With fast food becoming more and more expensive, there has never been a better time to lock in what the best menu item at each of the big chains is. We understand that tastes and preferences vary, but if you’re not a regular fast food eater, you need to have some sort of guide that helps to separate the good from the bad, unless you like wasting money. We’re here to be that guide.
How else are you going to know which chain has the best fried chicken tenders, the best milkshake, and whether the quality of something that you thought was great — like the McRib or the Mexican Pizza — still holds up when you haven’t eaten it in recent memory (spoiler, only one of them does)?
A couple of weeks back, we named the absolute worst menu items at 20 of our favorite fast food chains to dissuade you from burning your money, and now we’re here to do the flip side of that premise. Here are the 20 absolute best menu items at 20 of our favorite fast food chains.
We’ve heavily vetted each menu on offer at the big chains and have named a top menu pick for the absolute best experience. Let’s eat.
Arby’s — Smokehouse Brisket
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Hands down, the best thing on the entire Arby’s menu is the mighty Smokehouse Brisket. It’s got creamy and nutty gouda, a layer of crunchy, perfectly indulgent onion rings, tender smoked brisket, and smokey sweet BBQ sauce on a toasted bun.
It’s sumptuous, smokey, and delightful — a perfect combination of crunchy and tender textures with a whole lot of savory flavor.
The flavors of this sandwich are sumptuous and smokey, the mouthfeel is excellent, a mix of crunchy and tender texture courtesy of the onions and brisket. The sandwich begins rich and smokey and ends salty with a sweet top note on the aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
Arby’s best sandwich. One bite takes you on a journey through rich meaty, smokey, and salty flavors with a slight sweet aftertaste.
Find your nearest Arby’s here.
Burger King — Fiery Royal Chicken Sandwich
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I have to tell ‘ya, I never thought Burger King would recover from removing the Ch’King sandwich. That sandwich was nearly perfect, but it was too laborious for Burger King to keep on the menu, so they replaced it, and until the Fiery Royal Chicken Sandwich, nothing could compare to the Ch’King.
But this sandwich is great, in fact, it’s the greatest thing on the entire Burger King menu. They might as well change their name to Chicken King.
This chicken sandwich features a heavily seasoned chicken breast filet that kicks your tastebuds to attention with a lot of cayenne-forward heat. Lettuce and tomato help to control some of that intense heat, while the crispy and airy breading offers a nice pleasing crunch.
BK really knocked it out of the park with this one, no notes.
The Bottom Line:
The true king of Burger King is the Fiery Royal Chicken Sandwich.
Find your nearest Burger King here.
Carl’s Jr. — Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Carl’s Jr. is at its best when it’s offering something decadent and bold in flavor. Nothing on the menu fits that bill quite like the Double Western Cheeseburger. Two charbroiled meat patties, a layer of bacon, fried onion rings, and a double dose of American cheese, all pulled together by a sweet and smokey BBQ-sauce finish — need we really say more here, this burger is near perfect.
The Bottom Line:
A sweet, savory, smokey umami-bomb with an irresistible crunch.
Find your nearest Carl’s Jr. here.
Chick-fil-A — Spicy Deluxe with Cheese
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Chick-fil-A may not hold the crown of greatest chicken sandwich in all of fast food anymore, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t one of the all-time greatest chicken sandwiches. The build here is simple but perfect: you’ve got a cayenne, garlic, onion, and black pepper seasoned fried breast filet on a bed of leaf lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and pickles, topped with a slice of creamy, mildly spicy, pepper jack cheese.
Some people note the lack of sauce on this sandwich as a weak point, but they’re wrong, it’s a strength. First of all, this sandwich is so tender and juicy that it doesn’t need a sauce, but if you must sauce (no judgment) you have the option of choosing any of Chick-fil-A’s dipping sauces, from Polynesian, to BBQ, to the titular Chick-fil-A sauce, offering ultimate customizability.
The Bottom Line:
One of the greatest, most flavorful chicken sandwiches in all of fast food.
Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.
