The Chain With The Absolute Cheapest Breakfast Sandwich Might Come As A Shock

Keeping up with fluctuating food prices isn't easy these days, so if you ever wondered which fast food chain has the cheapest breakfast sandwich, you're not alone. But at the time of writing, White Castle takes the crown with a $2.89 egg and cheese breakfast slider — cheaper than the average cup of drip coffee. It's an outright steal, if you ask us. This may come as a surprise considering McDonald's iconic line-up of breakfast sandwiches dominates the morning drive-thru. You'd think the Golden Arches would also hold the value title, but actually its signature Egg McMuffin has recently surged in price — reaching as high as $7, depending on location. Hungry customers can still stretch their dollars with the chain's McValue deal, which lets you to add a second sandwich for just $1.

White Castle's breakfast slider, however, offers a classic egg-and-cheese combo at a much lower price. It feels like a bold move aimed straight at people who've been sleepwalking through the same McMuffin order for years. And the Chowhound ranking of all fast food breakfast sandwiches confirms what we already know to be true: A fairly priced combo of fluffy bread, melted cheese, and salty protein can really transform your morning.

So how does White Castle pull it off? The secret lies in portion control. The chain builds its breakfast around the same small-format sliders that made it famous, with less bread, smaller patties, and faster assembly all allowing costs to remain low for both the restaurant and the customer. While the sliders might be a bit smaller than your average fast food breakfast sandwich, they still come with eggs, cheese, and a choice of bacon, sausage, or a beef patty for a fraction of the price you'd pay at many of the chain's competitors. And because the prices stay low, you could build a filling breakfast with a slider, small hash browns, and a small coffee for under $6 at many locations. 

McDonald's still holds the crown in other ways. From McMuffins to McGriddles to those infamous crispy hash browns, its wide range of breakfast sandwiches keeps it at the top for convenience and reliability. But with prices hovering between $5 and $7 for what is ultimately a fast food breakfast sandwich, you're better off making a gourmet McMuffin at home. For now, White Castle has managed the impossible by proving that a cheap fast food breakfast sandwich isn't just a memory from a bygone era.