Fast Food Breakfast Sandwiches Ranked From Worst To Best

While fast food joints typically have very well-defined strengths and weaknesses when it comes to their lunch and dinner menus, breakfast sandwiches are a bit harder to evaluate. For starters, most places are pulling from the same gastronomic toolbox of eggs, cheese, hash browns, and some porcine protein. There aren't a whole lot of different ways to prep these ingredients in a fast food setting, but it's these creative limitations that often create true culinary innovation.

That said, innovation was how I selected the breakfast sandwiches on this ranking. I checked out a few different fast-food restaurants to see which ones were making the most of their breakfast arsenal. For each restaurant on the list, I selected the sandwich that either best embodied its breakfast menu or the most overstuffed -– preference was given to anything that had "ultimate" or "fully loaded." I went into this with my own preferences firmly intact, but I had to admit that this side-by-side comparison left me with some interesting revelations. A detailed account of my methodology can be found at the end of this article. So, without further delay, here is my official ranking of fast food breakfast sandwiches.

I didn't have extremely high expectations for Subway's breakfast menu, but I went in with an open mind. I like Subway's flatbread, and the thought of folding it over some steak, eggs, and cheese seemed like it would be a good bet. I went with American cheese and then added some spinach, tomatoes, and creamy Sriracha sauce–compliments of the T. Marzetti Company–which all sounded like a steak and cheese omelet on paper. However, upon diving into this sandwich, I noticed a few issues.

The biggest problem here is the steak–Subway's roast beef is often overcooked into rubbery oblivion. As the meat component of a breakfast sandwich does a lot of the dish's heavy lifting, this was the domino that made everything else tumble to the ground. The eggs are those pre-cooked slabs that don't have much flavor left in them, but I did think the American cheese melted well and tasted as American cheese-y as I would want. I also think I made a tactical error when I selected the creamy Sriracha. I like a little spice on my breakfast sandwiches, but this stuff was a bit overwhelming.

The concept of Sonic's breakfast toasters makes sense in theory. It's essentially a breakfast-enhanced grilled cheese with two big slices of Texas toast-style white bread. In my mind, I was picturing the toast on this sandwich to have a crisp exterior layer that yielded a pleasant crunch before getting to the chewier center of the toast and sandwich toppings. Unfortunately, this was not the experience I got when I tried the sausage breakfast toaster.

While the thick slices of bread looked toasted to perfection, the texture was a bit strange. Instead of biting into a crispy piece of toast, you get a spongy mouthful that doesn't have much of its own flavor to speak of. If the stodgy texture was caused by, say, being slathered in butter, I could understand this to a degree. However, given the distinct lack of buttery flavor, I have to chalk this texture up to an aberration in the preparation process.

The egg and cheese on the inside work really well, until the sausage patty shows up and wrecks the party with an artificial smokiness and way too much salt. I get that salt is a given in a fast food experience, but this sausage patty was practically mummified. I'll stick to Sonic's drink menu while it works out the kinks in its breakfast sandwiches and chicken nuggets.

While Starbucks is first and foremost a coffee shop, it does serve breakfast sandwiches and is therefore eligible for competition. The double-smoked bacon, cheddar, and egg sandwich seemed like the best option, and though it was pre-packaged and shipped to the store before it hit my plate — it's not too bad. Obviously it's not great, as it's hanging out in the bottom three. If you're rolling up to Starbucks and after something to supplement your caffeinated beverage of choice, however, this isn't a bad pick.

The sandwich delivery system here is a croissant that has been flattened into a roundish shape to accommodate the roundish shape of the egg that is onboard. The bacon is thin without being brittle, and it tastes sufficiently bacon-y. It's the cheddar that ties this one together –- I'm a fan of American cheese on a breakfast sandwich, but this is one area that Starbucks manages to get right despite its prepackaged nature. It's not the best sandwich on the list by a wide margin, but it's much better than I would have originally thought.

Leave it to Taco Bell to create something that hybridizes the breakfast sandwich and the breakfast burrito with its breakfast Crunchwrap. The pinwheel aesthetic and panini-pressed exterior will be familiar to fans of this lunchtime favorite, but it turns out that adding hash browns, sausage, cheese, and eggs packed with "flavor" to the interior makes for a tasty way to start the morning.

