I tried barbecue burgers from Burger King, Shake Shack, and Smashburger. The best one tasted restaurant-quality.
But when it comes to which fast-food chain delivers the best bang for your buck with its barbecue burger, that's a little more up in the air.
I tried barbecue burgers from Burger King, Shake Shack, and Smashburger to determine which chain offered the best taste and value.
Here's how three fast-food barbecue burgers ranked, from worst to best.
The burger came topped with pieces of crispy onions. The burger came topped with cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon, crispy fried onions, and barbecue sauce.Beneath a pile of crispy onion bits, I could clearly see the barbecue sauce, although overall, the burger looked and felt a little dry when I picked it up.
The burger patty was also dry and well-done. I'm not a fan of any burger cooked past medium, so this well-done patty simply wasn't doing it for me, but how a burger is cooked is a matter of personal preference.The cheese on the burger I tried also wasn't melted enough to provide enough moisture to counteract the dryness of the burger.However, the bacon on this burger blew me away. It was smoky and perfectly cooked.
The barbecue burger from Burger King landed squarely in the middle of my ranking. I ordered the BBQ bacon Whopper Jr. and added cheese. It cost $11.09, excluding tax and fees, which I thought was a little pricey for a junior-sized burger.
I would order this burger again, but it didn't blow me away. The bacon was crispy, though not as flavorful as the bacon from the other two burgers I tried. However, I thought this was a great classic cheeseburger. The onions, lettuce, and tomato were fresh, and the beef was juicy while still retaining a smoky, chargrilled flavor.However, it tasted similarly to a classic Whopper, and I didn't get a strong barbecue flavor from it. It was a classic cheeseburger, but I was looking for more barbecue flavor.
My favorite burger came from Shake Shack. Shake Shack, which has US locations in 30 states and Washington, DC, offers two different kinds of barbecue burgers: the Smoky Classic BBQ burger and the Carolina BBQ burger with fried pickles.I ordered the classic version, which is topped with fried onions and bacon. It cost $13.29, excluding tax and fees, making it the most expensive burger of the bunch.
The cheese was perfectly melted, and the onions were crispy and mouthwatering. The cheese was evenly coated on every inch of the thin, crispy patty, and the bun held everything together while still retaining its softness.
This Shake Shack burger blew me away. It tasted restaurant-quality. Though thin and crispy, the burger was still perfectly cooked at a medium temperature, and the onions, though crispy, weren't hard, crunchy, and dry like the onions on the Smashburger cheeseburger I tried.Rather than bits of cut-up onions that didn't have much flavor, these onions were more similar to onion rings, and instantly transported me back to summer carnivals and roadside stands.The pickles added a tart, crunchy flavor, and this was the only burger where I really tasted the barbecue sauce. It was smoky yet light and had a slight vinegar taste that balanced out the richer flavors of the cheese, beef, and bacon.Though it was the most expensive burger, I thought it was well worth the slightly higher price.
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Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business Insider
I ranked 13 fast-food double cheeseburgers from worst to best, and my favorite was one of the cheapest
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. Double the patties can mean double the deliciousness … but not all fast-food double cheeseburgers are created equal. A 2024 report from Datassential found that the average American eats about three burgers each month, and mostly orders them from quick-service restaurants. And, while chicken tenders may be the hottest fast-food menu item this 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 $4.09. 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. 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 $5.99. 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 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. 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. 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. 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 $13.29 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 $8.39 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 $3.59, so I ended up paying $7.18. The burgers were small but packed with flavor. 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 $11.21, 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.
Business Insider
18-07-2025
- Business Insider
I tried barbecue burgers from Burger King, Shake Shack, and Smashburger. The best one tasted restaurant-quality.