Chipotle — The “UPROXX Custom”
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
We will never stop promoting this build — if you want the best Chipotle burrito build, look no further. Is it arrogant to say that our Chipotle build is better than yours? We say no, it’s not a matter of arrogance, it’s a matter of expertise. We’ve done vigorous tests, and tried all sorts of builds, and the feedback we’ve received on this one is consistent. We’ve yet to find someone who doesn’t like this.
The build is incredibly simple: pinto beans, white rice, barbacoa, the salsa of your choice (we say go with the hot or green), extra cheese, lettuce, and guacamole.
And there is a reason this is the build, if you want to know how we justify skipping things like sour cream and queso, hit up the full article,
Here is what you can expect: a mix of mild sweetness with a sizzling burn that helps to usher in earthy, herbal, and creamy flavors. The mouthfeel is perfection, and because the ingredients are balanced you’ll never have a bite that is mushy or deal with a burrito that is too big for the employees to fold without the tortilla ripping.
The Bottom Line:
A tasty AF burrito. Try it and tell us otherwise, we dare you.
Find your nearest Chipotle here.
Dairy Queen — Chocolate Dipped Cone
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
We think it goes without saying that if you’re hitting up Dairy Queen, you better be ordering dessert. At DQ, you’ve got a lot of dessert options, and we know that the temptation to get a Blizzard is there, but nothing slaps like the simplicity of the chocolate-dipped cone.
The combination of a rich chocolate crunchy shell and sweet creamy vanilla is perfect. Sure it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a Blizzard, but it’s dirt cheap and just as satisfying.
The Bottom Line:
Simple, delicious, and remarkably consistent. We’ve never had a chocolate-dipped cone from Dairy Queen we’ve been disappointed by, even if it isn’t as flashy and fun as a Blizzard.
Find your nearest Dairy Queen here.
Dave’s Hot Chicken -— Chicken Bites (Hot)
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
The newest addition to the Dave’s Hot Chicken menu and our favorite chicken nugget of 2024, Dave’s Chicken Bites are a must-eat. These nuggets are heavily seasoned with a perfectly balanced mix of garlic, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and earthy and floral paprika.
The nuggets offer an addicting smoked flavor with a strong cayenne pepper kick on the aftertaste. If the flavor wasn’t good enough, dipping this into Dave’s comeback-style sauce accentuates the given flavors and adds a tangy top note that makes this dish come across as all the more savory.
The Bottom Line:
Dave’s Hot Chicken’s Chicken Bites are a must order, and our current go to on the menu.
Find your nearest Dave’s Hot Chicken here.
Del Taco — The Del Taco
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
This is admittedly a boring choice, but the titular crunchy Del Taco is the best tasting and most consistent thing on the restaurant’s menu. Until of course, Del Taco decides to bring back the birria quesadilla.
There isn’t a lot going on with this taco, it’s just ground beef, shredded lettuce, cheddar cheese, and diced tomato, but it absolutely dunks on Taco Bell and Jack in the Box’s crunchy tacos.
The beef is zesty and well seasoned, the cheddar is freshly grated, offering a nutty and salty flavor, and the tomatoes bring some umami to each bite. It’s also incredibly cheap, you could pick up three of these and spend less than $5. That has become all to rare in fast food.
The Bottom Line:
Big flavors for a cheap price. It’s not the most glamourous choice, but you’ll never be disappointed in a Del Taco, and the same can’t be said for other cheap Mexican-inspired fast food from the other big chains.
Find your nearest Del Taco here.
Five Guys — The Patty Melt
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I’ve been straying away from “secret menu” items for this list, but because you can order this patty melt without issues, I’m including it. Simply ask for a grilled cheese, and add a patty, and bam! Instant patty melt.
This patty melt features heavily buttered buns, a double dose of cheese, and any other ingredients you want to add on it. Our personal build? One patty, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, and grilled jalapeños. You don’t even need sauce for this thing because it’s so packed with flavor.
The Bottom Line:
It’s a shame that Five Guys isn’t more open about this how easy it is to order this, especially because its significantly better than the brand’s stock cheeseburger.
