<p class="ingestion featured-caption">I order cheeseburgers and fries from McDonald's (left) and Red Robin (right).Meredith Schneider</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Red Robin and McDonald's are well-known for burgers, but <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/longhorn-vs-the-capital-grille-which-is-better-review-2024-7">which chain is better</a>?</li><li>I ordered the same meal at both chains to compare their signature <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-vs-culvers-classic-meal-which-is-better-review-2023">cheeseburger and fries</a>.</li></ul><p>When I was in high school, I hung out at <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-chain-restaurants-in-us-ranked-2024-6">Red Robin</a> on the weekends. But now, I find myself driving under McDonald's golden arches because I think of the chain as quicker and more budget-friendly.</p><p>As <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-fast-food-is-so-much-more-expensive-value-affordable-2024-4">fast-food prices continued to creep up</a> after the start of the pandemic, though, I started to question whether I was actually getting the best value. Is the difference in quality really equal to the difference in price?</p><p>To settle my mind, I put each chain's signature cheeseburger meal — Red Robin's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.redrobin.com/location/red-robin-waterfront/menu/gourmet-burgers/red-robin-gourmet-cheeseburger">gourmet cheeseburger</a> and McDonald's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/deluxe-quarter-pounder-with-cheese.html">Quarter Pounder With Cheese Deluxe</a> — to the test.</p><p>Here's how the burgers stacked up.</p>