I visited 5 popular fast-food chains with a $10 budget. The differences in value blew me away.
I've eaten at Shake Shack before, so I knew ahead of time that I wasn't walking into the most budget-friendly restaurant.
However, I was still pretty shocked that $10 only bought me one Chicken Shack sandwich ($9.60).
However, the sandwich was very tasty.
Although I thought it was pricey, the sandwich was really good. It came on a soft potato bun with lettuce and pickles, but I added tomato, onion, and ShackSauce at no additional charge.
The chicken was thick, juicy, and well-seasoned, and overall, it was definitely the largest of the sandwiches I tried. However, I finished my meal still feeling hungry.
Did it taste great? Yes. Was it a great value? Not so much.
Next, I got a chicken sandwich and fries at Chick-fil-A.
Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the sandwich from Chick-fil-A.
I've been to Chick-fil-A before, but this was actually my first time trying a sandwich from the chain. To be honest, I wish I had a better first impression.
Overall, it felt plain and underwhelming, especially for the price. The sandwich was admittedly better when I added the complimentary Chick-fil-A sauce — which tastes similar to a mix of honey mustard and barbecue sauce.
For a nearly $10 meal, though, the portion felt small.
My next stop was Burger King.
Burger King is where things really started to look up for me. I ordered the medium Chicken Jr. meal ($6.50), which came with a sandwich, a medium drink, and a medium side.
For my side dish, I chose the "have-sies" option — a mix of onion rings and fries (for the same price as regular fries). I also added pickles and ketchup to the sandwich for no additional charge.
Because I had some money left in my budget, I decided to add a second Chicken Jr. sandwich for $2.20. In total, I spent $8.70.
I definitely got my money's worth at Burger King.
The Chicken Jr. sandwich seemed smaller than the options I'd gotten at the other restaurants, so I'm glad my budget allowed me to get two.
The sandwiches and fries were pretty good, and overall, this was the first meal where I felt like I actually got my money's worth.
I also thought the sesame-seed bun was a nice touch that helped this sandwich stand out from the pack.
Then, I went to McDonald's.
McDonald's delivered a solid amount of food for under $10. I opted for the $5 Chicken Meal Deal, which includes a McChicken sandwich, small fries, four nuggets, and a small drink.
I had enough left in my budget for an extra McChicken sandwich for $2.80. During my visit, I was also charged a total of $0.60 to add pickles to both sandwiches. All together, I spent $8.40.
My meal at McDonald's was just OK.
The patty on the McChicken sandwich didn't have much flavor, and I definitely tasted the bun and mayo more than the actual chicken.
The fries, however, were salty, thin, and delicious. As always, the chicken nuggets were crispy and flavorful.
Overall, I thought this was a decent value meal, but was disappointed that most customizations, aside from ketchup, cost extra.
It wasn't the highest-quality food I've ever had, but I appreciated the variety of items I was able to get for under $10.
Finally, I stopped at Wendy's.
From what I saw, Wendy's seemed like it had the most variety of items available for $10 or less.
I went with the crispy chicken BLT Biggie Bag, which includes a chicken sandwich with bacon and cheese, four nuggets, a medium fry, and a medium drink for $6.80.
I had enough money left over to get another plain chicken sandwich for $2.50, which I customized with onion, pickles, and ketchup for no extra charge.
In total, I spent $9.30 at Wendy's.
I felt like I got a great value at this chain.
Although it was still pretty basic, the chicken BLT sandwich felt like an upgrade compared to what I'd gotten elsewhere. The patty was the thickest of all the ones I'd tried, and I also thought it was the most flavorful.
The nuggets and fries were both solid as well.
I'll definitely return to Wendy's for a great meal at a reasonable price.
If this experience showed me anything, it's that $10 isn't what it used to be. Shake Shack may have delivered the best-tasting chicken, but in my opinion, value matters more than ever these days.
Wendy's truly made me feel like I was getting my money's worth. So, if you're out to eat on a budget, I highly recommend taking a trip to Wendy's.
