Americans tend to place fast food, no matter what chain it may be, into one big category – affordable, that’s why we made a list of the 12 best bargain burgers & fries in America. But just because it’s fast doesn’t mean it’s affordable (at least compared to McDonald’s). The meals on our list differ on a nearly $2 scale, so watch what you label as fast (or affordable) food.
We determined the 12 Best Bargain Burgers & Fries in America, some of them also the 16 Biggest Fast Food Chains in the US, by researching the price of a meal in nearly every American fast food restaurant, and even a few sit-down eateries. But it’s more difficult than you would think to find menu prices of fast food online. So we referred to sites that list the specific pricings of menus from various restaurants, and also used some of the restaurant’s downloadable menus.
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We determined, in most cases, the lowest price of a large combo meal (including large drink, large fry, and regular cheeseburger) at each restaurant. No additional toppings were added to the burger, barring those already included. But some restaurants’ regular cheeseburgers may include more ingredients than other regular cheeseburgers, which would raise their worth. And we only priced cheeseburgers, not hamburgers (because who would buy a burger without cheese anyway?)
However, it’s important to keep in mind that every fast food style is different. Some burgers are smaller or thinner, which would affect their cost. Some “regular” cheeseburgers are measured by weight, such as 1/3 pound or 1/4 pound burger. A “large” fry or drink at one restaurant is not as large as it is at others. (We’ve all experienced that sinking feeling of peering into the bag at the large meal you ordered only to be grossly disappointed by the restaurant’s poor definition of large.)
Some restaurants, especially the ones who don’t specialize in burgers and fries, don’t even have combo meals for these items. In these cases, we added up the price of a large drink, large fry, and burger, which made them more expensive. And of course, sales tax is not included in the prices listed below. Any additional factors or exceptions are included with each individual restaurant listed below.
Despite the many factors involved, we’re sure you’ll enjoy and even benefit from the 12 best bargain burgers & fries in America list.
