Fast food giants such as McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Burger King and Wendy’s are introducing new dollar menu items to win over the growing consumer base that want delicious yet extremely affordable food. To determine which of these restaurant chains would have the tastiest dollar menu item, I taste tested several dollar menu items out myself.

My first stop was McDonald’s. The most famous item on their dollar menu is the one dollar McChicken. Although I had already tried it several times throughout my childhood, I decided to order it again to refresh my memory. When my order arrived, I was instantly hit by a mouth-watering and comforting scent. The burger was perfect in its simplicity, with two golden buns, fresh green lettuce and a crispy fried chicken patty topped with some mayonnaise. Biting into the burger, I tasted a burst of a flavor from the chicken patty. The patty was well-seasoned and flavored, and the mayonnaise added a completing touch to the patty. After finishing the sandwich, I can confidently confirm that the McChicken is the best item on the McDonald’s menu, as its taste and affordable price are unbeatable. For those with a smaller appetite, the McChicken can be a even be a filling meal.

Next, I went to Taco Bell. The chain recently introduced a one dollar item to their menu that has gotten much media attention: their new Nacho Fries. They had red seasoning made from Mexican spices and a small container of nacho cheese sauce provided on the side for dipping. I first tried a fry by itself. The fries were not as crispy as I would have liked, but the Mexican spice seasoning was unique and added a nice burst of spice and saltiness. Next, I swirled a fry into the dip. The sauce did add more of a unique flavor, but in my opinion, the fries were better off without it. As each order includes only approximately eight fries, this item does not suffice as a full meal. The flavors of the fries and the sauce were not superb, and the McChicken was much better than these fries in terms of taste and value.

At Burger King, I ordered a one dollar cheeseburger. The burger’s appearance was very unappetizing. As expected, it looked exactly like the opposite of the juicy, exactly symmetric cheeseburger I saw on the online advertisement. The burger looked like it had been squashed flat, but it was simple like the McChicken, with a beef patty, a slice of cheese, two pickles, ketchup and mustard. The patty looked a little dry, and unsurprisingly, it was bland. The cheeseburger’s dominant taste was the ketchup and mustard, instead of beef. The pickle added a tangy contrast to the salty condiments and meaty flavors of the patty. In my opinion, the McChicken tasted much better than this cheeseburger, but if you prefer beef over chicken in your burgers, then the cheeseburger may be the better choice. Two of these cheeseburgers would be filling for a meal, and for a total of two dollars, they are well worth their price.

Having never been to Wendy’s, I was very excited to finally try something from this popular fast food restaurant. After already trying two burgers at Burger King and McDonald’s, I decided to get a small dessert. I ordered the one dollar small frosty at Wendy’s, and it tasted like a typical chocolate milkshake, very similar to the chocolate milkshakes at In-N-Out. The consistency of the frosty was quite smooth: it was thicker than milk, but not so thick that I found any difficulties drinking it out of a straw. The chocolate flavor was also not overwhelming. It was hard to compare this item with the other three items, as this was the one item that was sweet while the others were salty and savory. If you’re not looking for a quick meal but rather a treat or snack, then this frosty would be a great choice to enjoy with some friends.

If I were to rank the four items from best to worse overall, it would be: McDonald’s McChicken, Wendy’s chocolate frosty, Burger King’s cheeseburger and then Taco Bell’s nacho fries. The McChicken tasted amazing and could serve as a one dollar meal. The frosty would not be able to serve as an actual meal, but its taste and consistency was the reason I chose it as the second best item.  The cheeseburger was filling but tasted pretty bland. The nacho fries were neither filling nor tasty. All four items cost a single dollar, so the next time you visit McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King or Taco Bell, you should try them all out for yourself!