McDonald’s built its global fast food empire on an unmistakable taste and perennial value. But the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has erased its hold on the value conversation. At one point, it was reported that a Big Mac meal was fetching nearly $20 at certain locations.
Prices have settled since then—but they’re still resoundingly higher than they were in 2019.
And it also happens to be their best burger by a mile.
At a location in Austin, Texas, I ordered the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese. The half-pound double cheeseburger came out to $8.32 with tax, though prices will vary by location.
My recent run of expensive fast food burger tests all share one thing in common: they’re cooked to order.
That was true at Five Guys. It was even true at Jack in the Box with their $9 Smashed Jack. At Five Guys, that’s expected. At Jack in the Box, it didn’t help much. At McDonald’s, though, it actually makes a difference—and helps make the case that this burger is almost worth the price.
The Vitals:
the spot: McDonald's locations worldwide
the eats: Double Quarter Pounder with cheese
the bucks: $8.32 (w/ tax)
the full nelson: the most expensive burger at McDonald's
Sadly, no.
It is a good—maybe even great—fast food burger, and it’s easily the best burger on McDonald’s menu. But the price puts it too close to genuinely better burgers from higher-quality chains and local spots.
McDonald’s, in a way, dug its own grave by over-delivering on value for decades. It’s simply too hard to believe that McDonald’s now costs as much as it does.
McDonald’s introduced the Quarter Pounder in the 1970s as a competitor to Burger King’s Whopper. The beefier burger held its own as a heavyweight for more than four decades.
Then, in 2015, McDonald’s decided to upgrade quality by switching to fresh, never-frozen beef cooked to order. By 2018, the improved Quarter Pounder hit the market and received fairly positive reviews.
Today, the Quarter Pounder—especially the double—is the best burger at McDonald’s.
This post is part of an ongoing series examining fast food chains through the lens of economics, value, and reality in 2026 and beyond.
If fast food is going to cost more, it has to earn its place.
You can explore more in the series here:
Five Guys Burgers and Fries has long been considered expensive for fast food. In 2026, they sell one of the most expensive burgers in the fast food space. Along with Shake Shack, Five Guys burgers now easily sail past $10 before you even think about fries or a drink.
Fast food prices keep soaring. And that makes the value conversation unavoidable.
Last week, I tried a $9 smash burger from Jack in the Box. If you missed the video, you can catch my full dissatisfaction with the Smashed Jack there. But that was last week.
This week, I’m in the business of even more expensive fast food.
Which brings us to Five Guys.
I tried to get my money’s worth. And at Five Guys, that meant getting every topping I could.
To their credit, Five Guys offers extras like grilled mushrooms and grilled peppers at no additional charge. At most places, those kinds of add-ons cost extra. Here, they’re included.
That’s a real point in their favor.
The Vitals:
the spot: Five Guys locations nationwide
the eats: Cheeseburger
the bucks: $12
the full nelson: the most expensive burger in fast food
I’ve had Five Guys a handful of times over the years, and it never really moved me. The first time I had it, I found it expensive. And it’s always irked me that they cook their burgers well done but still call them “juicy.”
For what it’s worth, I think the fries are the best thing on the menu.
With all that said, I was pleasantly surprised this time.
The burger is massive. Despite the price tag, you are getting a substantial amount of food. It may come in a brown paper bag, but you’re getting one hearty meal, even without the fries.
In short: it was almost worth it.
I get into this more in the video, but I do think Five Guys comes close to making a real case for value compared to other fast food restaurants.
The problem is context.
For working families, Five Guys starts to feel like a luxury fast food option—one that doesn’t always add up. I wouldn’t be mad about eating a Five Guys burger again. But I also don’t think it would be my first choice, especially if I could find a better burger restaurant for just a little more money.
This post is part of an ongoing series examining fast food chains through the lens of economics, value, and reality in 2026 and beyond.
If fast food is going to cost more, it has to earn its place.
You can explore more in the series here:
Last week I published a review of Popeye's iconic fried chicken sandwich to see if it was still worth it in 2026.
The answer turned out to be surprisingly easy: not only was it still reasonably priced, it also shocked me with how good it was.
That was last week.
This week, it’s Jack in the Box — and their nearly $9 smash burger called the Smashed Jack.
I had high hopes.
I was skeptical. But I also got a strong endorsement: a DM on Instagram encouraging me to try the Smashed Jack.
And this wasn’t from a random follower. The person (who will remain unnamed) is associated with one of the more famous hamburger restaurants in America.
I was also warned it would be pricey. That part wasn’t surprising — and, oddly, it was a little encouraging. When something costs more, you expect more.
Especially from a chain that was recently named the worst fast food burger chain by Tasting Table. I can’t argue much there. I hadn’t eaten at Jack in the Box in about 15 years.
The Vitals:
the spot: Jack in the Box locations nationwide
the eats: Smashed Jack
the bucks: $8.89
the full nelson: can Jack in the Box deliver a smash burger worth $9
At $9, Jack in the Box is putting itself in Shake Shack and Five Guys territory.
And in the case of Shake Shack, that kind of pricing comes with expectations: better ingredients, better execution, better flavor. Or at least, that’s how it should work.
