- I taste-tested the cheapest cheeseburgers from McDonald's , Burger King , and Wendy's to see which chain's was best.
- Wendy's edged out McDonald's with its fresh-tasting beef and flavorful cheese, but McDonald's remains a solid second choice.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .
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I ate the cheapest cheeseburgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King. Wendy's was best by a slice.
Plain old cheeseburgers are some of the most affordable items at most fast-food chains.
McDonald's Wendy's Burger King Cheeseburgers half-eaten
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Before there was the Big Mac, the Whopper, or the Dave's Single, there was the plain old cheeseburger.
Two buns, a small beef patty, a slice cheese, and a dash of pickle, onion, and ketchup: the original stars of the drive-thru, eminent citizens of the takeout bag, and longtime companions to fries and a soda.
Dollar menus may be dying, or even dead , but a plain cheeseburger remains one of the most affordable items at most fast-food restaurants.
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So if you're in the mood for this cheap, simple classic, which chain will best satisfy your craving? I tried the cheeseburgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King so you don't have to.
Here's what I found:
MCDONALDS An oldie but goodie, the McDonalds cheeseburger is always there for you. It cost $1.99 at the NYC McDonalds I ordered it from.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
Its an inoffensive beef patty with American cheese melted on top sandwiched between two classic McDonalds buns.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
The dominant flavor is ketchup, but the pickles and onions make a noticeable appearance, too.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
These are eatable by the bag. Theyve got the right combination of flavors to satisfy a savory craving. Theres just a little something off about the beef, though.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
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WENDYS The cheeseburger at Wendys is just slightly more colorful and interesting than the one at McDonalds. It emitted a foreboding pungent smell when I unwrapped it. It also cost slightly less than Wendys, at $1.79.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
But the pungent smell turned out to be from the cheese, which is significantly more flavorful than McDonalds cheese.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
Even though the patty was square, the beef was fair. It tasted fresher and more real than McDonalds beef.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
Again, the dominant flavor was ketchup, and there was a healthy dash of onion and pickle.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
BURGER KING The only cheeseburger with a sesame bun, this burger was also handed to me mere seconds after Id ordered. Suspicious. It was, however, the cheapest burger, at just $1.29.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
It was lukewarm and felt more like a hockey puck than a cheeseburger. I felt a familiar sense of dread creeping up my digestive tract.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
My fears were confirmed by my first bite, which was dry, hard, and flavorless. The flame-grilled taste of the beef came through, but it was so chewy and dry I didnt care. It tasted like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for hours, which it probably had been.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
There was simply nothing about this burger that made me want to keep eating it.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
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So which one of these baby burgers packs the biggest bite-sized punch?
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
Wendys cheeseburger is just slightly better than McDonalds in every way. But we wont judge you if you still choose to eat a McDonalds cheeseburger. Burger King, however, is a different story.
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Irene Jiang / Business Insider
See Also:
SEE ALSO: I tried the signature burgers from 5 major fast-food chains, and the winner was obvious
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