20 Fast Food Sweet Teas, Ranked

Living in the South means there's no shortage of sweet tea, but finding the best fast-food version takes a little research. My husband, a true sweet tea connoisseur, and I spent an afternoon driving around Chattanooga, trying 20 different fast-food chain sweet teas to find out which ones are worth ordering and which ones we'd skip.

We ranked each tea based on taste, with ice type (bonus points for pebble ice) and value also factoring into the final scores. We generally ordered a medium when available, though we quickly learned that sizes vary widely between chains. After plenty of caffeine and a serious sugar rush, we found the sweet teas we'd happily order again — and the ones we'd leave behind.

Coming in at the absolute bottom, the worst sweet tea of the day without a doubt goes to KFC. I try to find the positives in everything I rank, but there really isn't anything good I can say about this one, so I'll just state the facts. A 20-ounce medium was $2.99, which landed it pretty much in the middle, price-wise. As for the tea itself, before even taking a sip, I noticed the ice cubes were practically non-existent — this should have been the first red flag.

The first sip only made things worse. The grossly oversweet tea was somehow equally bitter and didn't even really taste like tea. It was so bad that my husband and I both puckered our lips, spat it out, and cringed in disgust. If I could rank this lower than last place, I would.

Bojangles was up at bat about halfway through our taste test, and my husband — a longtime fan of the chain's sweet tea — had high expectations. Unfortunately, this one fell short. A medium Bojangles tea is 22 ounces, costs $3.05, and comes with very little ice. The biggest issue, though, was the flavor: it wasn't sweet and barely tasted like tea at all. Assuming it might have been a fluke, I considered getting a replacement, but decided each chain deserved just one chance. I know Bojangles can make a great sweet tea, but this particular cup missed the mark. Next time, I'll be tasting before I leave the drive-thru.

If you're surprised to see Zaxby's this low in the ranking, know that it was a surprise to me, too. This 32-ounce medium cost $3.05, which isn't bad considering it has over 10 more ounces than many of the other teas I sampled. And while the cup was full of pebble ice (aka the elite ice, if you ask me), the tea itself was a letdown.

In terms of sweetness, this tea was pretty average, but there was a slightly sour aftertaste at the back of my mouth that I just couldn't get past. Because of that, neither my husband nor I could bring ourselves to take a second sip. He described it as a shame because the dark tea looked promising until that first taste. Maybe I just ended up with a bad batch, but the flavor was disappointing enough that I wouldn't choose it again. Despite the generous size and great ice, the taste ultimately held it back.

Popeyes' sweet tea is served with regular ice, and its cup size options are "regular" and "large." I ordered a regular, which is 22 ounces, and it cost $3.27, making it one of the higher-priced options on the list. For the price, I had high expectations, but the tea ended up being fairly underwhelming.

While it didn't taste quite like traditional Southern-style sweet tea, Popeyes Cane Sweeeet Tea (yes, it really does have four "e's") did live up to its name when it came to sweetness. The drink was definitely sugary, but it lacked the strong, brewed-tea flavor I was hoping for. It also had a slightly unusual taste that I'm not quite sure how to describe — not bitter or sour, just odd — and that definitely factored into its low ranking. Overall, it wasn't undrinkable, but it wasn't a tea I would go out of my way to order again.

A medium sweet tea at Swig is 24 ounces and costs $2.62. The beverage chain uses pebble ice, and the tea is very dark, which felt like a promising first impression. However, the appearance didn't quite match the flavor. On my first sip, I didn't think the tea had much flavor, and it left a filmy residue on the back of my tongue that took away from the experience. Personally, I wouldn't order it again, especially since Swig has such an extensive drink menu with plenty of other options. Overall, Swig's tea wasn't very sweet, which may be intentional since many customers order their drinks mixed with flavored syrups and customizations. Given that Swig is best known for its dirty sodas, plain sweet tea doesn't seem to be the chain's main focus.

A medium sweet tea at Burger King is 30 ounces and costs $3.05, so you're getting more tea for the price compared to some other chains. The sweet tea is light in color, equally light in tea flavor, and overly sweet. To be frank, it was far more sugar than tea, though not quite as overwhelming as some of the other chains I tried. The drink lacked the bold, brewed tea flavor that makes a great sweet tea stand out, and the sweetness ended up doing most of the heavy lifting. There's definitely room for improvement, but, to be fair, Burger King's sweet tea has never been the chain's claim to fame.

At Captain D's, a medium sweet tea is 30 ounces, comes with standard ice cubes, and costs $3.41, landing it among the top three most expensive teas I tried. The tea itself was light in color, which gave me an early clue that it might not have the strongest tea flavor. All that being said, I didn't have the highest hopes for sweet tea from a fast-food fish chain, but I went into the first sip with an open mind.

