Restaurants & Bars
In The Fast Food $5 Meal Wars, Not All Meals Are Created Equal: Drive-Thru Diary
It seems like everybody's got a $5 meal these days. But not all are actually $5 — and some are much better deals than others.
![As the cost of fast food continues to climb, national chains are doubling down on value-priced meals.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/26494162/20240712/013112/styles/patch_image/public/202201-ped-drive-through-sign-wi-anderson___12132410545.jpg)
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.
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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.
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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
![](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/26494162/20240712/012747/styles/raw/public/processed_images/202107-PED-Wendys-WI-Anderson-2.jpeg)
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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