Wendy's Vs McDonald's: Which Fast Food Chain Has The Best Coffee?

If you're staying in a new town or on a road trip and need a quick pick-me-up, fast food coffee can be just the thing you need. While you may love Starbucks' drinks or have a favorite order on Dunkin's secret menu, there's little love out there for other chain coffees. Two of the most popular U.S. fast food chains serving up coffee are McDonald's and Wendy's. They are often found at rest stops, along major highways, or scattered around both large and small towns. I wanted to see which of the two chains had better coffee options.

McDonald's has McCafé, which encompasses a large variety of coffees. Wendy's, on the other hand, only offers about four different types of coffee. To compare the two accurately, I chose similar coffees across both brands. The prices were similar; McDonald's was only $0.46 more expensive than Wendy's. 

While tasting, I focused first and foremost on the actual coffee flavor itself. Was it outshined by the other flavors? Was it too strong, or not strong enough? I also noted whether or not the coffee tasted like the description said it would, how all the flavors balanced together, and if there was an aftertaste. Keep reading to find out which chain came out on top!

Black coffee is a great indicator of the overall quality and flavor of a chain's beans. I started with McDonald's black coffee, which is made from 100% Arabica coffee beans and supposedly brewed every half-hour. When I first smelled it, I noticed a strong nutty scent — which I personally like from a coffee. At first sip, I thought it felt nice and smooth, and I could definitely taste a bit of the nutty flavor. While the coffee wasn't extremely strong, I thought that it still had a surprisingly robust flavor. To test further, I added sugar and cream, and I honestly didn't think that it changed the flavor at all.

Wendy's black coffee is also made from 100% Arabica beans; however the website doesn't share how often a fresh batch is brewed. When I took a whiff of this coffee for the first time, nothing specific popped out at me. I went in for a taste, and immediately thought that it tasted like coffee from a diner. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't fabulous either. It tasted like a simple light coffee — slightly bitter, light-bodied, and mildly acidic. Compared directly to the McDonald's coffee, the Wendy's version tasted a bit more watery. When I added the cream and sugar to this cup, the flavors of the coffee almost completely dissipated, making it taste more like milky bean water than coffee.

McDonald's offers iced coffee, while Wendy's offers cold brew. The difference between these two coffees is that cold brew is brewed slowly at room temperature (or colder), and many people believe it tastes a lot stronger. Iced coffee is simply brewed coffee poured over ice. I figured McDonald's iced coffee would just taste like a cold version of the hot black coffee. Unfortunately, I was wrong. It was incredibly light-tasting and lacked the robust flavor that I had found in the hot black coffee. There was also an extremely unpleasant aftertaste that resembled the smell of a cat's litter box, to put it bluntly. Overall, "unpleasant" is the main word I'd use to describe this coffee.

I had higher hopes for the Wendy's cold brew. It was definitely a stronger than McDonald's, but it still didn't have a very pleasant taste. It was almost completely devoid of bitterness, and I feel like all coffees should have this flavor. The nutty notes were very prominent, and they stuck around in the aftertaste. I didn't think that this cold brew tasted anything like cold brews that I've had at local coffee shops or even at Starbucks — and not in a good way. Ultimately, I would never buy either of these again, but Wendy's was the lesser of two evils.

Stepping away from the plain coffee flavors, we have the caramel frappé from McDonald's and the caramel Frosty Cream Cold Brew from Wendy's. Both are made with caramel flavors and a coffee base, yet they have entirely different flavors.

The Wendy's caramel Frosty Cream Cold Brew is described as a mixture of Wendy's cold brew coffee, the creamer that's used in the famous Frosty, and caramel flavor. Since I absolutely love Frostys, I was surprised that this coffee didn't at all live up to what I was expecting. It honestly tasted like a cup that was filled with half water and half milk, and I couldn't even taste any sort of caramel flavoring. I was doubtful that there was any coffee in the cup. I would never spend money on this drink again.

McDonald's frappé is made with caramel flavor, hints of coffee, and ice. This frappé may not have actual coffee in it. Instead it's made with coffee extract. Taste-wise, however, I thought that the frappé was bursting with coffee flavors, so it fooled me! This drink was nice and smooth, even though it's blended with ice. It's not too thick, either, so it still feels like a light beverage. It's creamy and sweet, but not too sweet to the point that it's overwhelming. The strong caramel flavor makes it taste almost like a nice and light coffee dessert to finish your meal off. It's absolutely delicious.

Wendy's also offers another Frosty Cream Cold Brew – this time, it's mocha-flavored. The equivalent at McDonald's is the mocha frappé. I was hopeful that the chocolate would help the Frosty Cream Cold Brew taste better. This drink tasted like a poorly made cup of chocolate milk with just a dash of coffee. I could at least taste the coffee, which was better than the caramel version; however it was still very weak. It wasn't completely unenjoyable to drink, and I think that's because the chocolate flavor added a little bit of pizzazz. With that said, I still wouldn't buy this drink again.

The McDonald's mocha frappé trumped every single drink in this taste test. As soon as I took my first sip, I was in heaven. If this drink wasn't filled with so much sugar, I'd get one every single day. It was bursting with a milk chocolate flavor that balanced perfectly with the coffee. The two flavors matched each other's energy, and both contributed a strong, delicious, and satisfying flavor to each sip. Although you may expect this drink to have a similar thickness to the beloved McDonald's milkshake, it's still mixed with ice, so it has a thinner consistency. For a coffee drink, however, I think it's perfect — as it's a more refreshing pick-me-up for the middle of your day.

McDonald's won this taste test by a landslide. I was honestly surprised by how much I disliked Wendy's coffee. Not only does the chain have a smaller selection, but the coffee itself was completely underwhelming. From the black coffee all the way to the fancier, flavored mixtures — I would not go back to buy a single one, even if I were in desperate need of a coffee. The flavors of each drink were completely watered-down, so much so that I'm not even sure they can be considered true cups of coffee.

McDonald's, on the other hand, completely blew me away. Even the black coffee, which is a simple drink, was enjoyable. If I was in need of a quick and affordable cup, I'd definitely make a pit stop at the McDonald's drive-thru. Although I didn't enjoy the iced coffee at all, the frappé drinks made up for that disappointment. I fear that I'm going to crave these sugary treats more often than I should. The coffee flavoring mixed with the caramel and mocha was perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed tasting the McDonald's coffees and definitely recommend those three items over any of Wendy's coffee offerings.