Flame Broiler — Korean Spicy Chicken
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Launched sometime last year, the Korean Spicy Chicken is hands down the best protein option at Flame Broiler, and therefore, the best thing to order, period.
Biting into this chicken gives you a blast of warm chili spice that shifts into a savory, sweet, and satisfying finish. Add some of FB’s Magic Sauce to the equation, and you have a medley of spicy, umami-rich, and sweet flavors that’ll cause you to forget that you’re eating something healthy.
The Bottom Line:
Big, addicting flavors in a healthy dish? Sign us up!
Find your nearest Flame Broiler here.
In-N-Out — Double-Double w Grilled Onions
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Simply put, this is one of the greatest double cheeseburgers in all of fast food. It has a perfect bread-to-meat ratio, and a simple but effective build. The double patties are juicy, beefy, and salty, while the grilled onions accentuate the savoriness of the meat and burger sauce combo.
This burger is so damn good that just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
If you’re looking for a way to elevate this burger, ask for chopped chilies for some mild heat and a bit of tang. It’ll offer way more flavor than the simple but more well-known “Animal Style.”
The Bottom Line:
The Double Double is simply one of the greatest cheeseburgers in fast food.
Find your nearest In-N-Out here.
Jack in the Box — Bacon Double Smashed Jack
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Early this year, Jack in the Box launched its Smashed Jack Burger, taking it from a mid-tier fast food restaurant to being in competition with brands like Wendy’s. The Bacon Double Smashed Jack is one of the best fast food burgers you can buy right now, excluding more high-end fast casual-leaning places like Shake Shack, Five Guys, and Smashed Burger.
This burger is JiB’s version of a smashed patty but despite what its name would suggest, it’s not a true smash burger. Instead, what you have here is something Jack in the Box calls “smashed-style,” and they achieve this with a beef patty that is thinner along the edges, which allows it to get crispy and form that Maillard crust typical of a smashed patty.
It’s a technicality that sounds incredibly off-putting, but regardless, this burger delivers on flavor and that’s what’s most important.
The burger is incredibly juicy, savory, and salty with carmelized grilled onions, lots of melted American cheese, and bacon, finished with a tangy and smokey burger sauce. It’s served on a light, airy, and buttery bun.
The Bottom Line:
It’s hard to believe, but Jack in the Box quietly dropped one of the best new fast food burgers of 2024. If you haven’t tried it yet, remedy that ASAP.
Find your nearest Jack in the Box here.
KFC — Original Recipe Tenders
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
KFC has finally dropped chicken tenders seasoned in its Original Recipe breading and instantly, these are our new favorite chicken tenders in all of fast food. Yes, they’re that good.
These chicken tenders are juicy and well seasoned with a mix of thyme, oregano, celery salt, black pepper, and salt. They aren’t quite as crunchy as KFC’s regular chicken tenders, but the greater emphasis on flavor here is worth the lack of crunch.
The Bottom Line:
Incredibly well seasoned and tender. They’re herbaceous, complex, and nuanced. Easily the best chicken tenders in all of fast food. Yes, even ebtter than Cane’s.
Find your nearest KFC here.
McDonald’s — French Fries
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Picking French Fries as the one thing you should order at McDonald’s feels cheap, but we’ve thought deeply about it, and if we were forced to pick one singular dish from the golden arches, it’s hard to pick anything more satisfying than the fries.
These aren’t just delicious French fries, they’re the best in all of fast food, so that’s something! A piping fresh order will give you a combination of salty and buttery flavors with a mysterious sweet finish so addicting that it’ll have you convinced that McDonald’s is adding a pinch of sugar to every order.
The Bottom Line:
It’s admittedly not exciting, but there simply isn’t anything else on McDonald’s menu that could compete with its fries.
Find your nearest McDonald’s here.
Popeyes — Ghost Pepper Chicken Sandwich
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Released to coincide with the Halloween season, the new Ghost Pepper Chicken Sandwich isn’t just the best chicken sandwich at Popeyes right now, it’s also the best chicken sandwich in all of fast food.
