The Fast Food Chain With The Worst Iced Tea

As a grown-up alternative to soda, unsweetened iced tea is a great drink to enjoy with a fast food order if you're curbing your sugar intake but still want something cold to sip on between bites. The best iced teas are refreshing, balanced, and flavorful ... however, not all iterations of this cooling beverage are worth your attention. According to a recent taste test we conducted comparing iced tea varieties offered by several fast food chains, the worst version of this beverage is served by Burger King.

The loser in our list of fast food iced teas ranked worst to best, this drink was so bland that you'd be better off ordering a cup of free water to enjoy with your burger and fries. While the color of Burger King's iced tea was on point, the flavor was nonexistent, which made us wonder if the drink had been accidentally diluted — it looked and tasted like a cup of dyed water. 

Any iced tea flavor that we managed to taste was so faint that it was almost indiscernible with a regular sip. We asked for all of the iced teas that we sampled to be served without ice to avoid the risk of dilution, so we had hoped the natural flavor of Burger King's offering would have come to the fore. Instead, there was little to report back on. 

A typical cause for weak iced tea is under-steeping. We're guessing that Burger King didn't brew our beverage for long enough, which would explain its insipid taste. Iced tea should be brewed hot for up to five minutes if using tea bags or tea leaves, or cold brewed for up to 12 hours — any longer and it can develop an astringent aftertaste due to the presence of tannins in the tea. (If you do end up brewing tea for too much time, don't worry — there are easy ways to salvage over-steeped iced tea, including diluting it with more water, sweetening it, or adding a splash of milk.) 

The winning fast food chain in our iced tea taste test was Starbucks. Its iced green tea is refreshing, slightly grassy, and zesty, with a hint of citrus that we'd go so far as to describe as exquisite. Starbucks also serves black iced tea, which is rich, bold, and so good that it doesn't require sweetener, in our opinion. As this coffee chain's iced teas are shaken before serving, they have a layer of bubbles that sit on top, which lends each drink a lovely texture and mouthfeel. 

So, if you want to truly taste the character of a well-made iced tea and experience its nuanced notes, then Starbucks is the ultimate champ. Alternatively, make your own batch at home for a cheaper option. That way you can elevate homemade iced tea with extras like coconut water, cranberry juice, or fresh herbs.