Double the patties can mean double the deliciousness, but not all fast-food double cheeseburgers are created equal.
For a definitive ranking, I tried practically every double cheeseburger on the market to determine which was best in terms of taste and value.
I tried double cheeseburgers from McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Shake Shack, White Castle, Whataburger, P. Terry’s, Five Guys, Cook Out, Checkers, Sonic, 7th Street Burger, and In-N-Out.
Here’s every fast-food double cheeseburger ranked from worst to best.
My least favorite double cheeseburger was from Burger King. It cost me $4.69.
The burger was under $5, but I’m not sure it was worth the price.
It comes with two of the chain’s beef patties, American cheese, pickles, mustard, and ketchup on a sesame-seed bun.
It comes with one slice of cheese.
This burger was super filling, but I liked the other burgers I tried more.
Right away, I tasted the thick beef patties. The burger had traveled about 15 minutes from my local Burger King to my apartment, but the meat was still juicy, and the cheese was nicely melted.
The pickle slices were thick and crunchy, and I enjoyed the sesame-seed bun, which added a satisfying textural element. However, I thought there was just a little too much ketchup, which will likely vary depending on who’s making your burger that day.
Next was Wendy’s double cheeseburger, which the chain calls a Double Stack. I ordered it for $4.86.
It was about the same price as McDonald’s and Burger King burgers, though it landed squarely in the middle in terms of value.
A Wendy’s double cheeseburger comes with two junior-size hamburger patties, American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and sweet onion.
The toppings looked a little stingy, and they were clustered in the middle of the sandwich. I would have liked to see them more spread out.
The burger bun was fluffy and light, and the toppings had a ton of flavor.
But I had to get a few bites in to reach the toppings in the center.
The toppings themselves were amazing. I thought the pickles were the most flavorful among the burgers I tried, and I liked the use of an onion ring rather than diced onion, though I would’ve liked more.
The McDonald’s double cheeseburger cost me $5.99.
It was slightly more expensive than Wendy’s version but had more toppings. It came with an extra slice of American cheese plus chopped onions, and I thought it was still relatively affordable.
The double cheeseburger from McDonald’s comes with two beef patties, pickles, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, and two slices of American cheese.
I was interested to see if the added toppings would amp up the flavor.
I thought the ingredients came together well in this burger, but the bun was a little lackluster.
The bun held everything together and was a good size, but it was a little too soft and didn’t have a lot of flavor on its own. But I enjoyed the amount of condiments and didn’t find them overpowering.
The chopped onions added a lot of flavor, and the burger patties were juicy despite being thinner than the Burger King ones. I liked the added cheese, but didn’t think it was necessary.
Next up was the double-meat Whataburger with cheese.
It costs $6.99 at a Whataburger in Austin, excluding tax and fees.
I ordered it with a large bun, American cheese, grilled peppers and onions, pickles, and ketchup.
The burger was a decent size, and I could see the gooey cheese peeking out from underneath the soft potato bun.
Unlike the other double cheeseburgers, this burger had sliced jalapeño peppers that I imagined would add quite the kick.
The ingredients definitely set this burger apart from the others.
I thought the burgers had a delightfully crispy texture, and the toppings added a ton of flavor.
The bun was light and fluffy, but I did think the burger patties could have been a little thicker and juicier.
Coming in ninth was the double cheeseburger from P. Terry’s Burger Stand, a regional chain I visited in Austin.
The burger cost $5.25, making it one of the cheaper burgers I tried.
Despite being less expensive than the Whataburger double cheeseburger, the P. Terry’s burger was larger.
I ordered it with pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard, and American cheese.
I again thought the cheese could have been more melted, but the size definitely made up for it.
One of the benefits of ordering from P. Terry’s is that you can easily customize your burger and add a number of toppings, including grilled onions, the chain’s special sauce, tomato, lettuce, and more.
I thought the burgers were juicy, and the pickles had a tart crunch.
The bun was slightly underwhelming, but I thought it was an excellent, large burger with tons of flavor, especially for the low price. I also thought the mustard really came through and added a lot to the burger.
The double cheeseburger from Shake Shack was the second-most-expensive burger I tried.
I paid $13.89 for a double cheeseburger. I could customize my toppings, but I went with pickles, onions, and Shack sauce.
Right away, I thought the burger was massive.
The patties had a perfectly crisp sear and were blanketed in gooey melted cheese. Thick, house-made-looking pickles and the burger’s hefty weight made it feel especially substantial.
The toppings were generous, and the chain’s signature Shack sauce, which is a mayo-based sauce with a slight mustard flavor, made it really tasty.
The cheese was thick and perfectly melted.
However, biting into the Shake Shack burger was a little overwhelming, in my opinion.
The burger was huge, which was both an asset and a hindrance. I struggled to get through more than a few bites.
Although it was the second-most-expensive burger, I thought it justified the price. The patties were noticeably thicker than the others I tried, and the toppings elevated every bite.
Overall, I was impressed … but stuffed.
In seventh place was the double-decker burger with cheese from Checkers.
The burger has since been replaced with the Big Buford, which has all the same ingredients but a bakery-style bun instead of a sesame-seed bun.
The burger costs $9.39 at my local Checkers in Brooklyn.
I thought this burger was a little pricey for the size.
It was smaller than my hand, though it did include a variety of toppings like tomato, lettuce, and red onion.
The burger also comes with American cheese, dill pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise on a toasted bun.
The burger patties were very juicy, and the toppings tasted fresh.
I also thought the American cheese was very tangy and flavorful. Overall, I enjoyed the combination of flavors. However, the price prevented this burger from ranking higher.
