Bowling Green is home to several fast-food chains and these are the top five restaurants that have the best bang-for-your-buck, No. 1 combos. Especially as college students, money is a valuable thing, so it’s critical to know where you can get the best tasting burger at a reasonable cost.
1. Rally’s
No. 1 Combo: Big Buford
Description: Two beef burger patties covered in mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup and topped with a slice of tomato, red onion, American cheese, pickles and iceberg lettuce. The combo includes crispy, seasoned fries and a drink.
Cost: $7.59
Taste: The burger was filled with several condiments and vegetables that worked very well together. As the burger is stuffed with several ingredients, it is messy compared to others. However, it was the best burger by far on the list. The fries were also a crispy treat in addition to the seasoned burger. Altogether, this combo was the best tasting as the burger was extremely favorable and the fries were a complimentary item that contrasted the smooth texture. My final thoughts: it certainly is one of the more expensive restaurants, but it comes with luxuries. As this combo is the best tasting by far, it comes down to deciding if you’re willing to pay the slightly higher price for this combo.
2. Burger King
No. 1 Combo: Whopper
Price: $7.23
Description: Beef patty, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, sliced white onions and a sesame seed bun. The combo includes fries and a drink.
Taste: This burger tastes almost identical and looks almost the same to a Wendy’s burger. However, Burger King has a little something extra that makes it more delicious than the Wendy’s combo: the sesame seed bun. As the burger itself holds its taste mostly in the condiments, it’s still not as flavorful as it could be, but the sesame bun adds a certain flavor and texture to the burger that makes it worth the price. The fries, on the other hand, are bland. Wendy’s made up for the lack of taste through their fries, but for Burger King it almost dilutes the taste of the burger. Getting the Whopper is the best idea without the fries, so just stick to the sandwich.
3. McDonald’s
No. 1 Combo: Big Mac
Price: $7.08
Description: The burger contains a beef patty, shredded lettuce, big mac sauce, American cheese, pickle and onion. The combo comes with a drink and fries that are pinched with salt.
Taste: The Big Mac is a highly-publicized burger at McDonald’s for its special Big Mac sauce. As the Big Mac has ingredients thrown onto it with a generous amount of lettuce, it is a messy burger. Most of the burger slides off, and makes it something that should be eaten at a table. Either way, the Big Mac sauce almost overshadows the entire patty. The burger would be more reasonable to eat if they stuck to a patty, cheese, some lettuce, and the special sauce. In a way, this burger has too many textures and tastes that weren’t blending together. The taste is unique with the big mac sauce, which is tasty in itself without the extra ingredients and should be a standalone condiment for the burger. The fries were well-salted and seasoned. They almost outshined the burger because of their simplicity, unlike the Big Mac as it felt the need to overcompensate. Overall, it was not the greatest tasting combo, but it holds specialty tastes in certain condiments while others did not. McDonald’s may not deliver on the taste, but the price makes it successful for a Big Mac.
4. Wendy’s
No. 1 Combo: Dave’s Single
Price: $7.58
Description: A single beef patty, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, mayonnaise and onion. The meal comes with a side of sea salt fries and a drink.
Taste: The burger tasted like a genuinely grilled burger from the backyard. In fact, Wendy’s does not cut up the lettuce or onion, unlike other fast-food restaurants, making it feel more like a burger from a summer grill. The taste was decent overall, but it was missing a key factor that drives it as a stellar sandwich. It was almost too bland in the formality and setup, but the burger itself was decent. The fries are salted with Wendy’s special sea salt. The two together make it a delicious combination as the fries add in the sweet and salty flavor the burger lacks. Wendy’s holds a decent taste, but was missing the flavor factor. That along with the cost makes it an unfavorable choice.
5. Arby’s
No. 1 Combo: Smoked Brisket Meal
Description: A multi-layered sandwich with barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, smoked brisket beef, smoked gouda cheese and crispy onions. The meal comes with a side of curly fries and a drink.
Price: $8.99
Taste: The smoked brisket sandwich definitely packs many elements in one fat sized burger. The smoked brisket beef and gouda cheese are complementary to one another and the onions add a crispy crunch to the mix. Furthermore, the mayo and barbecue are both different tastes for condiments, but they work together in the sandwich to smooth out the taste and focus more on the texture. As the sandwich holds several ingredients together, it seems almost overwhelming and makes the taste seem less powerful than advertised. As for the curly fries, they are displayed as a key factor that makes Arby’s stand out compared to other fast food restaurants. The fries are definitely crispy, but hold no initial seasoning to make it stand out. Yet, they are delightful in just the crunch of each fry that one may not find at any other fast food restaurant. Overall, Arby’s uses unique tastes and textures to pack their sandwiches together. However, for a simple roast beef sandwich, $9 can add up for any college student. The combo is more tempting as the burger has several layers, along with the curly fries and a drink, but there are still places around that could provide a less expensive meal.
Balancing flavor, texture and price is ultimately a decision for everyone to decide whether a fast-food restaurant’s No. 1 combo is worth it or not. As price may be an important factor, McDonald’s is your best bet, but if taste is critical, Rally’s is the go-to.