The Underrated Chain With A Double Cheeseburger That Outshines Burger King, McDonald's, And Wendy's

Sonic may be more well known for its sprawling, gargantuan drink menu, crispy tater tots, and old-school drive-in stalls, but its burgers deserve way more attention. We recently placed Sonic's SuperSONIC Double Cheeseburger third on our ranking of fast food double cheeseburgers, putting it way ahead of some of its competitors. Only Shake Shack and Five Guys beat it out, coming in first and second place, respectively.

So, what makes Sonic win this well-respected third position? For starters, the sheer size of the thing. Sonic's burger is best described as "mammoth" by our taste tester, and much, much larger than the other sandwiches tested. The good-sized patties are well-seasoned and packed with salty, umami flavor, while the lettuce and tomatoes were noticeably crisp. What makes Sonic's placement particularly intriguing is that the chain doesn't have quite the burger-centric reputation as McDonald's, Burger King, or Wendy's — but perhaps it should.

USA Today gave the burger its runner-up award in its 2026 list of best fast food burgers, while Business Insider also gave it out a shout-out for its generously sized patties. Online commenters have made similar claims. In a Reddit discussion asking which chain was most underrated, the original poster stated: "A close second to me is Sonic." But the brand's reputation isn't exactly glowing everywhere. Another poster lamented by adding that, "It's really location/staff dependent. I have had the best and worst fast food burger at Sonics."

But if there's one thing Tasting Table loves, it's ranking every cheeseburger in the nation. An additional taste test, this time composed of the trifecta of Culver's, Sonic, and Dairy Queen cheeseburgers, had the SuperSONIC settled into second place. While the review also praised the chain for its super-sized burger, it couldn't beat Midwestern staple Culver's and its top-tier beef.

While on the topic of cheeseburgers, it's important to note that Sonic has another double cheeseburger on the menu that likewise gets rave reviews. We recently ranked seven fast food smash burgers and Sonic's All-American Smasher came sailing in at number one. The chain first introduced the Smashers line in summer 2024, no doubt to compete with the industry's growing trends. The burger is now a permanent menu item, with bacon and triple patty versions as well. Sonic's menu currently boasts several double cheeseburgers, which will likely inspire another taste test soon.

All this seems to prove is that there's never been a better time to be a fast food burger fan. With seemingly every chain racing to deliver the juiciest, biggest, most savory burger for your buck, you can't go wrong. We're not saying Sonic will necessarily dethrone every other burger joint around, but considering that it's giving McDonald's, Burger King, and other big names a run for their money, it's certainly an underrated gem to watch.