I also tried the double cheese slider from White Castle.
White Castle sliders are usually eaten in pairs, so I ordered two. Each burger cost me $3.73, so I ended up paying $7.46.
The burgers were small but packed with flavor.
The burgers smelled strongly of onions and condiments the second I removed them from the bag.
The amount of toppings on each burger was generous.
The pickles were crunchy and flavorful. Though the burgers each had a bun sandwiched in the middle, it wasn’t too bready — it allowed the flavors to really come together while still being filling.
I was blown away by the cheeseburgers from White Castle, a result I admittedly wasn’t expecting.
Despite being the smallest and among the cheapest burgers, they exceeded my expectations. The flavorful toppings complemented the beef, which was the real standout.
The small-but-mighty burger was one of the most flavorful I tried, easy to eat, and perfectly priced.
My fifth-favorite double cheeseburger was from Five Guys.
Five Guys doesn’t technically have a “double cheeseburger” — its regular cheeseburgers already come with two slices of cheese and two beef patties.
My burger cost $17.75, excluding taxes and fees, making it the most expensive burger I tried.
I was able to customize my toppings, but I ordered the burger with pickles, grilled onions, ketchup, and mustard.
Right away, I noticed that the toppings were generous. The pickle slices were large, and none of the toppings cost extra.
The burger was large without being too intimidating.
I thought the burger was the perfect size — substantial enough to require two hands, but not as heavy as Shake Shack’s.
Melted American cheese blanketed each patty, and the sauce was well-balanced, adding flavor without spilling out of the sesame-seed bun.
The burger patties were crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside.
The thick, crunchy pickles, sesame-seed bun, and soft, almost caramelized grilled onions added texture and flavor that set this burger apart from the rest.
My fourth-favorite double cheeseburger came from Sonic Drive-In.
The SuperSonic double cheeseburger was one of the few burgers I tried that came with lettuce and tomato. Since this was the default option, I decided to try it with these toppings rather than remove them.
The burger cost me $9.75, excluding taxes and fees.
The burger came with a hearty serving of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, two slices of cheese, diced onions, pickles, mayonnaise, and ketchup.
Unlike Sonic’s quarter-pound double cheeseburger, which comes with two junior patties, the full-size burger has a combined half-pound of meat.
The bun was perfectly soft but still held the sauce-covered burger together.
The ingredients tasted fresh and vibrant. The tomato wasn’t too watery, the lettuce was crisp, and the burgers tasted well-seasoned and juicy. Plus, the burger was a very generous size.
However, despite all these accolades, I thought the price was a little steep compared to what I got from Cook Out and In-N-Out.
My third-favorite double cheeseburger came from Cook Out, a regional chain I visited in South Carolina.
You can order a “big double” from Cook Out any way you wish, but I ordered mine with cheese, ketchup, mustard, onions, and pickles. It cost me $4.99, not including tax.
The burger came wrapped in foil and featured two juicy patties.
It also had thick slices of fresh onion and large pickle spears layered on top of the burger.
For the price, I thought the burger was out of this world.
The thick, tangy cheese and perfectly medium-rare patty made this burger a standout. It was so large I couldn’t finish it after dinner, but at such a low price, it easily earned the third-highest spot in my ranking.
My second favorite came from 7th Street Burger, a smaller chain based in New York City.
7th Street Burger is a small chain of quick-service burger restaurants with dozens of locations across New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington, DC.
Since opening in 2021, the chain has quickly built a reputation for its no-frills approach to smash burgers, featuring crispy patties, gooey cheese, and the chain’s signature sauce.
I ordered a double cheeseburger, which comes with two beef patties, American cheese, onions, pickles, and house sauce on a Martin’s potato bun. It cost $11.59, excluding tax and fees.
There wasn’t much customization to do for this burger — you can’t order it with lettuce or tomato.
However, this burger was perfect exactly as the chain designed it. The burger patties were delightfully crispy on the outside yet remained juicy.
Melted slices of cheese oozed between the two thin, expertly griddled, and charred beef patties, all smothered in the chain’s signature sauce, a creamy, tangy take on classic burger sauce.
The burger was served on a pillowy-soft potato roll, which kept things simple.
There were no lettuce or tomato slices to lighten the rich, savory burger, but I didn’t miss them.
With pickles and onions rounding out the flavor, it was nostalgic, perfectly balanced, and probably the best smash burger I’ve ever had.
In my opinion, the best double cheeseburger I tried was the famous Double-Double burger from In-N-Out.
It cost me $5.90, which I thought was an excellent deal for the large burger sitting in front of me.
One of the first things I noticed was how thick the burger patties were. They were much thicker than other burgers I tried at a similar price point.
Most Double-Double burgers come with lettuce, tomato, onions, and spread.
To keep my burger similar to the other burgers I tried, I ordered it with onions, pickles, and spread, which I thought tasted similar to Thousand Island dressing.
The first thing I noticed about the In-N-Out burger was how juicy the burger patties were, followed by the incredible layers of cheese.
The cheese slices were perfectly melted and coated each part of the burger, something I couldn’t say about any other burger I tried.
The bun was perfectly soft and held everything together perfectly, while the special spread had my mouth watering for another bite.
Of all the burgers I tried, I thought the In-N-Out double cheeseburger packed the most flavor for the best price.
When it came to a double cheeseburger, the West Coast chain really nailed it. The burger was beyond flavorful, the perfect size, and, in my opinion, very good value for money.
The next time I’m in a state with an In-N-Out, I know where I’ll be filling my burger craving.
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