McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King Cheapest Cheeseburger Compared

McDonald's Wendy's Burger King Cheeseburgers half-eaten — Dollar menus may be dying, or even dead, but a plain cheeseburger remains one of the most affordable items at most fast-food restaurants. Irene Jiang / Business Insider

2019-09-16T15:56:36.000Z

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 of 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.

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.

MCDONALD'S — An oldie but goodie, the McDonald's cheeseburger is always there for you. It cost $1.99 at the New York City McDonald's I ordered it from.

It's an inoffensive beef patty with American cheese melted on top, sandwiched between two classic McDonald's buns.

The dominant flavor was ketchup, but the pickles and onions made a noticeable appearance too.

These are eatable by the bag. It had the right combination of flavors to satisfy a savory craving. There was just a little something off about the beef though.

WENDY'S — The cheeseburger at Wendy's was just slightly more colorful and interesting than the one at McDonald's. It emitted a foreboding, pungent smell when I unwrapped it. It also cost slightly less than the McDonald's burger, at $1.79.

But the pungent smell turned out to be from the cheese, which was significantly more flavorful than McDonald's cheese.

Even though the patty was square, the beef was fair. It tasted fresher and more real than McDonald's beef.

Again, the dominant flavor was ketchup, and there was a healthy dash of onion and pickle.

BURGER KING — The only cheeseburger with a sesame bun, this burger was also handed to me mere seconds after I ordered it. Suspicious. It was, however, the cheapest burger, at just $1.29.

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.

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 that I didn't care. It tasted like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for hours, which it probably had been.

There was simply nothing about this burger that made me want to keep eating it.

So which one of these baby burgers packs the biggest bite-sized punch?

McDonald's Wendy's Burger King Cheeseburgers half-eaten tower

Wendy's cheeseburger is just slightly better than McDonald's in every way — but we won't judge you if you still choose to eat a McDonald's cheeseburger. Burger King, however, is a different story.

I ate the cheapest cheeseburgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King. Wendy's was best by a slice.

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I ate the cheapest cheeseburgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King. Wendy's was best by a slice.

MCDONALD'S — An oldie but goodie, the McDonald's cheeseburger is always there for you. It cost $1.99 at the New York City McDonald's I ordered it from.

It's an inoffensive beef patty with American cheese melted on top, sandwiched between two classic McDonald's buns.

The dominant flavor was ketchup, but the pickles and onions made a noticeable appearance too.

These are eatable by the bag. It had the right combination of flavors to satisfy a savory craving. There was just a little something off about the beef though.

WENDY'S — The cheeseburger at Wendy's was just slightly more colorful and interesting than the one at McDonald's. It emitted a foreboding, pungent smell when I unwrapped it. It also cost slightly less than the McDonald's burger, at $1.79.

But the pungent smell turned out to be from the cheese, which was significantly more flavorful than McDonald's cheese.

Even though the patty was square, the beef was fair. It tasted fresher and more real than McDonald's beef.

Again, the dominant flavor was ketchup, and there was a healthy dash of onion and pickle.

BURGER KING — The only cheeseburger with a sesame bun, this burger was also handed to me mere seconds after I ordered it. Suspicious. It was, however, the cheapest burger, at just $1.29.

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.

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 that I didn't care. It tasted like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for hours, which it probably had been.

There was simply nothing about this burger that made me want to keep eating it.

So which one of these baby burgers packs the biggest bite-sized punch?

Wendy's cheeseburger is just slightly better than McDonald's in every way — but we won't judge you if you still choose to eat a McDonald's cheeseburger. Burger King, however, is a different story.

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know