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CNBC
2 hours ago
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From sweet treats to protein boosts, chains are banking on beverages to drive sales
If it feels like there are a lot of new drinks on restaurant menus, it's because there are. Driven by younger consumers who crave customized, cold beverages, chains from Dunkin' to Dutch Bros, Starbucks and McDonald's are answering the call. The number of beverages offered by the top 500 chains has increased by more than 9% in the last year, according to Technomic's 2025 Away-From-Home Beverage Navigator Report. Companies have leaned even more into cold drinks. Offerings like specialty coffees and energy drinks have seen the most growth on menus over the past two years, as hot coffee and tea beverages on menus decline, the market researcher reported in July. What's more, consumers are increasingly heading to a chain simply to get an iced coffee or soda. Last year, the primary driver for beverage sales was "getting a pick-me-up," as 22% said that was their most common reason for going, up from 20% in 2023, the data found. Meanwhile, 20% said they bought a beverage to "wash down food." The two occasions for a purchase switched places from the previous year. "This shift suggests that consumers may be moving toward more beverage-specific occasions, where beverages are the main driver of the foodservice purchase rather than an add-on to go alongside food. This aligns with the influx of beverage-forward concepts in recent years," the report said. Higher drink sales are key for major players as they seek to reverse slumps in a tough consumer environment. McDonald's U.S. restaurants saw same-store sales growth of 2.5% in its second fiscal quarter, reversing two straight quarters of domestic declines as it leaned into buzzy partnerships and value offerings. But executives cautioned low-income consumers remain challenged. While Starbucks also saw better than expected U.S. sales, they still fell 2% from the prior-year period. Trying to capitalize on the desire for buzzy new drinks will bring its own challenges. 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Forbes
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Business Insider
6 hours ago
- Business Insider
I visited 5 popular fast-food chains with a $10 budget. The differences in value blew me away.
I started out with a visit to Shake Shack, where $10 didn't take me very far. I've eaten at Shake Shack before, so I knew ahead of time that I wasn't walking into the most budget-friendly restaurant. However, I was still pretty shocked that $10 only bought me one Chicken Shack sandwich ($9.60). However, the sandwich was very tasty. Although I thought it was pricey, the sandwich was really good. It came on a soft potato bun with lettuce and pickles, but I added tomato, onion, and ShackSauce at no additional charge. The chicken was thick, juicy, and well-seasoned, and overall, it was definitely the largest of the sandwiches I tried. However, I finished my meal still feeling hungry. Did it taste great? Yes. Was it a great value? Not so much. Next, I got a chicken sandwich and fries at Chick-fil-A. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the sandwich from Chick-fil-A. I've been to Chick-fil-A before, but this was actually my first time trying a sandwich from the chain. To be honest, I wish I had a better first impression. Overall, it felt plain and underwhelming, especially for the price. The sandwich was admittedly better when I added the complimentary Chick-fil-A sauce — which tastes similar to a mix of honey mustard and barbecue sauce. For a nearly $10 meal, though, the portion felt small. My next stop was Burger King. Burger King is where things really started to look up for me. I ordered the medium Chicken Jr. meal ($6.50), which came with a sandwich, a medium drink, and a medium side. For my side dish, I chose the "have-sies" option — a mix of onion rings and fries (for the same price as regular fries). I also added pickles and ketchup to the sandwich for no additional charge. Because I had some money left in my budget, I decided to add a second Chicken Jr. sandwich for $2.20. In total, I spent $8.70. I definitely got my money's worth at Burger King. The Chicken Jr. sandwich seemed smaller than the options I'd gotten at the other restaurants, so I'm glad my budget allowed me to get two. The sandwiches and fries were pretty good, and overall, this was the first meal where I felt like I actually got my money's worth. I also thought the sesame-seed bun was a nice touch that helped this sandwich stand out from the pack. Then, I went to McDonald's. McDonald's delivered a solid amount of food for under $10. I opted for the $5 Chicken Meal Deal, which includes a McChicken sandwich, small fries, four nuggets, and a small drink. I had enough left in my budget for an extra McChicken sandwich for $2.80. During my visit, I was also charged a total of $0.60 to add pickles to both sandwiches. All together, I spent $8.40. My meal at McDonald's was just OK. The patty on the McChicken sandwich didn't have much flavor, and I definitely tasted the bun and mayo more than the actual chicken. The fries, however, were salty, thin, and delicious. As always, the chicken nuggets were crispy and flavorful. Overall, I thought this was a decent value meal, but was disappointed that most customizations, aside from ketchup, cost extra. It wasn't the highest-quality food I've ever had, but I appreciated the variety of items I was able to get for under $10. Finally, I stopped at Wendy's. From what I saw, Wendy's seemed like it had the most variety of items available for $10 or less. I went with the crispy chicken BLT Biggie Bag, which includes a chicken sandwich with bacon and cheese, four nuggets, a medium fry, and a medium drink for $6.80. I had enough money left over to get another plain chicken sandwich for $2.50, which I customized with onion, pickles, and ketchup for no extra charge. In total, I spent $9.30 at Wendy's. I felt like I got a great value at this chain. Although it was still pretty basic, the chicken BLT sandwich felt like an upgrade compared to what I'd gotten elsewhere. The patty was the thickest of all the ones I'd tried, and I also thought it was the most flavorful. The nuggets and fries were both solid as well. I'll definitely return to Wendy's for a great meal at a reasonable price. If this experience showed me anything, it's that $10 isn't what it used to be. Shake Shack may have delivered the best-tasting chicken, but in my opinion, value matters more than ever these days. Wendy's truly made me feel like I was getting my money's worth. So, if you're out to eat on a budget, I highly recommend taking a trip to Wendy's.