For many people, barbecue sauce is a summer staple. The flavor profile is everywhere, from cookouts to the drive-thru line. But when it comes to which fast-food chain delivers the best bang for your buck with its barbecue burger, that's a little more up in the air. I tried barbecue burgers from Burger King, Shake Shack, and Smashburger to determine which chain offered the best taste and value. Here's how three fast-food barbecue burgers ranked, from worst to best. The burger came topped with pieces of crispy onions. The burger came topped with cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon, crispy fried onions, and barbecue a pile of crispy onion bits, I could clearly see the barbecue sauce, although overall, the burger looked and felt a little dry when I picked it up. The burger patty was also dry and well-done. I'm not a fan of any burger cooked past medium, so this well-done patty simply wasn't doing it for me, but how a burger is cooked is a matter of personal cheese on the burger I tried also wasn't melted enough to provide enough moisture to counteract the dryness of the the bacon on this burger blew me away. It was smoky and perfectly cooked. The barbecue burger from Burger King landed squarely in the middle of my ranking. I ordered the BBQ bacon Whopper Jr. and added cheese. It cost $11.09, excluding tax and fees, which I thought was a little pricey for a junior-sized burger. I would order this burger again, but it didn't blow me away. The bacon was crispy, though not as flavorful as the bacon from the other two burgers I tried. However, I thought this was a great classic cheeseburger. The onions, lettuce, and tomato were fresh, and the beef was juicy while still retaining a smoky, chargrilled it tasted similarly to a classic Whopper, and I didn't get a strong barbecue flavor from it. It was a classic cheeseburger, but I was looking for more barbecue flavor. My favorite burger came from Shake Shack. Shake Shack, which has US locations in 30 states and Washington, DC, offers two different kinds of barbecue burgers: the Smoky Classic BBQ burger and the Carolina BBQ burger with fried pickles.I ordered the classic version, which is topped with fried onions and bacon. It cost $13.29, excluding tax and fees, making it the most expensive burger of the bunch. The cheese was perfectly melted, and the onions were crispy and mouthwatering. The cheese was evenly coated on every inch of the thin, crispy patty, and the bun held everything together while still retaining its softness. This Shake Shack burger blew me away. It tasted restaurant-quality. Though thin and crispy, the burger was still perfectly cooked at a medium temperature, and the onions, though crispy, weren't hard, crunchy, and dry like the onions on the Smashburger cheeseburger I than bits of cut-up onions that didn't have much flavor, these onions were more similar to onion rings, and instantly transported me back to summer carnivals and roadside pickles added a tart, crunchy flavor, and this was the only burger where I really tasted the barbecue sauce. It was smoky yet light and had a slight vinegar taste that balanced out the richer flavors of the cheese, beef, and it was the most expensive burger, I thought it was well worth the slightly higher price.
Business Insider
15-07-2025
- Business Insider
I compared McDonald's long-awaited Snack Wraps with Popeyes' chicken wraps. Both were delicious, but one is poised to win the wrap battle.
McDonald's Snack Wraps are back on menus after being discontinued in 2016. Popeyes offers its own version of the iconic wraps. I compared both chains' chicken wraps and was torn about which wrap was most worth ordering again. The Snack Wrap is officially back after years of anticipation. McDonald's Snack Wraps returned to nationwide menus on July 10 after almost a decade of fans begging for their comeback. The wraps, which are a fan-favorite among McDonald's customers, disappeared from many menus in 2016 before being officially discontinued by the chain in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to downsize menus. Since then, other chains, from Burger King to Popeyes, have released their own chicken wraps to fill the void for customers still hungry for the beloved Snack Wraps. And now, it's an all-out chicken wrap battle. Upon the release of McDonald's new Snack Wraps, Popeyes — which launched its own lineup of wraps in June — advertised a promotion to give away a chicken wrap with any purchase of $5 or more until July 13. Both chains' wraps have a similar price point. But which chain is poised to win the wrap wars? I tried McDonald's and Popeyes' lineup of chicken wraps to determine which one was most worth snacking on. Here's how they compared. McDonald's Snack Wraps returned to menus last week. They are priced at $2.99, excluding tax. The paper wrapper showed what kind of wrap was inside, either