I tried Wendy's new $3 breakfast and McDonald's famous morning menu, and the winner was clear.

Nancy LunaAug 30, 2023, 15:55 IST

The items in the Biggie Bundles breakfast deal.Nancy Luna/Insider

Wendy's introduced a two-for-$3 Biggie Bundles meal on August 22.
The breakfast value meal features four choices, including two types of biscuit sandwiches.

Wendy's launched on August 22 the two-for-$3 Biggie Bundles breakfast deal — a solid inflation-busting value offer that should put McDonald's, the king of fast food breakfast, on notice.

For $3, Wendy's customers can get two of the following items: a sausage biscuit, an egg and cheese biscuit, small seasoned potatoes, or a medium hot coffee. Essentially, each item is a $1.50 each.

I've been covering the fast-food wars for 18 years as a business journalist based in Southern California. Every year, chains try to one-up each other with their specialty deals and wacky limited-item specials. And I wasn't sure if this was just another publicity stunt.

But I set out to compare Wendy's to McDonald's, which has long been considered the king of fast-food breakfast. I bought the equivalent items and compared them on taste, price, and presentation.

I admit I went into this exercise thinking McDonald's, which has been serving breakfast since 1977, would have the advantage of taste and presentation. But I also thought Wendy's, which launched breakfast in 2020, could win on price if the food was halfway edible.

It turns out the contest wasn't even close.

Here's what I discovered.

Fast-food breakfast has long been dominated by McDonald's.

A McDonald's Egg McMuffin is displayed at a McDonald's restaurant on July 23, 2015 in Fairfield, California.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

But in recent years, brands such as Wendy's, Burger King, and Taco Bell have tried to steal market share from the Golden Arches.

The breakfast promotion at Wendy's.Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Wendy's two-for-$3 meal bundle includes these choices: a sausage biscuit, an egg and cheese biscuit, small seasoned potatoes, or a medium hot coffee.

Nancy Luna/Insider

I started my morning grub taste test at a Wendy's in Southern California.

Nancy Luna/Insider

I instantly had trouble ordering at the cash register. The employee didn't seem to understand when I asked about the Biggie Bundles deal. A note to Wendy's: Explain your marketing campaigns to restaurant-level workers.

Nancy Luna/Insider

I instantly had trouble ordering at the cash register. The employee didn't seem to understand when I asked about the Biggie Bundles deal. A note to Wendy's: Explain your marketing campaigns to restaurant-level workers.

First up, the sausage biscuit. This is a no-nonsense, as-plain-as-it-gets breakfast sandwich.

Nancy Luna/Insider

The egg and cheese biscuit came next. The most noticeable part of this sandwich was the paper-thin egg it was stuffed with.

Nancy Luna/Insider

I'm not a fan of diced or wedge breakfast potatoes. But the Wendy's crispy seasoned potatoes did elevate the breakfast meal.

Nancy Luna/Insider

After drinking coffee for more than 30 years, I gave it up in December. So, tasting coffee for the first time in months probably skewed my reaction.

Nancy Luna/Insider

Overall, I was surprisingly delighted with the Wendy's breakfast value options. The biscuits were flaky, and the crispy potatoes tasted like a side order you'd get at a full-service breakfast diner. It elevated the meal compared to a standard hash brown.

Wendy's

Overall, I was surprisingly delighted with the Wendy's breakfast value options. The biscuits were flaky, and the crispy potatoes tasted like a side order you'd get at a full-service breakfast diner. It elevated the meal compared to a standard hash brown.

I drove less than two miles to McDonald's to try and replicate the meal I had at Wendy's.

Nancy Luna/Insider

The kiosks were easy to navigate, making for a frictionless ordering process compared to my Wendy's experience with the cashier who had trouble understanding my order.

Nancy Luna/Insider

The first thing I tried was the sausage biscuit. In terms of presentation, it looked better than Wendy's as the biscuit had a beautiful golden crust. But, unfortunately, it was spongy and flavorless.

Nancy Luna/insider

The first thing I tried was the sausage biscuit. In terms of presentation, it looked better than Wendy's as the biscuit had a beautiful golden crust. But, unfortunately, it was spongy and flavorless.

The Egg and Cheese Biscuit came with a beautiful folded egg. Sadly, that was the best part of this sandwich.

Nancy Luna/Insider

I am a hash brown freak. So I was looking forward to savoring a classic McDonald's hash brown after the letdown experience of the biscuit sandwiches. But the hash brown was terrible.

Nancy Luna/Insider

I am a hash brown freak. So I was looking forward to savoring a classic McDonald's hash brown after the letdown experience of the biscuit sandwiches. But the hash brown was terrible.

McDonald's coffee tasted the same as Wendy's — bitter and burned.

Two medium coffees from Wendy's and McDonald's.Nancy Luna/Insider

Overall, Wendy's exceeded my expectations. I thought the more experienced breakfast player, McDonald's, would provide me with a higher quality meal. But I was wrong.

The items in the Biggie Bundles breakfast deal.Nancy Luna/Insider

Before I left McDonald's, I pulled up the Starbucks app and ordered a chai latte. I had to cleanse my palate after the awful McDonald's experience.

Nancy Luna/Insider

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I tried Wendy's new $3 breakfast and McDonald's famous morning menu, and the winner was clear.

Fast-food breakfast has long been dominated by McDonald's.

But in recent years, brands such as Wendy's, Burger King, and Taco Bell have tried to steal market share from the Golden Arches.

Wendy's two-for-$3 meal bundle includes these choices: a sausage biscuit, an egg and cheese biscuit, small seasoned potatoes, or a medium hot coffee.

I started my morning grub taste test at a Wendy's in Southern California.

I instantly had trouble ordering at the cash register. The employee didn't seem to understand when I asked about the Biggie Bundles deal. A note to Wendy's: Explain your marketing campaigns to restaurant-level workers.

First up, the sausage biscuit. This is a no-nonsense, as-plain-as-it-gets breakfast sandwich.

The egg and cheese biscuit came next. The most noticeable part of this sandwich was the paper-thin egg it was stuffed with.

I'm not a fan of diced or wedge breakfast potatoes. But the Wendy's crispy seasoned potatoes did elevate the breakfast meal.

After drinking coffee for more than 30 years, I gave it up in December. So, tasting coffee for the first time in months probably skewed my reaction.

Overall, I was surprisingly delighted with the Wendy's breakfast value options. The biscuits were flaky, and the crispy potatoes tasted like a side order you'd get at a full-service breakfast diner. It elevated the meal compared to a standard hash brown.

I drove less than two miles to McDonald's to try and replicate the meal I had at Wendy's.

The kiosks were easy to navigate, making for a frictionless ordering process compared to my Wendy's experience with the cashier who had trouble understanding my order.

The first thing I tried was the sausage biscuit. In terms of presentation, it looked better than Wendy's as the biscuit had a beautiful golden crust. But, unfortunately, it was spongy and flavorless.

The Egg and Cheese Biscuit came with a beautiful folded egg. Sadly, that was the best part of this sandwich.

I am a hash brown freak. So I was looking forward to savoring a classic McDonald's hash brown after the letdown experience of the biscuit sandwiches. But the hash brown was terrible.

McDonald's coffee tasted the same as Wendy's — bitter and burned.

Overall, Wendy's exceeded my expectations. I thought the more experienced breakfast player, McDonald's, would provide me with a higher quality meal. But I was wrong.

Before I left McDonald's, I pulled up the Starbucks app and ordered a chai latte. I had to cleanse my palate after the awful McDonald's experience.