McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s Never Met Stanley’s

National chains battle over burger bragging rights — but locals say Central Falls already settled the debate.

A recent viral moment has sparked fresh debate around fast-food burgers after a promotional video from Chris Kempczinski tasting the chain’s new Big Arch burger drew criticism online.

McDonald’s CEO HATES its new burger… and he’s not alone

• McDonald’s has the worst-rated burgers according to reviewers
• Burger King doesn’t do much better, landing second place
• Wendy’s — which also chimed in on the debate online — has the best burgers

(Editor’s note: Of course, Stanley’s in Central Falls — and the Five Guys chain — come to mind immediately for Rhode Islanders.)

Viewers mocked the hesitant bite and awkward description of the burger as a “product,” prompting rival chains to jump into the conversation with their own videos showing executives enthusiastically biting into their burgers. The playful back-and-forth between major fast-food brands quickly spread across social media, reigniting discussion about which chains actually serve the best burgers.

According to an analysis of Google Reviews conducted by Finnish research site Parhaat Uudet Kasinot, reviewers rated burgers from several major chains — and the results may surprise some fast-food fans.

The analysis examined reviews for the 16 most popular fast-food chains in the United States and filtered comments specifically mentioning burgers to determine which chains ranked best and worst.

Worst to best rated chains for burgers

As perhaps a surprise to no one — including some critics online — McDonald’s had the lowest-rated burgers, with an average rating of 3.18 out of 5. The company serves a wide range of burgers, including the Big Arch, which was featured in the now-viral promotional video.

Some reviewers called the chain’s burgers “dry” and “tasteless,” while others said the patties “tasted like cardboard” or were only “semi-edible.”

One particularly disgruntled customer asked:
“Why do even their ‘gourmet’ burgers still taste like dog food?”

Despite posting its own response video, Burger King ranked second-worst, with an average rating of 3.71 out of 5. The chain prides itself on flame-grilled patties, most famously the Whopper.

Common complaints included burgers being served “cold” and long wait times. One reviewer called their burger “disgusting,” while another wrote that “the burgers taste old and dry.”

Sonic Drive-In performed slightly better, earning an average rating of 3.76 out of 5. The chain is known for its SuperSonic Cheeseburger along with a variety of toppings and combinations.

Negative reviews described burgers as “overcooked” and “rubbery,” with one customer writing that “the meat was crispy to the point it’ll scratch your throat going down.” Others, however, praised the flavor and said the burgers were “nice and juicy.”

That leaves Wendy’s at the top of the group, with an average rating of 3.88 out of 5. Wendy’s U.S. President Pete Suerken even joined the social-media debate, appearing in a video making his own Baconator and taking several enthusiastic bites — widely seen as a playful dig at Kempczinski.

Positive reviews frequently described Wendy’s burgers as “fresh,” “juicy,” and “real-tasting.” One reviewer summed it up bluntly:

“Way better than McDonald’s or BK… MUCH BETTER!!”

Researchers noted that even the highest-rated chain did not receive an especially strong score, suggesting that fast-food burger experiences can vary widely depending on location and timing.

“Ultimately, it’s all a bit of fun,” the researchers said, noting that factors like staffing, busy periods, and food freshness can all influence how customers rate their meal.

Source: Analysis of Google Reviews conducted by Parhaat Uudet Kasinot

For Rhode Islanders, however, the burger debate often starts closer to home.

A tip of the hat goes to Stanley’s Famous Hamburgers in Central Falls, long heralded as one of Rhode Island’s best burger spots. The tiny take-out counter lets customers order their burgers about 20 different ways, with unique add-ons and famously grilled onions.

One bite — grilled onions recommended — and many locals become believers. The spot has earned 12 years of “Best Burger” recognition from Rhode Island Monthly.

So we’ll ask the real question for Rhode Islanders: Who actually has the best burger in the Ocean State? Stanley’s? Five Guys? Somewhere else entirely? Tell us, below!

Methodology and sources – This study analyzed Google Reviews for the 16 most popular fast-food chains in the United States to determine which food items are rated lowest by customers. The research identified the top 100 most reviewed locations for each chain through Google search results for “[chain name] locations in United States,” resulting in a dataset of 1,600 locations. Main menu items for each chain were identified using multiple sources, including official websites. Reviews for these locations were collected and filtered using relevant keywords corresponding to the identified food items. For the burger ranking, reviews were then further filtered to include only those specifically mentioning burgers, rather than sandwiches or other menu items. This narrower focus resulted in a smaller pool of reviews but allowed for a more direct comparison of burger experiences across chains. Only items with 50 or more relevant reviews were included in the final ranking. The study then analyzed the weighted average ratings (giving greater weight to reviews from frequent reviewers) associated with each item to determine which were rated highest or lowest overall.