McDonald's Vs Wendy's: Which Chain Has The Better Breakfast?

Fast food breakfast menus provide plenty of options for a quick and easy morning meal that keeps you full for the start of the day. While there are plenty of places to stop for a breakfast sandwich, McDonald's and Wendy's are by far some of the most notable locales. Comparisons of McDonald's and Wendy's burger beef is one thing, but the same can also be said of each one's breakfast menu. Both provide a plethora of options that, on paper, sound like perfect ways to start the morning off right.

But only one restaurant can reign supreme. To discover which fast food joint serves the better breakfast dishes, I compared and contrasted seven items each from McDonald's and Wendy's. I tasted a whole host of sandwiches and side dishes to discover which restaurant delivers a better morning meal experience. Although both have a plethora of dishes that are delicious and underwhelming alike, the farther my experience went, the more obvious the winner became.

For this list, I ordered seven items off the McDonald's breakfast menu, and another seven off the Wendy's breakfast menu. I chose items that are comparable to one another, with enough similarities in taste and popularity to justify a contrast. Taste and texture were the primary judgement points, with a focus on quality of the food itself above all else. The list is presented with an interchanging structure, looking at both restaurants' menu items at the same time to showcase how the comparisons were made.

The Egg McMuffin is a classic, simple McDonald's breakfast sandwich. The dish sports a cooked egg and slice of orange American cheese topped with a thick cut of Canadian bacon. Sandwiched between two halves of an English Muffin, the inner ingredients mesh together with an expert precision. One crunchy bite proves the power of its simplicity. The crispy exterior and fluffy interior contrast with a precision that elevates the sandwich. After a single chew, I understood why the Egg McMuffin was such an important part of McDonald's menu.

Yet it didn't impress me the way I expected it to. While the egg had a buttery fluffiness and the cheese a creamy savor, the Canadian bacon's taste was nearly absent. It added some saltiness, but overall, it never stood out like the rest of the ingredients. Even after a few bites, the expected meatiness was absent. But, even with lackluster meat, the Egg McMuffin still proved itself a serviceable breakfast sandwich with an effective presentation.

Wendy's Maple Bacon Chicken Croissant is one of the fast food restaurants' most unique breakfast options. The sandwich provides a thick, breaded chicken patty smothered in maple butter and topped with fresh, crisp bacon, all stuffed between two square-shaped croissant buns. Biting into the sandwich, my taste buds were enveloped by the careful balancing act of flavors. A sugar-sweet taste glazed across the smoky bacon strips; the slight butteriness of the flaky bun; Chicken, tender against my teeth. Three different approaches to taste, all combining into a single superb breakfast sandwich.

Having eaten the Maple Bacon Chicken Croissant on more than one occasion before, I was deeply enamored with the dish from the outset. It's one of Wendy's best breakfast sandwiches, thanks to its carefully combined tastes. The soft yet crunch-addled texture also helps it stand out amongst a sea of other breakfast sandwiches. By combining a syrupy taste with two types of meat, Wendy's produces a standout dish I believe is perfect for a morning breakfast boost.

If you're looking for a meatier McMuffin that delivers on all its breakfast promises, the Sausage McMuffin with Egg is a perfect choice. Unlike the regular Egg McMuffin's disappointing meat addition, the Sausage McMuffin with Egg provides a thicker, juicier slice in a flavorful sausage patty. It shares all the same qualities, right down to the savory slice of American cheese and the cooked egg across the top. Though, while biting into the particular sandwich, I discovered the English muffin was notably crispier than its partner.

It wasn't a surprise this McMuffin also prioritized egg and cheese flavoring like its predecessor. Luckily, the sausage was much more flavorful in comparison. Juicy, mildly spicy, and with just the right amount of earthiness, the sausage patty felt like a missing ingredient the McMuffin desperately needed. It was redemptive, while also standing on its own as a delicious breakfast option. The balance of crunchy exterior and soft interior secretly makes it one of McDonald's best breakfast sandwiches.

Wendy's doesn't play by the rules with its breakfast sandwiches, especially when it comes to the Sausage, Egg & Swiss Croissant. The sandwich is procured using a freshly-grilled sausage patty, coupled with a freshly cooked egg inside. Uniquely, its Swiss flavor comes not from a slice of cheese, but rather a creamy sauce drenching the interior. The buttery flake of the exterior croissant buns elevate the overall flavor and add a soft, yet notable, crunch to the sandwich.

Sausage was the sandwich's most notable taste, surpassing the egg and cheese in prominence. The mild, spicy twinge of the meat is a perfect contrast to the softer, creamier emphasis of the egg and sauce. I was most enthralled by how well the buttery croissant aided in this flavorful display. The combination accentuated the meat more than the egg and sauce, though, leading to a precarious balancing act for its core flavors. Even so, the Sausage, Egg & Swiss Croissant is a distinctive dish, providing a meat-centric taste that makes for a strong start to the morning.

The Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit is considered an unsung entry on the McDonald's breakfast menu. Deceptively simple, this sandwich combines melted American cheese, crisp slices of bacon, and a thick, folded egg between the buns of a buttered, crumbly biscuit. Upon unwrapping, the sandwich is surprisingly large, comparable to McMuffin in size. With a single bite, the initial taste enraptures. The egg, thick and fluffy, delivers a rich protein that's cooked to perfection. The same goes for the smoky bacon, crisp and crunchy, alongside the cheese, savory and somewhat sweet. All are held together by the buttery biscuit and its own fluffy yet crumbly composure.

But, while its crumble is a selling point, I find the biscuit to be the weakest-tasting element of the sandwich. The initial flavor is savory and butter-based, feeling freshly pulled from the oven. This doesn't last long, though, as the biscuit is accompanied by a bitter aftertaste that soured my impression of the dish. It's the one sticking point of the sandwich that makes me hard-pressed to recommend it. Though public consensus may differ, I'm not sold on the McDonald's rendition of a Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit.

On the other side of the coin is Wendy's, which provides its own Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit brimming with flavor. Much like its McDonald's counterpart, the biscuit comes equipped with a cooked egg and gooey cheese, topped off with smoked bacon. The bun size is noticeably smaller, though, with the patty-shaped egg and melted cheese spilling out the sides. The biscuit itself sports a light, somewhat fluffy texture that complements the tenderness of the egg. With just one bite, that egg flavor is immediate. It mixes with the biscuit's buttery aftertaste, further elevating the sandwich's savory nature.

But that instant egg taste is also the biggest flaw with Wendy's biscuit: The egg is too overpowering. While there are hints of cheese and bacon, egg is the most potent flavor in the sandwich, masking the dish's other elements in the process. However, it doesn't taste bad, instead drawing a particular focus that causes some other flavors to fall to the wayside. The biscuit itself remains potent as well, fluffy and sweet while sporting only a slight crumble. It's not dry, either, which aids the overall quality of the sandwich. The amount of egg is a bit much, but the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit is definitely one of Wendy's best breakfast menu items.

McGriddles deliver an all-in-one breakfast experience thanks to the two griddles it uses as buns. These syrupy, pancake-like slabs are thick and fluffy, complete with the McDonald's logo branded onto the surface. While a McGriddle sandwich can have anything from steak to sausage inside, the Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles is one of its most commonplace. A slice of American cheese, two pieces of smoked Applewood, and a folded egg are placed atop one another, stuffed between two McGriddle buns. Greasy and compact, this sandwich delivers a unique flavor, thanks to the sweetness of its makeshift buns. One bite feels like getting transported to a full-course breakfast, complete with eggs, bacon, and pancakes drenched in syrup.

But the sugary griddles are just the start. The interior ingredients carry a notable level of flavor in contrast to many other sandwiches on this list. The bacon is especially noteworthy, thanks to a smoky taste coupled with a salty savor. It blends expertly with the egg's softness, alongside the creaminess of the cheese. The syrupy griddles add a strong uniqueness to the dish that further complements the interior taste, making it even more potent. This approach makes the Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles worthy of being a core part of the McDonald's breakfast menu.

Wendy's Bacon, Egg & Swiss Croissant delivers another flaky yet fluffy sandwich for the morning delights of its customers. A simpler fare than others in its category, this sandwich comes equipped with an egg and slices of bacon, coated in Swiss cheese sauce while stuffed between two croissant buns. One flake-laden bite is all it takes for all four ingredients to mix expertly. The creamy flavor is elevated by a smoky aftertaste, completed by the crunchy, yet fluffy, buns.

It's a decent sandwich, but does have a few drawbacks. For one, I felt the bacon here was less crunchy than other sandwiches from both restaurants, cursed with a semi-rubbery texture despite a flavorful composition. The Swiss sauce also wasn't very tasty. Its muted quality makes it seem absent. This left the egg and bacon as the only standout ingredients. While it's a serviceable breakfast sandwich that hits all the major beats one can offer, it lacks an adequate balance of flavor. It causes the Bacon, Egg & Swiss Croissant to be notably blander than other offerings on Wendy's menu.

The Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel is one of the most stacked McDonald's breakfast sandwiches. A thick, toasted bagel stores two slices of melted American cheese, which flank a folded egg and seasoned hamburger steak patty on the inside. The interior is bolstered by chopped, grilled onions, alongside a "breakfast sauce" that adds a savorful flair to the dish. One bite and my tastebuds were awash in a diverse mix of flavors. Thanks to the numerous ingredients, this bagel sandwich quickly proved itself as a surprising underdog on the McDonald's breakfast menu.

For one, the steak is standout, brimming with a heavily seasoned, salt-and-pepper taste that melds precisely with the onions. The cheese aids in the flavor, too, thanks to its mild creaminess. The protein situated between the two bagel halves is also quite crunchy. It makes for a flaky, flavorful meal, with a larger size perfect for a hungry morning. The McDonald's Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel may not be as popular as some other products, but it certainly provides a high quality breakfast meal.

