Given the current inflation in the fast food industry, many well-known restaurants are competing to win over their customers by offering the cheapest fast food meals.

It started with Burger King and McDonald’s spreading rumors of a $5 menu in April 2024, but now other big names like Starbucks, Taco Bell and Sonic have entered the race.

But who wins the gold medal for the best value fast food meal? Let’s dive in and find out.

In this ranking we will of course pay attention to the price, but the dish with the lowest price will not necessarily take first place. We will also take into account the value for money as well as the range of dishes available at the indicated reduced price.

Starbucks is one of the most recent chains to launch its Value Meal, offering a $5 “Pairings Menu” where customers can order a large coffee or tea along with a buttery croissant for $5, or a large coffee or tea along with a breakfast sandwich for $6.

Typically, a large latte is $2.95 and a regular breakfast sandwich with bacon, gouda and egg is $5.95. With a single price of around $9, the menu is definitely a budget-friendly alternative and there are plenty of options to choose from.

The downside to this meal deal, however, is that it’s only valid for the entire summer and there isn’t a huge variety of food to choose from, so don’t get too used to these savings. If you’re looking to save money on your caffeine needs in the long run, find out how to become a Starbucks Gold member.

Evaluation: 6/10

8. Taco Bell’s Luxe Cravings Box

Taco Bell gets a lot of points here for the portion size of its value box. This meal includes several large menu items to choose from, including the Chalupa Supreme, Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, Double Stacked Taco, chips and nacho cheese sauce, and a medium soft drink.

Taco Bell has offered its fans a value-priced menu that exceeds all expectations. The portions are huge, there are multiple items in each box, and there is no suggested end date for the offer.

The only downside is that the box costs $7, making it the most expensive menu of all.

Evaluation: 7/10

Jack’s Munchies Under $4 menu features 13 items, making it more extensive than most and includes sandwiches, tacos, sides and even something sweet.

Jack in the Box is a true all-rounder restaurant, serving burgers, tacos and chicken, all of which can be sampled on the new snack menu.

In addition, the menu has become a permanent fixture and thus represents a reliable option in times of rising prices.

Jack in the Box has also launched its own $5 meal. Each Jack’s $5 Big Deal meal includes your choice of a Jr. Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger or Jr. Chicken Sandwich, plus a taco, curly fries and a discounted drink – all for just $5.

Evaluation: 7/10

6. Pizza Hut “My Hatbox”

Pizza Hut is targeting lunchtime cravings with its My Hut box. They are the only pizza chain to announce a value menu this summer.

The meal includes:

• Personal Pan Pizza with two toppings, served with either four boneless chicken wings or a choice of French fries.
• Pizza Hut Melt with a choice of French fries or four boneless chicken wings and a side of marinara sauce for dipping.
• Half Melt and four boneless wings or French fries of your choice, served with marinara sauce for dipping.

For an additional charge of $1.50, you can also optionally add a 20-ounce beverage of your choice.

This meal starts at $6.99, again at the higher end of the budget meal price range, but you get a pizza and sides.

Evaluation: 8/10

5. Wendy’s $3 Breakfast Deal

Save money before you even get to the office in the morning? That’s guaranteed to put you in a good mood. The promotion has been running since May 20th and looks set to become a permanent fixture on the menu.

You can get a small seasoned potato and your choice of a bacon, egg and cheese English muffin or a sausage, egg and cheese English muffin. Unlike Starbucks, they don’t serve coffee, but it’s half the price. This is definitely the best value fast food meal you can grab before 9am.

Evaluation: 8/10

4. Burger King $5 “Your Way” meal

This menu offering was discontinued in 2023 but is back in June 2024. You get an appetizer, two sides and a soft drink, all for $5. Here are the burger options:

• Whopper Jr. – The Whopper Jr. is a classic, smaller version of their famous burger. It features a flame-grilled beef patty with tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles and sliced ​​white onions on a toasted sesame seed bun.
• Bacon Cheeseburger – This is made with the chain’s classic flame-grilled beef patty, topped with crispy bacon, American cheese, pickles, yellow mustard and ketchup on a toasted sesame seed bun.
• Chicken Jr. – The Chicken Jr. features a crispy chicken patty with chopped lettuce and creamy mayonnaise on a toasted sesame bun.

As side dishes, customers can get a portion of French fries and a pack of 6 nuggets as a side dish to the main course.

Due to the similarity of the menu selection, Burger King’s menu was the closest competitor to McDonald’s, but Burger King only missed the top spot because the prices were not too high from the start.

Evaluation: 8/10

3. Popeye’s Big Box

Popeye’s Big Box may be on the more expensive end of the scale, but you get a lot of good food for only $6.99.

The menu consists of two pieces of fried chicken (hot or mild) or three chicken tenders, two regular sides and a biscuit, so it’s a much more generous portion than other chains that offer a burger and a portion of fries.

This dish has been infrequently available in recent years, but after people in California claimed they paid $42 for 16 chicken tenders, this inexpensive dish is welcome news.

Evaluation: 9/10

Sonic is the latest to launch their Value Menu, and they take the crown for lowest price. This new permanent menu features several dishes that all cost $1.99. Here’s what’s up for grabs:

• Brand new Sonic Queso Wraps
• Quarter Pound Double Cheeseburger
• Chili Cheese Coney
• Toddlers
• 16 oz SONIC Shakes (available in 12 flavors)

Sonic may have been late to the race, but they’re making a huge hit with these menu options, especially the 16oz milkshake in every flavor.

Evaluation: 9/10

1. McDonald’s $5 Menu

The price hikes at McDonald’s have sparked the whole debate about fast food prices. In fact, there was so much uproar over the Big Mac costing $18 at some locations that the CEO of McDonald’s responded by promising a cheaper meal.

McDonald’s value menu is very similar to Burger King’s. Customers can choose between a McDouble or McChicken, small fries, four Chicken McNuggets and a small drink, all for the price of $5.

Although McDonald’s value menu offers only two entrees and a small portion of French fries, the company takes the crown for best value fast food menu because it answered its customers’ calls for a value menu when, realistically, it could have ignored that call and still continued its thriving business.

As the most iconic fast food chain, customers would have kept coming back anyway, but McDonald’s has shown that it listens to its fans.

We’ve also created a final ranking of the best fast food chains in the US if you want to see how your favorites stack up.