The Ultimate Ranking Of McDonald's Burgers

Is there anything more classic than a McDonald's burger? As one of the world's largest fast food chains, McDonald's has more than 36,000 restaurant locations across the globe — and it's been slowly conquering the map since the 1950s. I know that, personally, I have fond memories of the fast-food giant. As a child, I would beg my mom to take me to McDonald's for a Happy Meal. As time went on, my own kids began begging for those Happy Meals. And, while they aren't the healthiest thing I could choose for lunch, McDonald's burgers have always been a special kind of fantastic to me, offering an intense savoriness I adore. But I began to wonder which of the chain's burgers were truly the best.

If you've been asking yourself the same thing, don't fret. I was given the opportunity to answer this pressing question for both of us. To do so, I taste-tested all of McDonald's standard burger offerings, which include everything but the triple-patty options. I ate each burger exactly as it's offered on the menu without alterations, and judged them based on taste, smell, and balance using my food industry background and other relevant experience. Now, ready to see which McDonald's burger you should be ordering at your next visit? Let's get into it.

Before I go into my notes, I want to take a second to make a general statement applying to all 11 burgers on this list. I was truly disappointed about the poor visual aesthetics and overall presentation of these burgers, as no matter how I tried to put them back together nicely, they just didn't look extra appetizing (which you can somewhat see in the photos). I understand this isn't a normal thing, and it's just something that happened during my order. Due to this, I didn't knock points off in this ranking for that, but I still wanted to stress how disappointing it was.

The McDonald's Hamburger sits at the bottom of this ranking list not because it's bad, but because it's dreadfully plain. A very thin burger sat inside the soft bun, alongside pickles, finely diced onions, ketchup, and mustard. The whole thing was just a little bit dry, and it paled in comparison to some of the more flavorful options dominating this list. Since there were so few toppings, the bun felt thicker than it should have, causing the burger to feel unbalanced and overwhelmingly starchy.

I wouldn't willingly purchase this again, although I would probably eat it if offered to me by someone else. Truly, there wasn't one burger on this list that felt disgusting enough that I wouldn't eat it again if served to me. I recommend opting for a higher-ranking burger if you want the most satisfying meal, however.

The Big Arch is a new premium burger offered by McDonald's in the United States. Unlike other menu items, this wasn't a US-first release, but rather, offered at global venues to positive feedback before launching in the States. Despite praise in other countries, I personally wasn't thrilled with this new offering, although it wasn't terrible, either.

The impressively-sized Big Arch Burger comes with two beef patties, white cheddar cheese, lettuce, crispy onions, pickles, and onions, topped with a special Big Arch Sauce and sandwiched between two special buns. These buns include black poppy seeds alongside sesame seeds, making them quite distinct from McDonald's other offerings. The special sauce tasted like a zestier version of the Big Mac sauce to me, and the patties were different, too — they had a distinct grilled taste, almost like they came from Burger King instead of McDonald's. The one positive thing I will say is that this new premium burger felt healthier for some reason. But I wasn't a fan of the new bun, and the sauce was mediocre. I much prefer the original Big Mac sauce, myself.

Overall, I'm not blown away by McDonald's Big Arch and wouldn't purposefully seek it out. Due to this, I can't recommend it with any confidence.

There are a few variations of the Quarter Pounder on this list because they were highlighted as predominantly different burgers. Due to the vast amount of variations, I can only imagine that the Quarter Pounder line of burgers sells well for McDonald's.

This Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese is created from a beef patty, American cheese, bacon, ketchup, pickle slices, onions, and mustard inside a specially seeded bun. And, it's the lowest ranking option in this specific line of burgers — not because there was anything wrong with the base option itself, which was actually pretty great. Instead, it was an issue with the bacon, which was much too hard for my preferences, and carried with it a somewhat artificial, overly-greasy taste. If I were ranking fast-food bacon cheeseburgers based on this specific experience, the Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese would have ranked pretty low on my list. Otherwise, this was a nicely balanced option that felt like the quintessential American bacon cheeseburger to me.

Since I'm not a fan of the bacon on this burger, I won't order it again. There are many better-ranking Quarter Pounder options on this list, and I recommend skipping this option in lieu of one of those.

