As a food reporter, I’ve tried and tested many burgers over the years. But for my latest taste test, I decided to go back to basics.
While I’ve compared the biggest burgers at fast-food chains and practically every fast-food double cheeseburger, I wanted to see if the signature burgers from three of America’s most beloved chains really are classics.
I tried the McDonald’s Big Mac, the Wendy’s Dave’s Single, and the Burger King Whopper to determine which is best in terms of taste and value.
Even though they’re menu mainstays, not all the burgers have remained unchanged: Burger King recently updated its signature Whopper, and it’s already helping boost the brand.
Inspired by customer complaints that the burger was often squished during transit — it used to be simply wrapped in paper — the fast-food chain updated the Whopper in February with new box packaging, a new bun, and new, “creamier” mayonnaise.
In August, the chain reported that US same-store sales jumped 8.5% in the second quarter, a surge that company president Tom Curtis attributed to the updated burger and new family-focused promotions, such as Burger King’s Mandalorian meal collab, showing the power a signature burger can have.
Here’s how the three burgers compared and how I ranked them, from least to most favorite.
My least favorite of the signature burgers I tried was McDonald’s Big Mac.
Arguably the most iconic fast-food burger, the Big Mac is a staple on McDonald’s menu. Created by owner-operator Jim Delligatti of Pittsburgh in 1967, the first “Big Mac” featured a triple-decker burger and sold for 45 cents, according to McDonald’s.
The burger rolled out across the US in 1968 and quickly became the chain’s signature burger.
Today, an estimated 900 million Big Macs are sold each year around the world.
A Big Mac comes with two 1.6-ounce beef patties, pickles, shredded lettuce, chopped onions, a slice of American cheese, and layers of Big Mac sauce on a sesame-seed bun.
The Big Mac cost me $8.39, excluding tax, at my local McDonald’s in Brooklyn, New York.
Right away, I wasn’t obsessed with the flavors or texture of this burger.
The burger I received was mostly lettuce, which covered up the flavors of the cheese, meat, and sauce. I wanted more of a tangy flavor from ketchup, mustard, or simply more Big Mac sauce.
I thought it could have used an extra layer of sauce or cheese on top of the burger.
The burger tasted dry to me — I think a lot of that could be remedied if the burger wasn’t so bottom-heavy with its toppings.
The cheese and layers of Big Mac sauce were all toward the bottom of the burger, rather than the top, which meant the dry bun and burger were hitting the roof of my mouth with little to no flavor or moisture happening.
While I understand that this is the most iconic burger on the McDonald’s menu — and that preparation can vary slightly by location — it is by no means my favorite.
Next time, I’ll order a Quarter Pounder.
My second-favorite burger was the Dave’s Single from Wendy’s.
Named after Wendy’s founder, Dave Thomas, Dave’s Single is Wendy’s signature burger. It is available in multiple sizes, from a single to a triple-stacked burger.
It features one of Wendy’s signature square patties and is the chain’s take on a classic cheeseburger.
The Dave’s Single burger comes with a quarter-pound beef patty, a slice of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, mayo, mustard, and onions on a potato bun.
The burger cost me $8.74, excluding tax, at my local Wendy’s in Brooklyn.
The burger was noticeably saucier than both the Whopper and the Big Mac.
It was practically dripping with sauces, which I didn’t necessarily mind. Some of the flavors were slightly masked by the two condiments, but I thought the cheese was tangy and the onions cut through the burger’s sweeter elements.
There was also a generous serving of pickles and a large slice of tomato.
Overall, I thought this was a good, classic cheeseburger.
If I had to change one thing, I might remove or ask for a half-serving of mayonnaise.
But I thought it was an overall solid choice for a late-night snack.
My favorite burger was the Whopper with cheese from Burger King.
Burger King’s signature burger has been around for decades. Released in 1957, just four years after the chain opened, the Whopper was 37 cents compared to Burger King’s original burger, which cost 18 cents.
Whoppers — and all Burger King burgers, for that matter — are flame-grilled, giving their burgers a distinct smoky flavor.
You can order a Whopper with or without cheese.
For the sake of this experiment, I decided to order a Whopper with cheese to ensure a fair comparison with the other signature burgers.
The Whopper cost me $9.18, excluding tax, at my local Burger King in Brooklyn.
A Whopper comes with a quarter-pound beef patty, pickles, onions, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and mayonnaise on a sesame-seed bun.
Burger King updated the Whopper to include a new premium mayonnaise and a new bun, and now serves it in a clamshell box instead of wrapping it in paper.
The thicker, fluffier bun gave the burger more heft, which held in the generous amount of toppings.
The flavorful burger was my favorite for both taste and texture.
The lettuce, tomatoes, and onions all tasted very fresh, adding a delicious crunch to the burger.
The patties had a smoky, savory flavor that made the burger taste freshly grilled. Their wider, flatter shape also made the sandwich easier to eat than some of the thicker burgers I tried.
The new, creamier mayonnaise had more flavor, without making the burger a soggy mess. Overall, I thought the burger was worth its higher price tag, which surprised me.
Comparing the three signature burgers made me feel like a fast-food Goldilocks: One was too dry, one was too juicy, and this one was just right.
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