This bare-bones chicken sandwich features a big, juicy, tender, heavily breaded chicken breast seasoned with a mix of garlic, onion, and spices, with a buttery, mildly fruity finish.
Aside from the chicken you’ve got pickles, and a spicy cayenne-based sauce, and that’s it. And frankly, that’s all this sandwich needs to be the best chicken sandwich in all of fast food, it’s that good!
The Bottom Line:
The current best chicken sandwich in all of fast food. A must eat.
Find your nearest Popeyes here.
Rally’s / Checkers — Fries
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Rally’s has only one menu item that truly wows us and it’s the fries. These things are lightly breaded in an addicting mix of garlic, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper, delivering a one-two punch of big flavors with a crunchy mouthfeel.
While they aren’t quite as amazing as McDonald’s fries, when these fries get soggy, they still manage to hit the spot, which can’t be said about a lot of other fries.
The Bottom Line:
Easily the best thing to order at Rally’s. Everything else on the menu is going to take a back seat to these fries.
Find your nearest Rally’s/Checkers here.
Raising Cane’s – Sandwich On Texas Toast
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
This one is a menu hack so it’s not technically on the Raising Cane’s menu, but still, all you have to do is ask for a “sandwich on toast,” and you’ll be able to order it, no self-assembly required. Considering how easy that is, we’re counting it!
This sandwich offers a strong flavor bomb of garlic and butter before you reach a tender bite of perfectly fried juicy chicken. Couple that with Cane’s sweet, savory, and slightly smokey sauce and you’ve got fast food culinary perfection.
If only Raising Cane’s would make a proper breast filet for its sandwiches, this just might be the best chicken sandwich in all of fast food. But until that day, it’s just very, very good.
The Bottom Line:
So close to being the greatest chicken sandwich in fast food. Even though it’s not, we’ll gladly eat it.
Find your nearest Raising Cane’s here.
Shake Shack — Black Truffle Burger
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I’m not really a fan of when fast food brands try to offer black truffle-enhanced food, because it usually ends up tasting overwhelming and lacks the nuance and depth of actual black truffles. Shake Shack is different though, this Black Truffle Burger is a true culinary feat!
The burger features Shake Shack’s near-perfect smashed Angus patties, complete with lacy edges and perfect Maillar crust (take not Jack in the Box!), topped with creamy, pungent Gruyere cheese, fried sweet onions, and a funky, umami-rich black truffle sauce.
Biting into this burger is wave after wave of intense savory flavors that never let up. It’s almost overwhelming how much of a punch a single bite packs.
The Bottom Line:
Shake Shack has done it again! A truly elevated cheeseburger that is worth its $10 price tag.
Find your nearest Shake Shack here.
Taco Bell — Mexican Pizza
Find your nearest Wendy’s here.
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
It was a toss-up between the Mexican Pizza and the Crunchwrap Supreme, but ultimately we’re going with the former for this list. What I love about the Mexican Pizza is the way it is essentially an encapsulation of everything this brand does well. It’s a unique dish that is unabashedly Taco Bell-ian.
This dish features two thin layers of fried tortilla loaded up with beans and ground beef, topped with an Enchilada-like red sauce, a three-cheese blend, and diced tomatoes. The result is bite after bite of beefy, salty, and earthy flavors with a nice zesty finish.
The Bottom Line:
It’s essentially a giant nacho. Only Taco Bell could’ve invented this Frankenstein food, and we love it for that reason.
Find your nearest Taco Bell here.
Wendy’s — Baconator
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
While I really love this year’s new Ghost Pepper Ranch Chicken sandwich, ultimately, I have to name the Baconator as the quintessential Wendy’s order. This thing is a decadent, rich, bomb of smokey, beefy, salty flavors.
Wendy’s has some of the best beef in all of fast food (not counting the higher-end fast casual brands of course), couple that with the finest bacon in all of fast food and you have a perfect bacon burger. Just be warned, this thing can be overwhelming. It’s the reason terms like “food coma” exist.
The Bottom Line:
Fast food’s best bacon cheeseburger.
