The Best New Cheap Fast Foods, Ranked for a Great Deal
People aren’t hitting fast food drive-thrus like they used to. We don’t need to cite numbers to confirm this, just look at all the major fast food chains that are scrambling to win us back. And that’s exactly what they’re trying to do, because last month, every major brand launched a new affordable meal.
And we’re not talking about “affordable” by inflation here. Most of these meals are around $5. That’s really cheap! Thank goodness, because $5 is what consumers consider fair for fast food quality. Could brands have gotten away with an $8 meal? Maybe! But $8 doesn’t exactly seem like a bargain, especially when you consider that the typical flagship combo meal will set you back around $12 at the very least.
Suddenly, fast food brands can offer us value again! And while it drives us a little crazy that they were content to rip us off until they actually started losing money, we’re okay with it! Eating fast food is about convenience, so we’re going to keep doing it as long as it’s financially convenient.
But it got us thinking: Which brand gives you the best value for your money? We found out by picking out every new bargain-priced dish and ranking them from worst to best tasting. Here’s who came out on top.
7. Carl’s Jr. — 2 tender chicken wraps for $6
Price: $6
Thoughts and tasting notes:
Carl’s Jr. certainly tried with this one, but we wouldn’t call selling two menu items that no one asked for or wants for $6 a “good deal.”
So, this one ranks dead last for us, and that’s before we even get to the taste of the dish. If for some reason you’re curious, the Chicken Tender Wraps come in three variations, Ranch, BBQ, or Santa Fe, and consist of a single chicken tender wrapped in a tortilla with lettuce, and topped with cheese and one of the above sauces.
The chicken is good, the tortilla is horrible and undercooked, the lettuce is flavorless and the little bit of cheese is downright offensive. Better to order chicken tenders than bother with this lazy menu remix.
If I have to rank individual offers, I will:
1. Santa Fe.
2. a barbecue
3. Ranch
But honestly, a simple portion of fries will be more enjoyable than this “dish”.
In summary :
The kind of fast food deal we’re better off ignoring until they come up with something better.
Find the Carl’s Jr. nearest you here.
6. Jack in the Box — 2 for $5 Jumbo Jack
Price: $5
Thoughts and tasting notes:
Like Carl’s Jr., Jack in the Box hasn’t really gotten the message that people aren’t willing to eat fast food if it’s too expensive, so this deal is nice, but it’s not great. For $5, you’ll get two Jumbo Jacks, a burger that’s average at best.
The Jumbo Jack’s beef patties are bland, with more texture than flavor. Most of the flavor comes from the thick-cut pickles, which give the burger an earthy kick, and the ketchup and mayo, which provide a sweet, crisp, and slightly savory finish.
The burger is pretty good, but I’d rather pair a single burger with fries and a drink than another whole burger.
In summary :
You’ve probably had a better burger at a fast food restaurant, and the offerings here aren’t good enough to warrant a trip to the JiB drive-thru.
Find your nearest Jack in the Box here.
6. Taco Bell — $7 Cravings Luxury Box
Price: $7
Thoughts and tasting notes:
The price of this dish surprises me. Taco Bell is known for the quality of its menu. You can feed a party of four for less than $20, which is rare in fast food. So I’m a little perplexed as to why Taco Bell’s cheap menu is so expensive.
For $7, you get a drink, a Chalupa Supreme, a 5-layer beef burrito, a double-stacked taco, and chips with nacho cheese sauce. Everything about this meal works, the Chalupa Supreme features a thick tortilla topped with Taco Bell’s tangy ground beef, lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes. It’s delicious and satisfying.
The 5-Layer Beef Burrito is a classic. It consists of a large flour tortilla topped with beans, beef, cheese, sour cream, and a layer of nacho cheese sauce. It’s a cheesy beef masterpiece!
The Double Stacked Taco, I’m less convinced. It’s simply a crunchy taco wrapped in a flour tortilla with a little nacho cheese sauce to bind it together. It’s fine, but honestly, I find the regular crunchy taco to be superior because the single layer of tortilla allows you to focus on the flavor of the beef.
The nachos and cheese sauce are disposable items, the cinnamon twists would have been a better option.
In summary :
Overall, it’s a good deal, but you can probably find a better way to spend $7 at Taco Bell.
Find your nearest Taco Bell here.
4. KFC — The taste of KFC
Price: $4.99
Thoughts and tasting notes:
KFC’s Taste of KFC deal is a really great one. For $4.99, you get two original recipe chicken drumsticks, mashed potatoes, and a biscuit.
