Gwynedd Stuart
If I’m in the mood for a burger, McDonald’s isn’t where I’m gonna go to get one. No, I go to McDonald’s strictly when I’m in the mood for a McDonald’s burger. Much like Taco Bell tacos, McDonald’s hamburgers are their own thing. They can’t really be judged against other burgers—but that means all we can do is judge them against one another. Hey, don’t threaten me with a good time.
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Okay, “good time” probably isn’t the right way to describe this taste test. If I concentrate, I can still kind of feel a clump of burger and bun sitting in my stomach, struggling to digest. My colleague Justine Sterling and I agreed this one was hard on our bods, and that’s coming from two people who tasted every single Taco Bell Luxe Value Menu item in quick succession. We’re built differently, but this one tested both of our constitutions.
We ordered 11 basic burgers from McDonald’s menu (we skipped the some of the doubles and all of the triples) and tasted them all back to back. So what’s the best McDonald’s burger? It’s definitely not what you’re expecting!
- Big Mac
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I love how iconic a Big Mac is, but it’s just not for us. The burger sauce tastes too much like cheap, oily mayo. It’s a little too sweet and tangy. And really, I think the middle burger bun is superfluous. It’s filler, not to mention that it sort of squishes out of the back of the burger as you take bites. There are simply better formats in which to consume a McDonald’s burger patty. Don’t yell at me!
Credit: Liv Averett / McDonald’s
- Hamburger
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Okay, the classic McDonald’s hamburger we ordered was definitely past its prime, so it paled in comparison to the cheeseburger. But really, cheese does wonders for this little bitty burger. Unless you[‘re lactose intolerant, get a cheeseburger! Although, I will say we do like the pronounced flavor of the rehydrated onion bits on this burger. It’s still a nice little snack, but you need at least two (and fries) to make a meal.
Credit: Liv Averett / McDonald’s
- Quarter Pounder with Cheese
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The Quarter Pounder is a big burger. But in my opinion, the thicker a McDonald’s burger patty is, the drier and spongier it can be. This patty was also less seasoned than the regular burger patties—this is fine if you’re hungry, but I’d prefer a double regular burger to this single patty big boy.
Credit: Liv Averett / McDonald’s
- Daily Double
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I actually do eat at McDonald’s sometimes, and this burger was news to me! It’s a McDouble (i.e. it has one slice of cheese instead of two), but instead of pickles, rehydrated onion bits, and ketchup and mustard, this is topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. Lots and lots of mayo. Must love mayo! You’re rolling the dice because the tomatoes can be kinda bad if they’re out of season, but if you’re like me and you count iceberg lettuce and tomato on a burger as a serving of vegetables for the day, this might make you feel a little better about eating at McDonald’s now that they no longer sell salads. Mayo aside, of course. Oh, the fresh diced onion is nice, too–I personally love raw onion on burgers.
Credit: Liv Averett / McDonald’s
- Big Arch
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This is the infamous CEO small-bite burger! It appears to be made with quarter pounder patties (two of them—woof), but they are much better seasoned than the regular quarter pounder patties we tried. The bun has sesame seeds AND poppy seeds (sure, great), white American cheese, and a special sauce that is NOT the same special sauce that’s on a Big Mac—this sauce is much better. It’s zesty and it doesn’t taste like old mayo. They’ve called it a more ketchup-forward version of Big Mac sauce, but it really tastes like there’s some paprika in the mix or something. Our reviewer’s biggest criticism when we first tried this was that it’s just too much burger—we actually agree, BUT we also thought this new McDonald’s burger came the closest to tasting like a burger from a fast-casual restaurant rather than a fast food restaurant.
Credit: Liv Averett / McDonald’s
- Double Cheeseburger
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As one of my good friends once said, a McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger is basically a perfect food—and that’s especially true when you’re hungover. The double cheese will hit the spot. The whole thing is really salty and delicious and filling without being too heavy on the bread (lookin’ at you Big Mac).
Credit: Liv Averett / McDonald’s
- McDouble
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The difference between a McDouble and a Double Cheeseburger: The McDouble has one slice of cheese and the Double Cheeseburger has two. That’s really the only difference we could see! We thought for sure the two-cheese burger would be better, but you really get a better experience overall with just the one slice. The burgers are so thin as it is! The McDouble’s meat-to-cheese ratio works.
Credit: Liv Averett / McDonald’s
- Cheeseburger
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A dark horse winner! There’s just something so perfect about the flavor of a single burger with cheese from McDonald’s. The bun is squishy and shiny. The combo of toppings is ideal: the ultra-tangy pickle, ketchup, mustard, and, the most important element, those little rehydrated onion bits. They really infuse the whole burger with flavor. I will say, this only came with one pickle, two really modest squirts of ketchup and mustard, and a very small spray of onions. Order this with extra everything and it will be perfect (and you’ll know it was made fresh).
Credit: Liv Averett / McDonald’s
McDonald’s Burgers!
McDonald’s Burgers!
McDonald’s Burgers!
McDonald’s Burgers!
McDonald’s Burgers!
McDonald’s Burgers!
McDonald’s Burgers!
McDonald’s Burgers!
Other McDonald’s burgers we tried:
Bacon McDouble, Deluxe Quarter Pounder, Bacon Quarter Pounder
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