To placate those discontents, and to keep people from bolting to slightly more upscale fast-casual places such as Chipotle or Cava, the big chains have recently begun expanding their “value” menus and, notably, rolling out new combination meals, many for $5. Not all of these allegedly wallet-friendly repasts are created equal, though.
After sampling a slew of the bargain goods, I found that there is not one single best deal, since what people are looking for in their grease-stained paper sacks might vary. Some brands offer wider ranges of choices, and price points differ. Some diners want variety, and others are simply looking for maximum fuel for their buck — which is why we included a calculation of how many calories per dollar the meals provide, the ultimate utilitarian measure.
We set out to sample the biggest chains’ offerings. Where applicable, we went with the more classic burger option over chicken. And in our calorie counts, we used the information provided by the chains and did not include the calories in the drinks or sauces and condiments on offer.
Here’s how six fast-food giants’ value meals stack up.
McDonald’s
Name: $5 Meal Deal
Price: $5
What’s included: One McDouble or McChicken, 4-piece chicken nuggets, small fries and a small drink.
A la carte price: $9.46 ($4.46 savings)
Weight: 10.25 ounces
Calories: 800
Calories per dollar: 160
How does it taste? This deal and a few others below might constitute a splitable meal for two not-very-hungry people, if, like me, you find the idea of four nuggets as a side a bit overwhelming. The McDouble is often confused with the Golden Arches’s double cheeseburger, but it actually contains a single slice of cheese to the double cheeseburger’s two. (I prefer the latter, which offers more cheese to compensate for the dry patties.) And McDonald’s nuggets will never be confused with more premium chicken strips you might find elsewhere (and higher prices), but they’re a nostalgic blast from the carpooling past.
Best for: Sharing with a hangry kid.
KFC
Name: Taste of KFC meal
Price: $4.99
What’s included: One drumstick, one thigh, mashed potatoes with gravy and a biscuit.
A la carte price: $12.76 ($7.77 savings)
Weight: 14.5 oz.
Calories: 720
Calories per dollar: 144.2
How does it taste? I’m a fan of KFC’s classic bird when it’s done right (I’ve had a couple of buckets that seemed overfried and dried out) with its gentle spices and golden-brown hue. And this combo platter offers dark meat, which is my go-to. But the gluey, instant mashed potatoes awash in a brown sauce that gives gravy a bad name? And the gummy-centered biscuit? They’re just dragging this deal down. Unlike the other chains’ value meals, this one doesn’t come with a drink.
Best for: Tossing (the sides) in the trash.
Burger King
Name: Your Way Meal
Price: $5
What’s included: One Whopper Jr., Chicken Jr. or bacon cheeseburger; 4-piece nuggets, value fries and a value drink.
A la carte price: $9.36 ($ 4.36 savings)
Weight: 10.1 ounces
Calories: 744
Calories per dollar: 148.8
How does it taste? The flame-broiled flavor of Burger King’s signature menu item, the Whopper, (and its mercifully smaller offspring, the Whopper Jr.) is polarizing. I’m firmly against the overwhelming essence of smoke (which the chain insists is unaided by boosters), but the backyard-grill style has its acolytes. Otherwise, the flat and overbreaded nuggets as well as the mealy fries offer no other reason to make a royal visit.
Best for: Charheads.
Hardee’s
Name: Original Bag
Price: $5.99
What’s included: Choice of two entrees — either a double cheeseburger, a ham and cheese sandwich or a chicken tender wrap; small fries and a small drink.
A la carte price: $11.26 ($5.27 savings)
Weight: 12.1 oz.
Calories: 1,060
Calories per dollar: 177
How does it taste? My own confusion over what the deal entailed first led me to order two double cheeseburgers. (I read the signage to indicate that your only options were the cheeseburger or the ham and cheese, with the chicken tender wrap serving as a side. In fact, you can pick two of any of these options.) And that made for a lot of burger, especially when the patties were as dry — though pleasantly well-seasoned — as these pucks. On a subsequent visit, I tried the chicken tender wrap, which was bland and forgettable. And while I like the relatively novel prospect of crinkle-cut fries, these were pale, sad spud specimens.
Best for: Last resorts.
Wendy’s
Name: $5 Biggie Bag
Price: $5
What’s included: Either one crispy chicken sandwich, one double stack burger or one Jr. bacon cheeseburger; 4-piece nuggets, fries and a small drink. (Note: At my location, the double stack burger option was $6.)
A la carte price: $11.46 ($6.46 savings)
Weight: 10.63 ounces
Calories: 760
Calories per dollar: 152
How does it taste? The Jr. bacon cheeseburger leans smoky and sweet — it lacks the onion and pickles that sharpen up McDonald’s beefy value option. And again, there’s that nap-inducing side of nuggets. While I ordered the regular version for consistency’s sake, a good move here is to get the spicy ones instead, which offer a pleasant bit of heat to Wendy’s otherwise bland chicken. Variety-seekers might like the saucy options (including honey BBQ, garlic parm, buffalo and spicy ghost pepper), but I’ve generally found them to be overdressed and apt to go soggy quickly. A nice surprise here was the fries, which were thicker than McDonald’s and surprisingly redolent of … potatoes.
Best for: Spicy nuggs fans.
Taco Bell
Name: Luxe Cravings Box
Price: $7
What’s included: One Chalupa supreme, one beefy 5-layer burrito, one double-stacked taco, chips with nacho cheese and a medium drink.
A la carte price: $16.85 ($9.85 savings)
Weight: 17.5 ounces
Calories: 1,400
Calories per dollar: 200
How does it taste? Here’s another deal that offers enough for two bargain-seekers. Variety is a big draw here, too, with four separate items in addition to the drink. It’s a sampling of what Taco Bell does best: vegetarian options (you can get the puffy-coated chalupa with beans instead of the chain’s mealy ground beef), textural contrasts (the double-stacked taco employs the layering a soft tortilla around a crunchy one) and unquestionable value for volume. There’s a reason Taco Bell has a long-standing reputation as a destination for broke musicians on tour. While others might have different criteria, that combination made this the winner of the bunch for me.
Best for: An alternative to the endless sea of fast-food burgers and far and away the best bang for your buck.
