News & Trending Shopping & Deals News

Every Fast-Food Value Meal, Ranked from Worst Deal to Best

The whole is greater savings than its parts when it comes to fast-food.

crispy chicken burger
Updated Sept. 24, 2024
Fact checked

We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies.

Value meals get their name because they actually provide some additional value instead of just buying the items à la carte.

You can usually save money eating out by choosing the meal deal. That usually includes a sandwich, a side, and a drink.

So are some deals better than others? Check out this list to see if your favorite deal made the cut and which one was a dud based on data collected by Finance Buzz.

Editor’s note: Prices in the FinanceBuzz study are based on the average cost of an item. They are subject to change and may vary by location.

Earn $200 cash rewards bonus with this incredible card

There's a credit card that's making waves with its amazing bonus and benefits. The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card(Rates and fees) has no annual fee and you can earn $200 after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

The Active Cash Card puts cash back into your wallet. Cardholders can earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases — easy! That's one of the best cash rewards options available.

This card also offers an intro APR of 0% for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then 19.74%, 24.74%, or 29.74% Variable). Which is great for someone who wants a break from high interest rates, while still earning rewards.

The best part? There's no annual fee.

Click here to apply now.

Popeyes Big Box: 18% savings

Courtesy of Popeyes popeyes big box 18 savings

The Popeyes Big Box gives you plenty of side options to go with your two pieces of chicken and a biscuit. Unlike some value meals with one side, Popeyes lets you pick two sides including mashed potatoes, red beans and rice, coleslaw, and mac and cheese in addition to the traditional French fries.

You can pick up a box for $6.99 compared to buying each individual item for $8.50 total.

Arby’s Shake Up Your Burger Meal: 30% savings

Courtesy of Arby's arbys shake up your burger meal

An Arby’s burger is good, but it’s not the star of this value meal. In addition to the burger, you can choose between regular fries or Arby’s unique curly fries, and a shake to go with it. The store has typical shake options, but you might want a special Arby’s Jamocha shake.

The Arby’s Shake Up Your Burger Meal costs $9.99, which is cheaper than paying $14.37 to get each item on its own.

Stop overpaying when you shop online

Shopping online has its perks. It's super convenient, but it can be time consuming to find the best deals. Instead of hunting for coupon codes (that don't always work!) and opening tons of browser tabs comparing prices, you can try Capital One Shopping.

Capital One Shopping makes saving money effortless. Just add the browser extension and when you check out, it'll scour the internet for coupon codes to help you save cash. And before you check out at 25+ major retailers, Capital One Shopping will notify you with a friendly pop-up if the item you're buying is available cheaper somewhere else.

Capital One Shopping is free to use and won't show you ads. Add it today and stop overpaying!1

Get Capital One Shopping now

Taste of KFC 2-Piece Deal: 39% savings

Courtesy of KFC taste of kfc-2 piece deal

You don’t need a large amount of food to make a meal deal. Take the Taste of KFC 2-Piece Deal, for example, which features a drumstick and thigh of dark meat as well as a bowl of mashed potatoes and a biscuit.

The meal costs $4.99. You would pay $8.20 if you bought each item on its own.

Burger King $5 Your Way Meal: 42% savings

Courtesy of KFC burger king 5 your way meal

The Burger King $5 Your Way Meal gives you the choice of one of three different Burger King sandwiches plus four-piece chicken nuggets, fries, and a drink.

As the name says, the deal costs $5 compared to $8.66 if you bought the items individually.

Pizza Hut My Hut Box: 43% savings

Courtesy of Pizza Hut pizza hut my hut box

Of course Pizza Hut has pizza in a value meal with My Hut Box. The value meal offers a choice of a two-topping Personal Pan Pizza or a Melts item from the Pizza Hut menu, fries or a four-piece order of boneless wings.

Grab a Pizza Hut box for $6.99 to help you save cash. When purchased separately, the meal will cost $12.29.

McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal: 50% savings

Courtesy of McDonald's mcdonalds 5 meal deal

Like some other meals surveyed by FinanceBuzz, the price is in the name of the deal. The McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal includes a McDouble sandwich or McChicken sandwich, four-piece chicken nuggets, fries, and a drink.

Pick up a meal deal for $5, just as the name says, instead of $9.96 for each item on its own.

Wendy’s $5 Biggie Bag: 53% savings<

Courtesy of Wendy's wendys 5 biggie bag

Wendy’s is also offering a Wendy’s $5 Biggie Bag with a choice of either a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger or Crispy Chicken Sandwich plus a four-piece Chicken Nuggets, Jr. Hot & Crispy Fries, and a small drink.

It’s a bargain when it would cost $10.75 to buy each item separately.

Taco Bell Luxe Cravings Box: 55% savings

Courtesy of Taco Bell taco bell luxe cravings box

The Taco Bell Luxe Cravings Box is stacked with plenty of options, including a Chalupa Supreme, Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, Double Stacked Taco, chips with nacho cheese sauce, and a medium drink.

The box costs $7, but that’s a steal compared with the à la carte cost: a whopping $15.65.

Bottom line

Drobot Dean/Adobe showing mobile phone and money

Value meals are a good way to save money when you go to a fast-food place. You can also save money by taking advantage of coupons, a loyalty program, or your favorite store’s mobile app.

If you really want to save money, though, you may be able to recreate some of these value meals in your kitchen. Following ways to save money on groceries instead of eating out will always leave more money in your wallet.

Lucrative, Flat-Rate Cash Rewards

5.0
info

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Current Offer

$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details