I compared classic New York City cuisine to the fast-food counterparts to see which is better

Joe’s Pizza was founded in 1975 by Joe Pozzuoli. The restaurant has consistently been named the "best New York pizza" by Time Out.

The Union Square location is a very small, quick-service spot. There are signed photos of celebrities lining the walls, including a big poster that says "Joe's Pizza, you saw us in Spiderman."

The pizza slice was pretty big — not Costco-sized, but close.

But I think the hype is exaggerated. It was good, but it was soggy. The cheese slid off the crust.

Business Insider readers voted that Papa John's had the best fast-food pizza.

I had no idea that Papa John’s did pizza by the slice! I've only ordered a pie.

It was warm, gooey, and cheesy. There was definitely a lot of cheese, but the pizza held it up.

Papa John’s is better than Joe’s. It’s more filling, less soggy, and addictive.

McDonald's is making an effort to appear more gourmet with its customizable "Create Your Taste" menu.

I stuck with a regular cheeseburger for $1.84. A simple cheeseburger and fries is my go-to at McDonald’s.

But it's very thin, light, and basic compared to its New York City burger counterpart.

I had never heard of Shake Shack before moving to New York City.

The first time I encountered one was nine months after moving to Manhattan. The experience was life-changing.

I would wait in line for this Shackburger any day. Half an hour of waiting and $5.76 later, Shake Shack wins this round.

In college, I didn’t have the luxury of New York City bagel shops on every corner, so I settled for Panera Bread.

Going to Panera Bread in New York City is a different experience, though. The company is replacing cashiers with kiosks, and it's completely futuristic.

The bagel was hard, thin, and tough. Even for a plain bagel, it was bland.

The cream cheese came on the side, which is very inconvenient for an on-the-go New Yorker.

This was sufficient for me while I was in college, but then I came to New York and learned what a real bagel was.

Bagels are New York staples. Apparently, there's something in the water that makes them so good.

Murray's Bagels has a reputation for traditional, fresh NYC bagels.

Time Out consistently ranks it as one of the top 20 best bagel shops in NYC.

The bagels are thick, flavorful, and fresh. The cream cheese is smooth and creamy.

The bagels in New York City are delicious. It's going to be hard for me to order a bagel outside of the city ever again. Murray's wins this round.

I remember hearing about this eye-opening creation when I was still in the Midwest, unable to try the original by New York City pastry chef, Dominique Ansel — until Dunkin’ Donuts came out with an imitation in 2014.

Dunkin’ Donuts has an amateur version called the "croissant donut." At $2.59, it’s half the cost of the original.

I tried a strawberry glazed and filled croissant donut.

It was very sweet, but it tasted like a regular glazed donut to me.

The only difference is that there was strawberry-cream filling on the inside that added flavor to an otherwise dry pastry.

Chef Dominique Ansel is credited for inventing the cronut.

He simply made a hybrid of a croissant and donut that TIME Magazine named one of the 25 best inventions of 2013.

I walked up to the little bakery in Soho, excited to try this revered pastry ... but it was sold out!

I went a second time, and again it was sold out.

Third time's the charm, right? Wrong.

I never got to try the famous cronut because it seems to be perpetually sold out. There's even a two-week wait list.

I don't think any pastry is worth this much effort. It didn't get good reviews by Cosmopolitan, and Slate thought the experience of waiting in line at the bakery was better than the actual cronut.

This is an instance in which choosing the fast-food option (Dunkin' Donuts) is more reasonable. It's half the price with no wait for essentially the same pastry.

Sometimes I just crave a pastrami sandwich.

Pastrami sandwiches aren't as famous in the Midwest as they are in New York City, so when I wanted a pastrami sandwich, I would go to Subway and get the big hot pastrami melt.

Subway’s pastrami melt is obviously different than a typical pastrami sandwich in many ways: It’s on a sub. The meat is thinner, and it contains pickles and cheese. The meat is also dry and extra fatty.

I used to think Subway's pastrami melt was good, until I started going to New York City delis. This skinny sub is boring compared to its real New York counterpart.

Many people know Katz's from the 1989 movie "When Harry Met Sally."

One of the movie's most iconic scenes takes place at the deli, and today the restaurant's walls are lined with hundreds of photos of the famous people who have eaten there.

Katz's brings in people from all over the world. While I was standing in line at the counter, the couple behind me said they traveled all the way from London to try a pastrami on rye.

It was overflowing with flavor. The meat was smoky, yet tender.

I couldn't believe what I've been missing all these years. This sandwich was absolutely delicious — and hands down, the winner.

Eating at fast-food chains is cheap, fast, and convenient.

When you're traveling, it can be tempting to go to a familiar chain rather than trying something new.

After navigating my way through popular foods and restaurants of New York City, I found that branching out is totally worth it.

Although the speed and price might not compare to that of fast-food, the quality of New York food is definitely higher.

A $20 sandwich may seem extreme, but it's $20 for a reason. That's the risk and reward of traveling to a new place — you never know what you might find and fall in love with.