Although you might think the Big Mac would be McDonald's best-selling item because of how synonymous it's become with the chain, you'd actually be wrong. Instead, McDonald's best-selling items are its fries — which makes a lot of sense when you stop to think about it. After all, the fries are served with everything on the menu. I'm sure the Big Mac is somewhere near the top of the list of best-selling items, however. Although based on a comprehensive listing of items you should avoid ordering at McDonald's, maybe it shouldn't be.

The Big Mac consists of a special bun, a special sauce, two beef patties, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions. The Big Mac Sauce tasted like Thousand Island Dressing, but with a small twist that makes it slightly more zesty with less of a tomato hue. Overall, the burgers were savory, while the bun was soft and starchy. The lettuce and cheese complemented the burger well. But it was a very large, overpowering burger that sat heavily in my stomach and made a big mess of my face. Depending on where you go, the sauce can also be slathered on so thickly that it makes the burger feel unbalanced. Unfortunately, that was the case with this specific taste test.

Overall, I know that I would order this again, although not very often. If you're a fan of Thousand Island dressing and burgers, you'll probably like this.

The Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese is one of the largest sandwiches on this menu. When compared side by side, I'm not sure whether this or the Big Arch is actually larger, but it's a pretty close call either way.

The starring ingredients in this massive sandwich are two beef patties that total half a pound between them. Alongside these are American cheese, onions, pickles, ketchup, and mustard, inside a special seeded bun. Like with the lower-ranking Bacon Quarter Pounder, this one didn't rank lower because it's bad. The base of this beloved sandwich was wonderful, with a deep savoriness, a bit of tang, and generous seasonings. However, the addition of the second quarter-pound patty made it an overwhelming sandwich that was challenging to eat without making a big mess — in my case, mostly all over my face and the table. Plus, all of that meat made the sandwich a bit unbalanced, as the strong flavor of the hamburger overtook the rest of the burger.

I won't purchase the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese again because there are burgers I prefer significantly more. If you're really craving a lot of meat, this is a good choice for you. But, otherwise, I suggest opting for something a little less overwhelming.

When I think of a basic fast-food cheeseburger, this McDonald's option is what I imagine. I think, perhaps, this is an association that was embedded in me during my childhood, when I frequently begged for this exact sandwich.

The McDonald's Cheeseburger has one patty, American cheese, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard, inside a standard bun. It felt like a solid burger for when you need a quick snack, and featured a primarily starchy flavor profile accented with savory notes, cheesy tones, and a hint of tang. But, I found that this was yet another unbalanced burger, erring on the exact opposite side of the Double Quarter Pounder listed above. Instead, the hamburger patty was so thin it felt dwarfed by the bun and toppings, which was a little disappointing. However, I thought this to be the perfect-sized burger for a child with a smaller appetite, so having this as a Happy Meal option makes sense.

I won't be ordering this again because there are options I enjoy more. I don't generally recommend it, unless you're purchasing a burger for a child — in which case, I think this is a great pick for the younger kiddos.

This McDonald's Double Cheeseburger is basically the exact same thing as above, save for the fact that it includes a second patty. As it turns out, this seemingly tiny addition actually makes quite a difference in how I feel about the burger.

The Double Cheeseburger is made up of two thin beef patties, American cheese, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard inside a regular bun. The flavor profile was mostly the same as the standard option, but with one big difference — the addition of a second thin patty made this feel much more balanced. Instead of a predominantly starchy profile, this sandwich featured an equally starchy and savory backdrop upon which sat a faint tang from the pickles and moderate notes of gooey cheese. Oh, and in case you're wondering what the difference between this Double Cheeseburger and the McDouble is, it's that this one has an extra piece of cheese. I honestly have nothing negative to say about this, and the only reason it ranked lower is personal preference.

I might order this again to switch things up from my normal order, but I will probably not do so very often. However, if you're looking for something that is essentially a McDouble with extra cheese, this is a great choice for you.

I'll admit this was one of the last foods I tried for this taste test, and by this point, the burgers were beginning to feel a bit repetitive. One thing I can say is that many of the burgers are quite similar, with some (like this one) falling into the "big burger" category, and others (like above) falling into the "little burger" category — and, within that category, there generally being few differences between each item. I appreciate the consistency, but it did make this ranking a bit challenging, if I'm being honest.

