I tasted iconic burgers from all the UK’s top fast food chains – and the winner isn’t McDonald’s

THE McDonald’s Big Mac is a global icon and often regarded as the king of all burgers.

The double patty burger is so famous there is even a Big Mac index, which is used to compare the cost of living in different countries.

Lynsey has tasted iconic burgers at the UK’s biggest fast food chains[/caption]

If you want a takeaway burger, it’s also one of the cheapest you can buy.

But does it offer value for money and does it taste the best?

Chains like Five Guys and Wendy’s have been praised for their offerings.

Lynsey Hope tried an iconic burger from a selection of UK chains – and McDonald’s wasn’t the best.

McDonald’s Big Mac

• £5.09
• Patty weight: 80g
• Calories: 580

Lynsey Hope had never tried a Big Mac before[/caption]

Despite the popularity of the Big Mac, I’m in my 40s and have never tried one before so this was a first for me.

I liked the price – it only cost just over a fiver and was little more than half the cost of burgers in some other chains.

But taste wise, I wouldn’t rush back.

The two patties only weighed 40g each so you’re not getting much meat for your money and whilst the sauce was nice, overall the whole burger was dry and left me gasping for a drink.

It was neatly-stacked and I liked the sesame seed bun.

• RATING: 2/5

GBK Smashed Classic 2 Patties

• £10.50
• Patty weight: 110g
• Calories: 764

The GBK burger was the most expensive takeaway burger in our test[/caption]

GBK’s burger came in a big fancy box, but when I opened it up the burger itself looked pretty small.

This was disappointing, especially since this was the most expensive takeaway burger in our test.

GBK burgers are made with 100% British grass fed, hand-selected cuts of chuck, brisket and 30 day dry-aged steak and I have to say, the taste of the meat was divine.

There was also a good helping at 110g.

The burger also contained American cheese but not a lot of anything else.

I was stuffed after eating it and was shocked to see it contained over 53g of fat – nearly five times the Big Mac.

Overall, lovely beef flavour, but not worth over a tenner.

• RATING: 3/5

Five Guys Classic Hamburger

• £9.35
• Patty weight: 110g
• Calories: 840

Best takeaway burgers with Lynsey Hope, photographed by Oliver Dixon for Sun Features – 21 August 2025..Photo shows Five Guys.[/caption]

Five Guys staff were definitely the friendliest out of all the restaurants I visited.

You can add as many toppings as you want, which is a handy option if you have fussy eaters in the family.

I enjoyed the taste of the meat, which was perfectly seasoned, and you get a decent amount – 30g more than you do at McDonald’s.

Calories are off the scale but I enjoyed it. The toasted sesame seed bun was among the best in this test. Pricey, but filling.

• RATING: 4/5

Wendy’s Double

• £6.99
• Patty weight: 180g
• Calories: 888

You can get more meat with Wendy’s double burgers[/caption]

Wendy’s ‘double’ burgers gives you the most beef, weighing in at around 180g.

It’s also filled with American cheese, a slice of fresh crisp lettuce, tomato, pickle, Heinz ketchup and mayo and onion – and all served in a toasted bun.

It was a little messy to eat but only because it was filled to the brim.

The ordering process was easy and the restaurant was empty, so I didn’t wait long for my burger to be prepared.

It was quicker than McDonald’s and much better value for money.

Though it cost £1.90 more than the Big Mac, you get 100g more beef and the taste was on another level. Easily my pick of the bunch.

• RATING: 5/5

Wimpy Cheeseburger

• £5.15
• Patty weight: 80g
• Calories: 440

The Wimpy’s patty was meaty and well-seasoned[/caption]

Loved the nostalgic feel of going into Wimpy.

The service was friendly and the restaurant amazingly clean. I enjoyed my burger which was cooked to order.

The patty was meaty and well-seasoned and I enjoyed the iconic special sauce, but this was overpowered by ketchup.

It contained way too much tomato sauce and too much shredded iceberg lettuce.

It was very messy to eat, too. In terms of value, it was poor, offering just one 80g patty and costing over £5.

On the plus side it’s a little healthier than some of the other options, with fewer calories and less fat.

• RATING: 2/5

TGI Fridays The Original

• £9.99
• Patty weight: 140g
• Calories: 709

TGI’s burger also came with two patties weighing a combined 140g[/caption]

Less than a tenner and this TGI burger came with chips, so reasonable value.

It also contained the second biggest helping of meat in the two patties and was served with lettuce, tomato, red onion, dill pickle and the chain’s own mayo.

The meat was flavoursome and well-seasoned and I liked the sesame-seed glazed bun.

The cheese was perfect, just the right amount and I liked the mayonnaise.

The accompanying fries were salty, but moreish.

It’s good value if you wanted this as a takeaway for a special occasion.

It’s best to order ahead if you want a takeaway as there was half an hour wait when I walked in.

• RATING: 4/5

Burger King Whopper

• £6.39
• Patty weight: 95g
• Calories: 595.3 calories

Burger King’s Whopper came in the middle of our taste test[/caption]

Burger King’s patty has a looser, juicier texture which really helped bring out the flame-grilled flavour.

The sliced onion and tomato seemed fresh, the lettuce was crispy and the toasted, sesame seed bun was soft with a darker glaze than other buns.

As the bread was toasted, it didn’t get as soggy from the other ingredients.

You get slightly more meat for your money than you do at McDonald’s, but it is pricier costing £1.30 more – a significant hike if you eat these a lot.

It’s also significantly higher in fat than the Big Mac with 29.8g versus 11g.

Overall, the burger was a little on the dry side. I would have preferred more sauce.

• RATING: 3/5