Flavor-wise, this drink was heavy on the "sweet" and light on the "tea." In fact, the tea flavor was so subtle that it reminded me of hummingbird nectar — essentially just sugar water with a hint of tea. While the large size was nice, the lack of balance made it difficult to enjoy, and I wouldn't order it again.

Panera Bread's "regular" tea comes in a 20-ounce cup and costs $3.59, making it the most expensive of the 20 ranked teas. The price seemed high, especially considering the drink was only 20 ounces. However, if you're already a Panera customer, signing up for the rewards program can help save some money, as MyPanera Sip Club members can score free drinks.

As the only restaurant without a drive-thru, I had to go inside for this one and serve myself. The sweet tea urn was nearly empty, and no one was around to refill it at the time, but there was just enough left to fill my cup. Panera uses regular ice cubes, nothing particularly unique, but the tea itself was dark, sweet, and smooth. It wasn't bad by any means, but I probably wouldn't order it again — but if someone handed me a cup, I'd drink it.

Wendy's medium sweet tea is just 16 ounces, comes with regular ice, and goes for $2.94. The tea was light in color and had a good level of sweetness, but it took me by surprise with its strong lemon flavor. It tasted more like something from the Freestyle machine rather than a freshly brewed sweet tea. While I personally enjoyed the bright, lemony taste, I had to dock points because it lacks the traditional brewed-tea flavor you expect when ordering sweet tea. Though I wouldn't classify it as a classic sweet tea, I wouldn't mind drinking it again now that I know what to expect. It's a refreshing option in its own way, but it may disappoint anyone looking for a more traditional Southern-style sweet tea with a strong tea base and simple sweetness.

When I think of sweet tea, Taco Bell definitely isn't the first place that comes to my mind. But the chain does sell it, so I wanted to give it a fair review. Taco Bell uses the Lipton brand, and a medium sweet tea is 20 ounces for $3.05. The tea was a medium-dark color, came with regular ice, and was overwhelmingly sweet. It didn't taste like the typical "Southern-style" sweet tea I was expecting, but it did taste like brewed tea and real sugar, which counts for something. The tea flavor was there, though it was buried underneath the heavy sweetness. While it wasn't my favorite of the bunch, I appreciated that it didn't taste artificial and had some of the qualities of a freshly brewed tea.

A medium sweet tea at Dunkin' is 24 ounces and costs $2.94. What I found interesting about this sweet tea in particular was that Dunkin' had it on tap, along with its cold brew. When I think of Dunkin', I definitely think of coffee over tea, but seeing it fresh on tap was cool to see.

The tea was fairly light in color, and very sweet, though not overwhelmingly so. Even still, you could taste the tea, which I appreciated. I'd enjoy Dunkin's beverages more if they were just slightly less sweet and served over pebble ice rather than standard cubed ice, but overall, I don't have much to complain about. While an iced tea probably wouldn't be most people's first beverage choice at Dunkin', it's not a bad option.

At $2.83, Hardee's 20-ounce medium sweet tea is about average compared to the other options I tried. It comes with regular cubed ice and is very dark, which initially made me think it would have a strong tea flavor. However, in terms of taste, the tea wasn't quite what I expected. 

While it wasn't bad, it leaned more sugar-heavy than tea-forward, which was a little surprising given its darker appearance. The sweetness was noticeable, but it didn't completely overpower the drink. This is another sweet tea I wouldn't go out of my way to find, but if I was already at Hardee's, I'd consider ordering it.

While McDonald's is known for its extra crispy Coke, the chain's sweet tea is worth trying, too. McDonald's sweet tea costs $2.13 for a 21-ounce medium cup, so it's a pretty affordable option. It was a light color and definitely on the sweeter side. It tasted like it was made with liquid sweetener, but you can still taste the tea flavor, so it wasn't bad. Some people say McDonald's tea is too sweet,  though I wouldn't go quite that far. 

In my opinion, if you're looking for a decent Southern-style sweet tea that you can easily find almost anywhere in the country, McDonald's is a solid, convenient option. It may not have the deepest tea flavor or the freshest taste compared to some of the higher-ranked drinks, but it delivers a consistently sweet, refreshing beverage that's easy to grab on the go. For the price, it's hard to complain.

While the fast food chain is known for its variety of slushes and the iconic cherry limeade, Sonic's sweet tea flies a bit under the radar. Like all of the other drinks on the extensive beverage menu, the chain's sweet tea is served over a large scoop of pebble ice. A medium is 20 ounces and costs $2.45. The tea was pretty light in color, so I wasn't expecting much flavor-wise, but I was pleasantly surprised that it had more tea flavor than I initially gave it credit for. Sonic definitely uses liquid sweetener rather than cane sugar, though the sweetness wasn't overpowering. It wasn't the most memorable sweet tea I sampled, but it was still smooth, refreshing, and easy to drink.