The Original Recipe Chicken is KFC’s best product, the skin isn’t as crispy as you’d expect from fried chicken, but the flavor is a wonderful blend of thyme, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, floral paprika, and a light touch of celery salt.
This dish packs a lot of flavor into a single bite of chicken, which is made even better when you use the drumstick as a spoon for the mashed potatoes and gravy. The only real downside to this dish is that you don’t get a drink.
In summary :
Delicious. A mix of KFC’s best dishes for only $5. It’s a treat, but it probably won’t satisfy big appetites.
Find your nearest KFC here.
3. Burger King — $5 Eat Any Way You Want
Price: $5
Thoughts and tasting notes:
This is probably the highest ranking Burger King has ever achieved in one of our fast food rankings, but give credit where credit is due, it’s a pretty good deal.
The best part about this meal is that you have a choice. For $5, you can choose between a Whopper Jr., a Bacon Cheeseburger, or a Chicken Jr. that comes with a four-piece serving of chicken nuggets, fries, and a drink. It’s a complete meal, so I recommend BK for that alone.
For this taste test, I went with what I think is the best option: the Whopper Jr. The Whopper Jr. has that addictive charred flavor paired with thick raw onion rings, tomatoes, lettuce, and mayo on a sesame seed bun. I prefer the Jr. over the regular-sized Whopper because the meat-to-bun ratio is a bit better here, allowing you to taste that charred beef in all its glory.
The fries, while not my favorite, are pretty good (they’re fried potatoes, it’s pretty hard to mess up that dish), while the nuggets offer a tangy flavor that’s easily enhanced by dipping them in a smoky barbecue sauce.
In summary :
One of the best fast food deals. It’s like a package of the best dishes from the BK menu.
Find your nearest Burger King here.
2. McDonald’s — $5 Meal Plan
Price: $5
Thoughts and tasting notes:
I’d say Burger King and McDonald’s are about equal. What you lose in variety here (your only sandwich option is a McDouble or a McCrispy), you gain in flavor, because McDonald’s is better than Burger King. Slightly better, but still better.
The obvious choice here is the McDouble, and as weird as the McDouble is (there’s a weird faux-quality to this burger, it feels like the alien version of Earth food), sometimes this signature McDonald’s flavor is just too addictive to ignore.
The burger is made with two thin cuts of beef, two slices of American cheese, lightly grilled chopped onions, pickles, ketchup, and mustard. It’s one of the only burgers I’d call “sweet,” which is a weird way to describe a savory cheeseburger, but I’m not going to sit here and pretend that slightly sweet beef doesn’t taste magical, even though the thought makes me uncomfortable.
This burger comes with fries, perhaps the best fries in fast food, four chicken nuggets (the perfect amount to not overstay your welcome) and a drink of your choice. There’s nothing wrong with this meal, if you’re already a McDonald’s fan, this is the perfect combination of items on their menu.
In summary :
Reason enough to head straight to a McDonald’s drive-thru. That’s what a meal deal should inspire, and this one delivers 100%.
Find your nearest McDonald’s here.
1. Wendy’s — $5 Large Bag
Thoughts and tasting notes:
In other words, you won’t find this level of quality at any other fast food joint. This is the only burger on this list that’s made from fresh beef, and for that reason alone, it wins. It’s also a good thing that it tastes better than everything else.
Wendy’s Biggie Bag offers you a crispy chicken sandwich or a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger, a four-piece meal that includes chicken nuggets, fries, and a drink. Of course, the best choice is the Junior Bacon Cheeseburger. This burger is juicy, meaty, flavorful, and topped with the best bacon in all of fast food. That beef + bacon alone is worth $5.
If you prefer a chicken sandwich, this one is perfect! The chicken is tender and crispy, and you can choose between a spicy sandwich, which has a strong hint of cayenne pepper, or a classic sandwich. It’s not a Popeyes or Chick-fil-A type chicken sandwich, but it comes pretty close. The same can’t be said for other brands.
For me, the Junior Bacon Cheeseburger is the right choice because you also get a side of chicken nuggets, which will satisfy your craving for crispy fried chicken. Wendy’s fries aren’t the best, but they’re not bad either, so while this meal isn’t a perfect 10/10, it comes closer than any other meal on this list.
In summary :
The best fast food deal. If you only want to spend $5 a week (or day) on fast food, Wendy’s is the best choice.
Find your nearest Wendy’s here.