the spicy version or the ranch version. The Snack Wraps featured a thick tortilla. Both the spicy and ranch Snack Wraps are made with McDonald's new chicken tenders, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese. The ranch version appeared on McDonald's original lineup of Snack Wraps. This time, however, it's made with the chain's new chicken tenders, which launched in May. The ranch sauce was rich and flavorful, and coated every inch of the chicken tender, tortilla, and toppings. The ranch wrap tasted light, but still had a substantial amount of flavor. The creamy ranch balanced out the fresh-tasting lettuce and the crispy chicken tender, while the tortilla held it all together for easy snacking on the go. The spicy Snack Wrap is made with a new spicy-pepper sauce. This is the newest iteration of the Snack Wrap. When Snack Wraps first left the menu in 2016, they were available with a ranch or honey-mustard sauce. When I opened this wrap, a pretty generous amount of sauce was slathered on the chicken tenders, shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce. The chicken tender was crispy, while the lettuce added freshness. I was impressed by the size of these wraps. Despite being snack-sized, I found one of the wraps filling enough for a quick and easy lunch. The spicy sauce did pack a punch — it didn't leave my mouth tingling from the heat, but it had enough kick to justify the spicy name. That said, I wish there had been more sauce. Some bites were completely dry and lacked any of the spicy, savory sauce. I could see why the McDonald's Snack Wraps are so popular. For a quick, reasonably healthy lunch, these wraps deliver. Crispy chicken, bold flavors, and a budget-friendly price — no wonder fans have been demanding their comeback for years. I tried Popeyes' lineup of wraps to see if they could hold a candle to the iconic Snack Wraps. The wraps are priced at $3.99, excluding tax. They're available in three different flavors: classic, spicy, and honey mustard. Popeyes doesn't have custom wrappings for each kind of wrap. Instead, the different flavors were written in pen on the paper wrapping. Like the Snack Wraps, these chicken wraps come in a tortilla. However, I preferred the one used at McDonald's. While the McDonald's tortilla was thick and held the wraps together perfectly, the wraps I got from Popeyes were made a bit more haphazardly. I was worried that if I were truly on the go, they might fall apart. The classic chicken wrap from Popeyes is made with mayonnaise. The wrap is made with one of Popeyes' chicken tenders, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, lettuce, and pickles. The classic wrap's flavor profile, thanks to the mayonnaise and crunchy pickle slices, somewhat reminded me of the chain's famous chicken sandwich. The wrap could have used a touch more flavor. While I thought the chicken tender was crunchy and juicy, and I loved the addition of the pickles, the mayonnaise lacked flavor compared to McDonald's ranch-smothered wrap. Popeyes also has a honey-mustard version. McDonald's used to sell a honey-mustard version of its Snack Wrap, but that flavor didn't make its way back onto menus this time around. I loved the slightly spicy flavor of the honey-mustard wrap. The pickles and tangy honey mustard packed a lot of flavor into this wrap, while the chicken tender was thick and filling. I would love to see McDonald's bring back a honey mustard version of its Snack Wrap to compare the two. Overall, I preferred Popeyes' spicy chicken wrap to McDonald's Snack Wrap. But the tortilla let me down. While the McDonald's tortilla was thick and had a wheaty flavor, the Popeyes tortilla tasted noticeably dry and bland. However, when it came to the other elements of the spicy wraps — from the lettuce to the amount of sauce — I thought Popeyes far surpassed McDonald's. The spicy sauce completely coated every inch of the wrap. It packed enough heat to be both flavorful and manageable, and the pickles added the perfect balance of texture. Out of all five wraps I tried from both chains, this is the one I'm dying to order again. The chicken wraps from Popeyes did measure up to the Snack Wraps, but fell short in a few areas. While I'm still dreaming about Popeyes' spicy chicken wrap, the chain overall fell short compared to McDonald's in terms of value and the quality of the tortilla used in the wraps. Popeyes' chicken wraps cost $1 more than the Snack Wraps, but they're pretty comparable in terms of size and ingredients. I liked the addition of pickles in the Popeyes wraps and the sheer amount of sauce used in the spicy wrap, but it wasn't enough to justify the higher price tag. While I'll definitely order both chains' chicken wraps again, I walked away thinking that the Snack Wrap is iconic for a reason. Other chains' attempts to replicate its magic are in for an uphill battle.
