I placed the same order, including a signature cheeseburger and fries, at McDonald's and Red Robin to see which chain offered the best meal.
Meredith Schneider
When I was in high school, I hung out at Red Robin on the weekends. But now, I find myself driving under McDonald's golden arches because I think of the chain as quicker and more budget-friendly.
As fast-food prices continued to creep up after the start of the pandemic, though, I started to question whether I was actually getting the best value. Is the difference in quality really equal to the difference in price?
To settle my mind, I put each chain's signature cheeseburger meal — Red Robin's gourmet cheeseburger and McDonald's Quarter Pounder With Cheese Deluxe — to the test.
Here's how the burgers stacked up.
Meredith Schneider
I started my culinary adventure by pulling up to McDonald's drive-thru.
I wanted to expect a cheaper price tag, but in this economy, I was hardly shocked when my Quarter Pounder With Cheese Deluxe cost $11.28. The meal came with a cheeseburger, a medium fry, and a drink.
This brings me to the one big benefit of the McDonald's meal: It includes a drink. Red Robin's does not.
Meredith Schneider
Going into the test, I expected my meal at Red Robin to be more expensive. The vibe of the chain reminds me more of a sit-down restaurant.
My meal — which came with a cheeseburger and seasoned steak fries — was just about $15.
I wanted to keep the taste test fair, so I enjoyed my meals in similar environments (I took my Red Robin burger to go). If I had eaten the meal in the restaurant, I definitely would've gotten more bang for my buck because the chain offers bottomless refills on fries.
I made sure to keep this in mind as I compared the chains.
Meredith Schneider
McDonald's may not be gourmet, but it is reliable. I found the patty a little salty and thin. But the bun and fixings were flavorful and made for a pretty great burger.
McDonald's is historically touted as a car-friendly meal, but this burger simply was not.
It had a lot of condiments, so the layers were sliding around. The cheese and sauces started falling off before I even took my first bite.
Plus, when was the last time you reached into a McDonald's bag in the car and didn't end up flinging a fry into the abyss underneath your seat? In other words, I'd prefer to eat this in a proper dining environment.
Meredith Schneider
The Red Robin bun was fluffy, the patty was thick and juicy, and the fresh lettuce snapped when I bit into it. This burger is, without a doubt, gourmet.
Although size was not a determining factor in my taste test, it was a bit heftier than the McDonald's option.
The burger also held its integrity throughout my meal — it was wrapped perfectly to enjoy in the car, mess-free. It even came with a convenient, travel-friendly tray.
I would actually encourage ordering it over McDonald's during a road trip, which surprised me.
Meredith Schneider
Even though McDonald's thin, crispy fries appeal to a broad audience, I think they can only show off when they're fresh.
After about 30 minutes, I've found that they tend to shrivel up a little, making them lose their stand-out qualities.
Meredith Schneider
A huge reason I used to go to Red Robin as a high schooler was that the chain's bottomless steak fries were great for a pretty nonexistent dining-out budget.
My to-go order had far fewer fries than I'm used to getting at the restaurant, and I also found them to be a little underseasoned. But overall, they're still incredibly delicious and have a really fun crunch at the edges.
Meredith Schneider
At the end of the day, Red Robin had the better burger. It tasted gourmet, had a good heft, and was easy to eat on the go.
The extra $4 really doesn't hurt my wallet, either.
That said, I'd never turn down a McDonald's cheeseburger. It's classic for a reason and came with a drink, which isn't nothing.
