The Unexpected Fast Food Chain With The Best Value Burger. (Hint, It's Not McDonald's)

Some fast food burgers leave a lot to be desired, don't they? Sometimes, you're craving a serious slab of beef, and after hitting up your local drive thru, you're left feeling less than content. NetCredit recently went into the fast food trenches to figure out what fast food chain offers the best value burger, and we were surprised to learn that Whataburger — not McDonald's, Burger King, or any of the other fast food restaurants that advertise great value — won by a landslide.

NetCredit broke it down by "the national average price per ounce of single-patty cheeseburgers and medium (or regular) fries," and Whataburger came out on top — it wasn't even a close race. The standard cheeseburger at Whataburger breaks down to $1.66 per ounce of beef. McDonald's was next in the race, at a distant $1.91 per ounce of beef. Smash Burger, Burger King, and Wendy's rounded out the top five. Whataburger didn't just have the best per-ounce price — the chain also offers the biggest overall burger patty compared to similarly-priced chains.

Of course, having the best value-per-ounce only matters if the burger also tastes great, so we took to social media to find out what people are saying about Whataburger's quality. Fans of the chain on Reddit say that Whataburger is like next-level McDonald's, with higher-end options. The size and freshness of the patties is highly praised (the beef is never frozen, according to Whataburger's website), and customers love how easy it is to customize the menu (add some of the chain's amazing spicy ketchup to your burger for a bit of a kick — it's hands-down the best fast food signature sauce out there). Bonus for health-conscious Whataburger fans: in 2023, the chain scored the top spot in a ranking of the nation's healthiest fast food cheeseburgers.

One downside of Whataburger: it's not as easily accessible as larger fast food chains. You'll mostly find Whataburger in the Southern and Southwestern U.S. If you don't have a Whataburger in your area yet, be sure to set aside some time to give it a try the next time you're on a road trip — your stomach and your wallet will both be happy with your choice.