BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2024 AUGUST 2, FRIDAY) – Fast food giants McDonald’s, Burger King, and Dairy Queen are all currently offering value meal deals, responding to growing consumer demand for affordable dining options.
McDonald’s has a $5 meal deal available for a limited time. The promotion offers customers a choice between a McChicken or McDouble sandwich, along with a four-piece McNuggets, small fries, and a small drink.
Burger King is countering with its $5 “Your Way Meal,” available nationwide. This deal, which is set to run for several months, includes a choice of Whopper Jr., Bacon Cheeseburger, or Chicken Jr., plus fries, four-piece chicken nuggets, and a soft drink.
Dairy Queen has joined the competition with its $7 Meal Deal. While slightly pricier, it offers more variety. Customers can choose between a cheeseburger, three-piece chicken strip meal, or the newly added bacon cheeseburger option. All meals come with fries, a 21-oz drink, and a small sundae.
These value meals reflect the fast food industry’s efforts to attract budget-conscious diners amid rising menu prices and economic pressures. As summer continues, the competition to offer the best deal remains fierce, giving customers plenty of affordable options to choose from.
In Blair, we decided to put the value meals from McDonald’s, Burger King, and Dairy Queen to the test. Our goal was to compare meals consisting of a burger, fries, drink, nuggets (or equivalent), and a sauce on the side.
McDonald’s offered their $5 meal deal with a McDouble, while both Burger King and Dairy Queen included bacon on their burgers as part of their respective $5 and $7 deals. McDonald’s and Burger King included chicken nuggets, but Dairy Queen substituted these with a small sundae. At Dairy Queen, we had to pay extra for sauce, which we factored into our final calculations. (We spoke with Dairy Queen’s manager, Jessica, who told us it was a common customer request to have the sauce with the meal for no extra charge.)
Our findings were interesting:
- Burger King provided the most fries per dollar.
- McDonald’s narrowly beat Burger King on nuggets per dollar, but Dairy Queen’s sundae offered the most calories for the money, with the added bonus of customization.
- McDonald’s was the clear winner for meat and cheese per dollar, with Dairy Queen and Burger King tying for second place.
- Burger King and McDonald’s tied for first on drinks, while Dairy Queen, despite offering more volume, came last when calculated per dollar.
The final tally of food per dollar (including tax) was remarkably close:
- Dairy Queen: 3.25 ounces per dollar
- McDonald’s: 3.23 ounces per dollar
- Burger King: 3.16 ounces per dollar
These results are close. They could easily shift within a margin of error. Blair customers should choose based on their personal preferences, as the savings are comparable across all three. However, Blair’s Dairy Queen offers the best value if you want the most calories for your money.
Our findings in Blair mirror the nationwide push by fast food chains to offer competitive value meals. While McDonald’s, Burger King, and Dairy Queen are rolling out similar deals across the country, our local comparison shows that the value proposition is remarkably close between them. This suggests the fierce competition we’re seeing on a national level is playing out at the intersection of 10th and Washington, giving Blair residents access to these budget-friendly options.
