I tried breakfast at 5 fast-food chains. The best meal was one of the cheapest.

There's still no end in sight to the fast-food wars, and chains have been experimenting with breakfast deals and value meals on their menus to attract customers who are feeling the pinch.

I visited McDonald's, Taco Bell, Wendy's, Burger King, and Dunkin' to see which of the five chains had the best food for the best price.

The meals ranged from $6 to nearly $12, and each included a breakfast sandwich, a drink, and a side.

When I originally compared value meals in 2024, McDonald's was offering a $5 "Extra Value" meal deal featuring a Sausage McMuffin with Egg, a small coffee, and a hash brown. This particular deal is over, and the items now cost $9.49.

McCafé is well-known and beloved by some, but I thought this coffee had a slightly burned taste.

Before this, I'd say that after Dunkin', McDonald's is the best-known fast-food chain for coffee.

I greatly preferred the Sausage McMuffin with Egg to a plain Egg McMuffin.

The last time I went to McDonald's, I tried an Egg McMuffin. This time, I opted for the Sausage McMuffin with Egg, which features a toasted English muffin, an egg, cheese, and sausage.

I give this a 10 out of 10, no notes. It was crispy, salty, and just plain delicious.

It comes with a medium iced coffee. I added pumpkin and hazelnut swirls.

You can choose an iced or hot coffee, but because of the warm weather in New York, I went for an iced coffee.

There are options for the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. I opted for a croissant.