A regular drink at Jack's Family Restaurants is 20 ounces and costs $2.69. Jack's uses pebble ice and advertises its brewed tea as "always fresh and ready." The tea was light in color, but flavorful and had a good, balanced taste. It's also made with real sugar rather than liquid sweetener, which is a plus. The sweetness came through naturally without overpowering the tea itself, and the drink tasted fresh from the first sip to the last. Overall, it's a solid choice for anyone who enjoys a classic sweet tea with a more balanced flavor profile instead of an extra-sugary one.

I think Chick-fil-A has one of the best lemonades, but I'd never tried its sweet tea before. That being said, I had somewhat high expectations, just given the chain's reputation for high-quality products. Like Chick-fil-A's other drinks, the sweet tea comes with pebble ice, and a medium 20-ounce cup costs $2.50. The drink was light in color, sweet but not overly so, and had a nice, balanced tea flavor that tasted fresh and clean. 

My only note was that the cup was a little heavy on the ice, but I'd rather have that than no ice at all. Even with the extra ice, the tea maintained its flavor and didn't seem watered down. While it wasn't quite bold enough to rank among my very favorites, it was still an enjoyable, refreshing drink that I'd have no problem ordering again.

McAlister's Deli serves its "famous sweet tea" in just one size — a 32-ounce cup for $3.52 — making it one of the most expensive teas of the day, second only to Panera. However, McAlister's tea is also double the size of Panera's, so it automatically feels like a better value. McAlister's uses crescent-shaped ice cubes, and the tea was a medium-light color. 

Taste-wise, the tea was pleasantly sweet, fresh, and strongly flavored; it was refreshing, and I'd definitely order it again. It struck a nice balance between sweetness and bold tea flavor without either one overpowering the other. While it wasn't quite as rich or syrupy as some of the more traditional Southern-style sweet teas on this list, it still delivered a satisfying, freshly brewed taste that would appeal to a wide range of people.

Whataburger's medium sweet tea is 32 ounces, served over regular ice cubes, and costs $3.16. The tea itself is quite dark and has a very good flavor — nice and strong, and sweet but not too sweet. My husband described this one as "the perfect sweet tea for people who don't normally drink sweet tea," and I agree. This one was well-balanced, even though some sweet tea lovers may prefer an even sweeter sip. I can definitely see myself ordering this one again, and I think it's a great option for anyone looking for a refreshing drink that isn't overwhelmingly sugary. The generous size also makes it a good value for the price, especially on a hot day. Overall, it's an easy crowd-pleaser and one of the best sweet teas I sampled.

The tea coming in at a very close second on our list is from Cookout, which is known for its signature huge sweet tea. The 32-ounce cup costs $2.39, comes with pebble ice, and it's delicious. It was dark, smooth, and very sweet — a "typical Southern sweet tea," according to my husband. Of all the teas I tried, this was one of the few I found myself going back to for multiple sips. It was nearly a perfect drink, and an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys a classic, sugary Southern-style sweet tea at a great price. The bold tea flavor held up well against the sweetness, creating a satisfying drink that never tasted watered down. Combined with the generous size and low price, it's one of the best values on the menu and a sweet tea I'd happily order again.

Raising Cane's medium sweet tea is 22 ounces of sweet perfection. Served over pebble ice, this tea costs $2.72, and it's a medium amber color. Flavor-wise, it's nicely balanced and refreshing. You can definitely taste the real brewed tea leaves and cane sugar — nothing fake here.

After sipping 20 sweet teas, this is the only place I can see myself going just for tea; no need to even order anything else. Interestingly enough, it was also the only tea we kept sipping after completing our taste-test — my husband even finished off the cup with lunch and said he could drink a gallon of it (and believe me, he would!). If you only try one sweet tea from this list, let it be this one — it's a perfect 10.

Gathering 20 sweet teas on a nearly 100-degree summer day was quite an adventure. To accomplish this most effectively, my husband and I split the list down the middle and tackled different parts of town before regrouping back at home to taste-test. All drinks were ordered at the drive-thru, except for McAllister's, which was ordered via mobile order for pickup, and Panera, which was placed in-store since my location didn't have a drive-thru. To maintain ultimate freshness, each drink was immediately placed in a JavaSok to keep it cold.

Each chain only got one chance to make its impression, no matter the outcome. Unfortunately, everyone has off days, and some teas just didn't meet expectations on this particular day. Overall, though, this was a stacked competition, with a good number of teas worth drinking again.

To ensure each chain was given a fair opportunity, we kept plenty of water on hand so we could sip it to cleanse our palates between teas. As with any ranking article, I take highly detailed notes while taste-testing each product to help me recall specifics later when I start writing. I take that part very seriously, color-coded pens and all!