The biggest pro of the Breakfast Crunchwrap is aesthetics. Having a crispy tortilla that keeps all the innards securely in place is truly a marvel of sandwich engineering. The hash brown is of the fried patty variety, and it's got a hearty, golden brown crunch. The sausage wasn't too salty and had a bit of a red pepper kick to it. On the downside, the egg doesn't have too much flavor on its own and I have to gripe about the choice of sauce here.

It's the same spicy, chili powder-infused mayo stuff Taco Bell uses for its chicken quesadillas, which is good when applied to that item. On the Crunchwrap, however, it's a bit too overbearing and overwhelms the other milder flavors. The Crunchwrap needs a spicy sauce, but I kept thinking Taco Bell's classic green chili sauce from its throwback bean burritos would have been ideal here.

The foundation of the Wendy's sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich is on point. Though it's not as square as the restaurant's burgers, the sausage tastes good without a lot of artificial smokiness, the cheese melts up nicely, and the egg is fluffy and has enough flavor to remind me it was there. The main issue I have with the Wendy's breakfast sandwich comes simply from the fact that there are places that do the basics better.

While it's true that I have been spoiled by English muffins that strike the right balance between chewy and crunchy, I have to say that the Wendy's breakfast sandwich struggles a bit in the muffin area. It's not a bad tasting English muffin, but it's a bit more dense than it perhaps should be, which results in a texture that leans stodgy. It's a perfectly pleasant bite all in all, but I did find myself missing some kind of toasted crunch that is present in other sandwiches on this list.

Burger King threw its crown into the breakfast sandwich ring back in 1983 with the Croissan'wich, which added a French pastry to the fast food breakfast ecosystem. It was successful enough to remain on the menu for the past 40 years, which is primarily because it's awesome. Those who do not enjoy the crisp texture of an English muffin with their breakfast sandwich will love the buttery contrast of the Croissan'wich.

The undisputed ruler of the Croissan'wich court would have to be the fully loaded Croissan'wich — it comes with ham, bacon, sausage, eggs, and cheese. It's definitely not winning any prizes for subtlety, but it's hard to deny the rich wallop of breakfast flavors present on this sandwich. A drizzle of maple syrup is all you need to check off all your favorite sweet and savory mid-morning comfort foods.

While the Croissan'wich is effective in its "more is more" approach to breakfast sandwich craft, it suffers a bit from its jack-of-all-trades concept. If the fully loaded Croissan'wich came equipped with something a bit more unexpected, it would likely rank higher on this list. Nevertheless, the Croissan'wich remains a delightful fast-food breakfast experience — and no, it doesn't contain any horse meat.

Though Dunkin' didn't debut its breakfast sandwiches until 1997, its take on croissant sandwiches came out swinging. I thought the croissant sandwich was a market that Burger King had cornered, but I was pleasantly surprised with the sausage, egg, and cheese croissant at Dunkin'.

At its core, this sandwich is nearly identical to its Burger King cousin. The balance among meat, cheese, egg, and bread is well-represented, and it's all tied together with a great textural contrast between the croissant and the fillings. The big difference comes from the croissant, which is far superior to the variety used at Burger King. This makes sense as Dunkin's pastry game is stronger than any other fast food restaurant on the block — it'll be quite something when it finally makes a breakfast sandwich on a donut. With a nice, laminated texture and an excellent pastry flavor, the croissant at Dunkin' just leaves the Croissan'wich in the dust. If there was a way to combine the Burger King fillings with the Dunkin' croissant, that would likely be the number one sandwich on this list.

The Egg McMuffin is a classic, but those who know this understand the superiority of swapping out the thin slice of ham for a juicy sausage patty. Thus, the Sausage McMuffin with egg is McDonald's competitor, and it does not disappoint. In many ways, McDonald's has come to define fast food culture's breakfast sandwich boundaries, so there is much to be admired with this aesthetically balanced stack of circular cuisine.

