The Southern Beverage You Should Avoid Ordering At McDonald's

You either get sweet tea, or you don't. It's just one of those things. The quintessentially Southern beverage is a staple in many households, kept always in a plastic pitcher in the fridge, ready for drinking with dinner or for sipping as relief from the oppressive heat of a summer day. The drink is simple: It consists of black tea brewed very strong and very dark, with sugar added while still hot before the mixture is placed in the fridge to cool. It is served over ice, sometimes with a wedge of lemon for taste. To some, the drink is incomprehensibly too sweet and too strong. But those who love it really love it, and won't settle for just any sweet tea. That's why sweet tea fans probably ought to avoid McDonald's.

The problem with McDonald's tea is simple – it's simply too sweet. Additionally, the consistency of McDonald's sweet tea can best be described as syrupy or thick, a clear sign that too much sugar was added during the steeping process. Since hot water helps dissolve sugar, more sweetener can be added when the water is hot. The downside to this is it can be easy to use too much sugar, turning your sweet tea into a black tea syrup in a matter of no time, which looks to be McDonald's' problem.

So, any sweet tea lover worth their salt should avoid McDonald's' brew (unless you happen to love your tea on the very sweet side, as some do). But what are the fast-food establishments worth your sweet tea order? There are several spots that have a pretty good reputation for the tannin-rich beverage, and it should come as no surprise that some of these chains are Southern in origin.

Perhaps the best fast-food sweet tea option comes by way of the Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A. The fried chicken chain's sweet tea is beloved by many for its proper sweetness level, strong but not bitter tea flavor, and use of nugget ice that brings the drink to new and delicious heights. Wendy's sweet tea also tends to be a safe bet; however, some have complained that it is too sweet. A more regional selection is Bojangles. The North-Carolina-based chain is also famous for its chicken and it's killer sweet tea known for its balanced sweetness, fresh brewed taste, and use of cane sugar.  Of course, as with most things, what makes a sweet tea good or bad is mostly a matter of preference; you have to sip for yourself to see what you like.