To be fair, the burger is a looker.
Both in the DM and in real life, the Smashed Jack looks good. The simplicity works: meat, cheese, bun, and a minimal set of toppings — lightly grilled onions, pickles, and a tangy sauce. Even the meat-to-bun ratio feels right.
On paper, this all makes sense.
And then you taste it.
The patty is the downfall. It tastes heavily processed, with enough sodium to moonlight as breakfast sausage. The beef flavor is muted, replaced by a distinctly processed, overly seasoned profile.
The pickles are limp and bring no punch. The sauce is mayo-heavy and forgettable. What should be a simple, craveable smash burger ends up feeling engineered rather than cooked.
This is the kind of burger that looks right and eats wrong.
Hell naw.
It’s not even worth eating.
The Smashed Jack is both bad and expensive, which is the worst possible combination. Shake Shack is leagues better. And honestly? I’d take a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese over this without hesitation.
At $9, this burger doesn’t just miss the mark — it fails the entire value conversation.
This post is part of an ongoing series examining fast food chains through the lens of economics, value, and reality in 2026 and beyond.
If fast food is going to cost more, it needs to earn its place.
You can explore more in the series here:
The 2026 Super Bowl is upon us, and even if you don’t have a team to root for, it’s always a great excuse to have people over, crack a few beers, and eat very well. While there are plenty of Super Bowl recipes out there, they all involve that pesky concept of cooking. Sometimes it’s easier to outsource that part so you can concentrate on the crucial third-and-long moments — and, of course, the commercials.
If you’re looking for where to order Super Bowl food in Austin, these are my picks for the best Austin restaurants for Super Bowl takeout and catering this year.
PS — GO SEAHAWKS. There, I said it.
The Vitals:
the spot: La Plancha 701 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Unit 101, Austin, TX 78702
the eats: tortas and tacos including buffet packages
the bucks: $15 per torta, $25 a person for catering packages
the full nelson: The best tortas in town for the biggest game of the year
La Plancha is a torta specialist from a chef whose accolades include a degree from the Culinary Institute of America. That’s reason enough to eat there — but here’s a better reason to order La Plancha for Super Bowl Sunday: tortas travel.
Unlike tacos, which tend to get soggy, tortas — the iconic Mexican sandwich — can handle some time in transit. Heck, they can sit around through a quarter of football… with timeouts.
If you really want to do it up, consider the catering package and set up a build-your-own torta bar at home. Whatever you do, place your order early. These bespoke Mexican sandwiches tend to sell out, especially around big game weekends.
The Vitals:
the spot: Loro 2115 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
the eats: Loro Super Bowl Bundle: wings, ribs, BBQ pork sliders, Sesame Noodles, Corn Fritters, Chips n Queso 'n kimchee, dozen cookies
the bucks: $190 and feeds 4-6 ppl
the full nelson: MVP of Super Bowl food to go
The king of Brisket and the king of sushi make a compelling case to NOT light up the BBQ this year. Aaron Franklin and Tyson Cole teaming up
The king of brisket and the king of sushi make a very compelling case to not light up the BBQ this year. Aaron Franklin and Tyson Cole teaming up for your Super Bowl catering in Austin is like finding out Superman is your Uber driver — and he’s picking you up in the Batmobile.
This might be the ultimate Austin food flex for Super Bowl Sunday: smoked meats, wings, and sides that actually travel well and feed a crowd without stress. If you’re hosting and want one easy, premium order that covers all the bases, this is it.
The Vitals:
the spot: Roots Chicken Shak 1801 E 51st St, Austin, TX 78723 (@HEB Mueller)
the eats: Duck fat fried Chicken Strips, wings and sandwiches
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: You have to go to HEB anyways
I don’t know what’s more surprising: that a celeb chef like Tiffany Derry has an outpost of her fried chicken concept inside a grocery store (shoutout, H-E-B), or that it doesn’t cost much more than hitting up Raising Cane’s.
Either way, these duck fat fried chicken tenders will absolutely upgrade your Super Bowl takeout in Austin. Don’t skip the Caesar salad, either. You’ll thank me later.
The Vitals:
the spot: Feral Pizza 500 E 51st St, Austin, TX 78751
the eats: NY-New Haven pizza hybrid
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: My new pizza crush
I’m head over heels in love with the tomato pie at Feral Pizza. It skips the mozzarella in favor of a well-baked layer of tomato sauce with a fine dusting of Pecorino. The simple umami of the tomato lets the dough — fermented for 72 hours — really show off its sourdough character.
That said, since this is Super Bowl food, the Supreme with its meat-heavy point of view might be what the buzzed bros are expecting. This is not the time for nuance. It’s the Super Bowl. And someone from the Salesforce sales team will almost certainly need something to soak up the Jell-O shots they had for breakfast.
Whatever you choose for your Super Bowl food in Austin, pick up the phone and place your order sooner rather than later. The best Austin restaurants always book up fast for the big game.
The last thing you want to do is stand by your grill turning hot dogs when you could be on the couch, watching football, and feasting on some of the best Super Bowl takeout and catering Austin has to offer.
