I tried ordering the same bacon-burger meal from Wendy's and Burger King, and one was a much better deal

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Erin McDowellAug 23, 2021, 20:04 IST
I tried ordering the same bacon-burger meal from Wendy's and Burger King, and one was a much better deal

Bacon burgers from Wendy's and Burger King.Erin McDowell/Insider

  • I wanted to try the same meal from Wendy's and Burger King to see how they compared.
  • I ordered each chain's signature bacon burger, fries, chicken nuggets, and a drink.
  • Both chains gave me different burgers than I ordered, and they were also completely different from each other.
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I ordered a Baconator meal with medium fries and a medium drink from Wendy's, along with a four-piece chicken nugget.

I ordered a Baconator meal with medium fries and a medium drink from Wendy's, along with a four-piece chicken nugget.
My meal from Wendy's. Erin McDowell/Insider

My goal going into the taste test wasn't to order the exact same menu items from each chain — they're different restaurants offering different items, after all. Instead, I opted for each chain's signature bacon cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, and fries, plus ranch dipping sauce.

The cost for the meal came to $13.25 at my local Wendy's in Massachusetts.

The Baconator came wrapped in tin foil.

The Baconator came wrapped in tin foil.
Wendy's Baconator. Erin McDowell/Insider

It looked larger than burgers I've tried from Wendy's in the past.

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When I unwrapped the burger, I was amazed at how large and juicy the burger looked.

When I unwrapped the burger, I was amazed at how large and juicy the burger looked.
Wendy's Baconator. Erin McDowell/Insider

Sandwiched between brioche buns were three beef patties, layers of cheese, and plenty of bacon and condiments.

However, upon closer inspection, I realized that although my burger came with three patties, it was only supposed to have two quarter-pound patties.

However, upon closer inspection, I realized that although my burger came with three patties, it was only supposed to have two quarter-pound patties.
Wendy's Baconator. Erin McDowell/Insider

On the Wendy's website, the burger clearly has only two patties. I assumed it must have been an error at the location I visited. Nonetheless, I tried to judge the burger based on flavor and value, rather than sheer size.

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The burgers were juicy and flavorful, but I could really only taste the meat.

The burgers were juicy and flavorful, but I could really only taste the meat.
Wendy's Baconator. Erin McDowell/Insider

I felt that the burger would have probably tasted better without the extra patty, as Wendy's intended. However, I did still enjoy it despite the mistake — I just would have preferred to taste the bacon and cheese more, rather than a mouthful of beef.

I also tried Wendy's chicken nuggets.

I also tried Wendy's chicken nuggets.
Wendy's chicken nuggets. Erin McDowell/Insider

I expected the outcome for this taste test to be about the same as when I compared Wendy's nuggets to Burger King's previously — I ended up being correct.

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I dunked them in the chain's ranch dipping sauce, one of my favorite condiments.

I dunked them in the chain's ranch dipping sauce, one of my favorite condiments.
Wendy's chicken nuggets in ranch sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

The chicken nuggets were crispy and crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. They paired perfectly with the creamy, tangy ranch sauce.

I really enjoyed the fries, too.

I really enjoyed the fries, too.
Wendy's fries. Erin McDowell/Insider

They were perfectly fluffy on the outside and had enough salt dusted on them to make them super flavorful.

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I ordered a similar meal from Burger King.

I ordered a similar meal from Burger King.
My meal from Burger King. Erin McDowell/Insider

I opted for one of the chain's many bacon burgers, the Bacon King. I also ordered a medium fry, four-piece chicken nuggets, medium drink, and ranch sauce, to get as close to my Wendy's order as I could.

The total cost for my meal came to $17.21, which was quite a bit more expensive than the meal from Wendy's. It ended up not being worth it, in my opinion.

The Bacon King burger came wrapped in paper, rather than tin foil like the Wendy's burger.

The Bacon King burger came wrapped in paper, rather than tin foil like the Wendy's burger.
Burger King Bacon King burger. Erin McDowell/Insider

According to the Burger King website, the burger is supposed to come with two quarter-pound patties, thick-cut smoked bacon, American cheese, ketchup, and mayonnaise.

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However, when I opened up the wrapped burger, it only had one quarter-pound patty.

However, when I opened up the wrapped burger, it only had one quarter-pound patty.
Burger King Bacon King burger. Erin McDowell/Insider

I wondered why I was having such bad luck with the menu items.

The burger patty was flavorful, despite being noticeably thinner than a single Wendy's patty.

The burger patty was flavorful, despite being noticeably thinner than a single Wendy's patty.
Burger King Bacon King burger. Erin McDowell/Insider

The bacon was able to come through, and I could really taste the smoky flavor. The melted cheese complemented the other elements. However, I thought the beef was a little dry and not as juicy as the meat in the Wendy's burger.

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However, I didn't think the burger was worth the price without the missing patty.

However, I didn't think the burger was worth the price without the missing patty.
Burger King Bacon King burger. Erin McDowell/Insider

I understood that it was a mistake, and when I order fast food for taste tests, the crew has no idea I will be reviewing the experience. If I was any other customer, I would have been just as disappointed to get my meal home and find the burger was missing a patty.

I also ordered a four-piece chicken nugget from Burger King.

I also ordered a four-piece chicken nugget from Burger King.
Burger King chicken nuggets. Erin McDowell/Insider

I'm a fan of Burger King's chicken nuggets, especially for the price. A four-piece cost me only $1.29 at my local restaurant.

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The thick, crispy breading allowed the ranch sauce to cling and completely coat the chicken nuggets.

The thick, crispy breading allowed the ranch sauce to cling and completely coat the chicken nuggets.
Burger King chicken nuggets in ranch sauce. Erin McDowell/Insider

It was a perfect addition to the slight letdown of the burger. The breading itself was crunchy and peppery in flavor but didn't seem to have as much chicken inside as the ones from Wendy's.

The fries from Burger King were well salted, crispy, and fluffy on the inside.

The fries from Burger King were well salted, crispy, and fluffy on the inside.
Burger King fries. Erin McDowell/Insider

They were basically everything you would want from a fast-food french fry.

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In the end, there was no clear winner - it was near impossible to compare them fairly due to the mistakes in the orders.

In the end, there was no clear winner - it was near impossible to compare them fairly due to the mistakes in the orders.
Wendy's and Burger King burgers. Erin McDowell/Insider

However, I did prefer the Wendy's meal I received over the one from Burger King. The burger was thicker, which I believe it would have been even if the orders had been made correctly. I also found that the patty in the Bacon King was a touch dry compared to the Baconator.

I liked both nuggets pretty much equally, as well as the fries. However, when it came down to price, I felt that the Wendy's meal was a better deal — and if you're looking for an extra patty, just hope you get lucky like me.

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