For starters, none can compete with McDonald's English muffin game. On a bad day, you'll get one of these that has been toasted a bit too aggressively, but all that does is add a whiff of buttered popcorn flavor to the mix. The egg preparation at McDonald's might be the most superior of everyone on the list — cracking a fresh egg into the circular mold keeps this sandwich a bit less removed from the freshness of a homemade breakfast sandwich.

When combined with the well-seasoned sausage and the slice of melty American cheese, this sandwich will always be a classic. Also, if you're not getting a hash brown patty to slap between the sausage and egg before eating this sandwich, you need to reevaluate your priorities.

Given that Jack In the Box's economical menu most appeals to those reeling from a night of debauchery, it makes sense that the restaurant's breakfast menu would be on point. Of all the items on Jack's breakfast menu, it seemed prudent to go with the ultimate breakfast sandwich, which was definitely the right call. Like Burger King's fully loaded Croissan'wich, the ultimate breakfast sandwich packs a lot of protein beneath its split-top bun. Unlike the Croissan'wich, however, this one omits the sausage, which makes all the difference.

I am a fan of sausage on a breakfast sandwich, but I think bacon and ham taste better without it. I also like that there are two eggs on this guy, along with two slices of cheese. The bacon here is way better than I was expecting -– it's thick without being too thick, and it's not overly crunchy. With the softness of the split-top bun and the hot, savory, meltiness of the ham, eggs, and cheese, the bacon's texture creates a pleasant contrast that makes this sandwich top-notch.

For fast food aficionados, there was life before discovering the Chick-fil-A breakfast menu and life after discovering the Chick-fil-A breakfast menu. The signature fried chicken breast with buttermilk biscuits and a refreshing Sunjoy is a combo that always satisfies. That being said, adding a fluffy egg and some melted American cheese to the party creates a breakfast sandwich that is much greater than the sum of its parts.

The main reason this sandwich is so high on the list is because fried chicken is awesome — especially Chick-fil-A fried chicken — and you just don't see it on the fast food breakfast circuit. Not only is this sandwich something unique, it is also high quality. So, what exactly makes this combo so effective? Obviously, you can cite the Chick-fil-A chicken, which is a fried miracle of fast food cuisine, but you'd think adding that to a biscuit would just be a dry, crumbly mess. Instead, you get a juicy, buttery sandwich that is enhanced by the egg and cheese.

While I was fully expecting to give this spot to Chick-fil-A, I couldn't deny the power of the Carl's Jr. breakfast burger. It hadn't been a previous favorite of mine, and I'm not sure if I had even tried one before making this list, but it certainly won me over. Like the chicken, egg, and cheese biscuit from Chick-fil-A, the breakfast burger is unexpected, and it plays to the restaurant's strengths. The X factor that puts this item at the number one spot is simple — it made me realize that ketchup has a place on a breakfast sandwich.

I wouldn't put ketchup anywhere near a breakfast sandwich — it's a strong flavor that doesn't really work with the overt saltiness of ham, bacon, or sausage. Yet, when you throw a char-grilled burger patty and a stack of CJ's signature Hash Rounds, the ketchup is a welcome addition. The previous two ingredients act as a buffer between the ketchup and the bacon, egg, and cheese, but they also bring a lot of their own hearty flavor to the burger. It was a close call between this one and Chick-fil-A, but I have to say that I am sold on eating burgers for breakfast.

A good breakfast sandwich only has a few components, which is why ranking them is a tricky process. I evaluated how well each ingredient was prepared in terms of both texture and flavor, but I also looked at how each sandwich put everything together. Typically, breakfast foods work well with one another, so climbing the ranks had more to do with which sandwich either assembled those combinations effectively or did something to subvert those common flavors.

In most cases, the sandwiches that ranked higher on the list did a good job of using the sandwich medium to create a breakfast concept. It's easy to just put a fried egg, cheese, and bacon on two pieces of toast and create something pretty great, but a fast food joint has to recreate its particular offerings hundreds of times a day. When you've got something that manages to nail what makes a breakfast sandwich sing consistently, you've got to respect the restaurant's process.

In the end, it was the places that served up something unexpected that also managed to capture the restaurant's overall concept. Carl's Jr. does burgers well, so it makes sense that incorporating its burger aptitude into the field of breakfast sandwiches would yield impressive results.