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McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King: Which fast food chain's meal deal gives you the most bang for your buck?

Comparing value meals
wcpo
Comparing value meals
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CINCINNATI — Fast food is a fact of life for busy families on the go.

That's why earlier this month, we went to the most popular fast-food joints to find the best deals on cheeseburgers and fries. Now, we’re comparing their meal deals.

Meal deals have become more popular recently. The McDonald’s deal was only supposed to be available through August, but it was so popular, they extended it through December.

We checked out McDonald's offerings, as well as Burger King and Wendy's, to see where we could get the most bang for your buck.

All three meal deals are $5. Here's what we got:

Burger King's Your Way Meal

  • Bacon cheeseburger (or a Whopper Jr. or Chicken. Jr.)
  • 4-piece nugget
  • Small fry
  • Fountain drink
Burger King Your Way Meal

McDonald’s Meal Deals

  • Cheeseburger (or a McChicken)
  • 4-piece nugget
  • Small fry
  • Fountain drink
McDonalds Meal Deal

Wendy’s Biggie Bag

  • Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger (or Double Stack or crispy chicken sandwich)
  • 4-piece nugget (or spicy nuggets)
  • Small fry
  • Fountain drink (or a junior-size Frosty)
Wendys

What we found

While all three meal deals had similar offerings, there's definitely a difference in size and variety.

While each offering came with a drink, Wendy’s was by far the largest. McDonald’s had the second largest drink, while Burger King’s was the smallest. Similarly, Wendy's provided the most fries.

McDonald's only offers a cheeseburger or chicken sandwich, while Wendy's and Burger King offer an additional bacon cheeseburger. All deals also offer chicken nuggets, so deciding between those might come down to which restaurant's food you like most.

Our winner

Wendy’s gave us the largest drink, the most fries and offered the most options to customize your meal deal. The ability to substitute the drink for a Frosty was another added perk.

Next time you're going through the drive-through, you'll know what you can expect from each of the meal deals, so you don't waste your money.

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Send us an email, at jmatarese@wcpo.com or Taylor.Nimmo@wcpo.com or message John on Facebook and Taylor on Facebook.