, but I decided Burger King was the best value and worthy of the overall win.

Each chain nailed one menu item, but I decided Burger King was the best value and worthy of the overall win.
I enjoyed trying the meals from all three chains. Erin McDowell/Insider

Though I ordered the same menu items from each chain, the meals were quite different in terms of ingredients, flavor, and value.

Burger King was the best value — my meal ended up costing nearly half of what I paid at McDonald's. But I preferred the taste of certain elements of the McDonald's meal. I thought the burger and the fries were more exciting to eat and the meal was ever so slightly more delicious.

I also thought Wendy's nailed its chicken nuggets — they were the crispiest ones I tried. Its fries were also a great value, despite being a little undersalted.

In the end, I was pleased with all three meals — though I now know which one gives the best bang for your buck.

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