In The Fast Food $5 Meal Wars, Not All Meals Are Created Equal: Drive-Thru Diary

CALIFORNIA — As the cost of everything seems to spiral out of control, fast food chains know they've got to step it up for hungry deal-hunters — so much so that chains are declaring war for their business.

McDonals dubbed this season a "Summer of Value" late last month, introducing a $5 meal deal that continues this month.

"We heard our fans loud and clear – they’re looking for even more great value from us, and this summer, that’s exactly what they’ll get,” Joe Erlinger, President of McDonald’s USA said in announcing the deal.

The move prompted its competitors to fire back, setting off a chain reaction. Wendy's — whose $5 meal deal dates back five years — has added dessert to its value-priced combo, while Del Taco declared its entry into the "Value Menu Wars" in a news release announcing its Real Deal$ Menu Thursday.

With temperatures unbearably hot across much of California, the allure of a bargain dinner offers a tasty alternative to cooking up supper in a sweltering kitchen. But when it comes to meal deals, not all chains are created equal, and there are clear winners and losers — so far — in the war for value-minded consumers' cash.

I put five other major chains to the test, using their apps to assemble meals that cost around $5 from Hollywood-area locations. It's not an exact science, but I tried to emulate McDonald's offerings as much as possible.

The McDonald's $5 Meal Deal includes either a McDouble or McChicken, small fries, four-piece Chicken McNuggets and a small drink. It's worth noting this quirk of living in a high cost-of-living area: The McChicken meal is $5, but the McDouble meal costs a dollar more, for a total of $6.57 after tax and 800 calories.

For comparison, I used the brand's calorie counts (omitting any calories from drinks) and noted the total cost after tax. Here's how the competition stacks up:

Del Taco

The Mexican chain's revamped value menu, dubbed Del’s Real Deal$ Menu, features both familiar favorites and items newly added to the value-menu roster. The a la carte pricing is a different approach compared to McDonald's bundled bargain meal.

While there's a wide variety of low-priced items to choose from, both on and off the Real Deal$ Menu, the cost quickly exceeded $5 for only three items.

• Bean and cheese burrito with green sauce: $1.99
• Grilled Chicken Taco: $1.99
• Small drink: $2.59

Price total: $6.57
Calorie total: 750

Jack in the Box

Jack's going tit for tat against McDonald's, banking on its quirky menu items — that singular fried taco and curly fries — to appeal to customers looking for variety.

The chain's Jack's Big Deal Meal includes either a Jr. Jumbo Jack cheeseburger or Jr. Chicken Sandwich, taco, value curly fries and value drink.

• Jr. Jumbo Jack
• Taco
• Curly fries
• Drink

Price total: $5.48
Calorie total: 1,020

Burger King

McDonald's long-running rival also took a direct shot at its closest competitor with its $5 Your Way Meal. But BK has something McDonald's isn't offering — bacon.

The meal comes with a choice of Whopper Jr., Chicken Jr. or Bacon Cheeseburger, plus a four-piece chicken nugget, value fries and value soft drink.

• Whopper Jr.
• Chicken nuggets
• Fries
• Drink

Price total $5.48

Calorie total: 750

Wendy's

Wendy's was ahead of the curve with value-priced combos, introducing the $5 Biggie Bag back in 2019. It comes with a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger or Crispy Chicken Sandwich, four-piece chicken nugget, Jr. fries and small drink.

But the combo wars prompted the redheaded burger slingers to sweeten the deal this summer: Now, customers who order a Biggie Bag in the Wendy's app get a small Frosty for free. (The promotion actually applies to any purchase of $5 or more.)

Alas, living in California costs more: The $5 combo costs as much as $3 extra at the East Hollywood Wendy's, depending on which sandwich you order.

• Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger
• Chicken nuggets
• Fries
• Drink

Price total: $7.67
Calorie total: 1,070

In-n-Out

Famous for its consistency in quality and selection, In-N-Out has opted out of the value-menu wars.

• Cheeseburger: $4.10
• Fries: $2.30
• Small drink: $2.10

Price total: $9.30
Calorie total: 780

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