The Baconator is a modern classic, responsible for aiding Wendy's at a time of financial hardship in the mid-2000s. The sandwich has since generated a number of similar items on the fast food restaurant's menu, including the Breakfast Baconator. A meaty slab of grilled sausage marks the bottom of the burger's tower of ingredients, which includes a cooked egg, two layers of bacon, two slices of American cheese, and a smear of Swiss cheese sauce. The potato bun adds a lunch-like twist to the dish that's the fluffy (and metaphorical) cherry on top.

I felt like I was eating a burger designed for brunch. The breakfast sandwich tastes like a regular Baconator, but with the added spice of sausage and the creamy savor of egg. As the name implies, bacon is the primary taste, the four slices of Applewood measuring up to the sandwich's promises. This coupled with a crunchy texture that blends with the softer ingredients makes the Breakfast Baconator an all-encompassing dish delectably designed for a filling start to the day.

The first noteworthy element of the McDonald's Sausage Burrito is its size. Small in stature, the breakfast burrito comes equipped with scrambled egg, sausage, and cheese as its main ingredients. Coupled with green chiles and onion slices, this flour tortilla-wrapped item is the weakest on McDonald's menu. The bite-sized delivery misses the mark, but the texture is a whole new level of undesirable. A dry tortilla makes even holding the dish discomforting, with a texture akin to cardboard with every bite.

It doesn't help that the scrambled eggs are chunked and overcooked balls of yellow-white that felt like rubber in my mouth. While the sausage was fine, delivering just the right amount of juiciness and spice, the lacking qualities of the burrito drowned out any positive aspects of the dish. It was the least impressive of McDonald's breakfast items, despite having so much potential on paper. The Sausage Burrito lacked all the necessary fine-tuning to make it comparable to every other item on this list, making it the lowest of McDonald's breakfast menu choices.

Massive in size and stuffed with flavor, the Wendy's Breakfast Burrito with Sausage is one of the tastiest options on its morning menu. Grilled sausage and American cheese are the core ingredients, made earthier by the inclusion of potato slices. Topped off with a creamy cheese sauce, this wrap delivers on all the promises of a delectable breakfast meal. Not to mention the size: I was astonished to find the Breakfast Burrito with Sausage is over twice as large as the McDonald's Sausage Burrito, making for a much more filling meal right from the outset.

As for flavor, everything melds with precision. The cheese sauce complements both egg and sausage with ease, the latter of which offers a small yet notable kick of spice. The potatoes could be a bit dry depending on the bite, but still pack a whole lot of flavor. Not to mention the flour tortilla and its soft, inviting texture, wrapping all the delicious ingredients into the perfect swaddle. It makes Wendy's Breakfast Burrito with Sausage a strong option for both flavor and feel.

McDonald's Hash Browns have always been a bit disappointing to me, and this latest taste test didn't do much to change my mind. A slab of shredded potato fried into an oval shape, this classic side is a hit or miss depending on one's preferences. While I enjoy the outer crisp, I'm often disappointed by the interior. It's always mushy and almost wet, offering the impression that it wasn't cooked all the way through. While a slightly salted exterior helps, it doesn't make the inside any better. The underbaked nature of the side dampens its quality, and thus, its ability to elevate other breakfast menu items.

The only saving grace is that the mushiness doesn't drown out the decidedly simplistic potato flavor. If your biggest concern is taste, McDonald's Hash Browns delivers. But, if you're seeking something with a more tasteful texture, it's best to look elsewhere. The Hash Browns may go well in McDonald's sandwiches, or dipped in ketchup, but as its own side dish, it leaves much more to be desired.

With orders of four or six sticks to choose from, Wendy's Homestyle French Toast Sticks provide a balanced experience that goes well with any sandwich on the menu. With a slightly crunchy exterior alongside a soft and airy interior, these sticks procure a slightly egg-like flavor. There's also a butteriness to each bite. It delivers on the sugary promise of French Toast, while also adding its own unique flair to the process.

Of course, the sticks are incomplete without syrup as a side dip. This guarantees a sugary taste that furthers the dish, utilizing the sweet expectations through a delicious flavor booster. It helps that the syrup is the perfect consistency; it absorbs neatly into the sticks, making for a tasty approach. The only downside is the sticks aren't very big, causing the four-piece choice to become the less attractive option. However, the flavor is still delicious no matter the quantity, something that makes it a choice side amongst Wendy's breakfast menu options.

Wendy's and McDonald's have some fantastic breakfast dishes, and I thoroughly enjoyed more items than I disliked. However, Wendy's managed to impress with a thorough level of tasty regularity. From the sweet deliciousness of the Maple Bacon Chicken Croissant to the spicy creaminess of the Breakfast Burrito, Wendy's delivered a variety of flavor, establishing a consistently high bar of quality across the board. Even its weaker sandwiches, like the Bacon, Egg & Swiss Croissant, still manage to provide decent enough breakfast experiences to make it worth purchasing.

As for McDonald's, while offerings like the Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles and Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel are delicious, it's outweighed by a number of less savory options. The inferior Sausage Burrito and lackluster Egg McMuffin are standout examples of places where the menu falls flat in contrast to Wendy's. Couple this with Wendy's always offering something of more consistent quality, and it's clear that, on a wider scale, Wendy's provides a better breakfast than McDonald's.