The Quarter Pounder with Cheese consists of a large beef patty, American cheese, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard inside of a special seeded bun. This was the base burger for several special options on our list, and it ended up being a perfectly delicious burger. Thanks to its nice balance, great seasoning, and complementing flavor profiles, I can see why McDonald's chose to customize this so frequently. It was the perfect size for a good, hearty bite without having condiments drip all over your face, and it had a nice grilled meat smell that I could appreciate. Truthfully, I don't have anything negative to say here, and the only reason this ranked lower was personal preference.

I would likely buy this again, although I prefer the top-ranking Quarter Pounder option better than this plain one. If you're looking for a standard, larger burger without frills or excess toppings, this is a good choice for you.

In our third spot, we finally have the top-ranking Quarter Pounder variation. This one is the "Deluxe" option, which feels like the closest thing on this list to the hamburger I would create for myself at home.

The Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe features a large beef patty, American cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise, inside a specially seeded sesame bun. I've always been a big fan of lots of fresh produce on my burgers, which is why this ended up being the highest-ranking Quarter Pounder option. The addition of the fresh, earthy, and slightly sweet flavor profiles to the baseline robust savory, starchy, and cheesy tastes made this a perfect larger burger, in my humble opinion. Taking bites got messy, but honestly, it was worth the struggle to me. I don't have anything bad to say about this burger, and the only reason it ranked lower was personal preference — a statement usually reserved for only the top two or three, but true here for the top five.

I will definitely order this again in the future when I'm feeling a little hungrier than normal. If you're looking to order one of McDonald's larger burgers, this one is your best option.

Before this taste test, my go-to McDonald's order was two McDoubles with a small or medium French fry, depending on just how hungry I was. I fully imagined I would come out of this taste test with this sandwich at the very top, but it ended up being slightly displaced by a similar but different burger.

The McDouble includes two small beef patties, American cheese, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard inside a standard bun. As a reminder, the difference between a Double Cheeseburger and a McDouble is that this option has only one piece of cheese instead of two. And, honestly, having one less piece of cheese here made it feel a little more balanced for me, so that the cheese's flavor profile was less intense than that of the savory meats and starchy bun. Since it takes two (sometimes three) McDoubles to satisfy my appetite for a full meal, the lack of that extra cheese becomes particularly noteworthy — too much cheese in a meal can lead to stomach issues when paired with the greasiness of McDonald's patties, even in those without lactose intolerance. My personal preferences play a role in where this burger landed, too, as I have always quite enjoyed the McDouble. I have nothing negative to say here, honestly.

I will definitely order the McDouble again on future visits, although it will no longer be my standard go-to. If you're looking to order a smaller burger without standard produce toppings, this is your best bet.

Before this taste test, I'd never had a Daily Double, and I imagined it to be very similar to a McDouble — even going so far as to question whether there'd be any difference at all. However, I discovered the two are quite distinct from one another, and anyone who has had a McDouble would not mistake the Daily Double for one.

The Daily Double contains two thin beef patties, American cheese, tomato, onions, lettuce, and mayo inside a standard bun. A well-seasoned savoriness was offered by the two thin patties, which were nicely balanced by the fresh produce. I found the mayo to be the perfect condiment here, and the flavor profile of the onions seemed to stand out more than it does with other burgers. In a way, this (like the Big Arch) tasted more like something from Burger King rather than McDonald's — although this wouldn't come close to rivaling BK's top-selling Whopper. I was always a McDouble fan, but this unique variation quickly became my new favorite.

McDonald's Daily Double is delicious and has earned the right to become my new standard order. I highly recommend trying it for yourself, so you can see exactly why it topped the charts as our number one McDonald's burger.

I chose every standard McDonald's burger available at my local store in Millville, New Jersey, for inclusion in this list. The only burgers not included in "standard" options were those listed as "triples," which appeared to be available only at some locations based on my limited research. Each burger was ranked based on its taste and balance, with taste playing the largest role. Each burger was tasted exactly as offered, without any special alterations, for the fairest possible assessment.

To make these judgments, I relied primarily on more than 15 years of food industry background. Extensive experience with McDonald's food and writing review articles featuring the chain's menu items also played a role. These include a review of McDonald's new hot honey menu, as well as a review of McDonald's Dill Pickle Grinch Salt McShaker fries. Although personal preference played a role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased about product quality as possible.

Static Media owns and operates Daily Meal and Tasting Table.