More and more Americans are looking for ways to save money while eating out, especially with the rising cost of food inflation, which the USDA reported is only slated to get worse as 2023 progresses.
Many would probably argue that if folks are looking to save money on the food they’re eating, they simply just need to eat at home more. This may not be a viable option for many folks, or perhaps there are just a large number of people who simply find comfort in scarfing down food options from fast-casual chains. Whatever the reason, the staggering number of Americans who consume fast food daily is 84.8 million, according to 2023 statistics published on Barbecue Lab.
A TikToker, Remy (@littleremyfood), wanted to try out some of the cheapest menu items at four popular fast-food franchises in a video that’s garnered over 500,000 views.
In it, she visited a Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Burger King, and she posted individual reviews of each of the items she got.
“I went to four fast-food restaurants and asked for the cheapest thing on their menu,” she said before starting with McDonald’s. “McDonald’s gave me a McChicken ($1.74).”
@littleremyfood k, but what’s up with the last one??? likee…. 👀 #food #tiktokfood #fastfood #mcdonalds #wendys #burgerking #tacobell #cheap #dollar #fyp #fypシ ♬ original sound – Little Remy Food 🐭🍝
Although she said that she often enjoys McChickens, she was disappointed by the one given to her from this location. “These are usually bomb but this one was kinda dry,” she said.
She then moved on to Taco Bell, which gave her a cheesy roll up, consisting of cheese rolled up in a tortilla and costing $1.40. “Can’t expect much for $2 but I could do better at home,” she said.
Wendy’s gave her a Crispy Chicken, costing $2.90.
“This is the crispy chicken we asked for. It’s hot and tender. Wendy’s in the new McDonald’s,” she declared before moving on to Burger King, which gave her a $9 Double Whopper. “Burger King didn’t understand the assignment,” she said, adding that “this can’t possibly be the cheapest thing on the menu. Do better Burger King.”
Remy also gave ratings to each of the offerings that she tried from the restaurants. Mickey D’s received a six out of 10, Taco Bell got a three, Wendy’s pulled an eight, and Burger King didn’t even get a ranking because she said she didn’t try the cheapest item off of its menu.
One person remarked that of the restaurants she tried, Burger King gives customers the most bang for their buck. “Burger King is actually so cheap tho. $2 for 8 nuggets while McDonald’s is almost $6 for a 10 piece,” they claimed.
Someone else said there’s a better affordable option at Taco Bell. “Spicy potato taco at taco bell $1 and amazing,” they said.
But someone else thought that the best value was Wendy’s for the quality of food that people were receiving: “Wendy’s has the best prices.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Burger King, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s via email as well as to Remy via TikTok comment for further information.
