5 Fast Food Burger Chains That Are Overpriced, According To Customers

Mondays used to be the worst day to order from a fast-food restaurant, but now every day is bad if you're watching your wallet. Restaurants everywhere are feeling the inflation pinch, and price hikes have made dollar menus a thing of the past and turned formerly cheap drive-thru drive-bys into painful sticker shock. Certain fast-food burger chains are going too far with their price increases, though — at least, that's how customers see it.

Among quick-bite restaurants that consumers are calling out for overpricing, brands like McDonald's, Carl's Jr. (or Hardee's), Whataburger, Jack in the Box, and Five Guys have drawn significant ire. Even opting for a kids' meal, something more adults are doing to save money, won't help much at some of these restaurants, as their menu items for children have gone up in cost as well.

Fast-food companies are reaping the consequences of their heightened prices. The skyrocketing charges have casual dining restaurants swooping in to claim customers' spending dollars, promoting the notion that folks can get a quality, sit-down meal in their establishments for the same price or less than drive-thru dining. Chili's, for example, has been taking direct aim at burger giant McDonald's, including launching a 2025 promotion offering a cheaper Quarter Pounder-inspired burger complete with fries, a drink, and bottomless chips and salsa.

A mindset change is definitely occurring among consumers. As mainstream burger brands continue burning them where it really hurts — their pocketbooks — many are ceasing their patronage and turning elsewhere to source their meals. "People are no longer [buying] fast food for $15-$30 when they can just go to a restaurant or buffet for the same cost while getting higher quality," one Reddit user observed.

Global brand McDonald's is noted for revolutionizing the restaurant game with its Speedee Service System, which made food service incredibly fast via an assembly line approach. The chain became widespread with its myriad options for this faster food on the cheap. In the 1940s, when the Golden Arches was a new name in dining, an entire family could enjoy dinner there for less than $1. But, oh, how times have changed.

Customers are openly complaining about the elevated expense at Mickey D's as they reel from the sticker shock of eating there. "I used to buy my son the big breakfast with bacon and hot cakes all the time. I went there this morning, and the price went up by $2.30 JUST SINCE LAST WEEK!" one Reddit poster complained. Another Redditor lamented being charged $25 for two meals to feed their kids. "All fast food has gotten more expensive, but McDonald's is straight up trying to be a luxury brand at this point," someone else observed. "At a certain price point, I'll just learn to cook for myself. You greedy b***ards," expressed another.

McDonald's has lost customers as patrons balk at the high prices and take their business elsewhere. "They've priced themselves out of their own market," a Redditor stated. Feeling the pain of these lost sales, in 2024, Mickey D's announced its intentions to refocus on affordability. But, for some, reparative changes are too little, too late. "[McDonald's,] you have tarnished your reputation forever[,] and I will miss the many fond memories that you bestowed on me when I was younger. But no more[.] F*** you, [McDonald's]," another Redditor declared.

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's are sister brands with similar menus and identical logos, signage, and building designs. The once separately operated chains merged into one when CKE Restaurants purchased Hardee's in the 1990s. Now, the dining experience is virtually the same at both — including how much prices have soared.

"It used to cost $25 for [four] people to eat at Hardee's," one Facebook user posted. "Now, it costs $25 for [two] people to eat there. Not only has the amount of food given shrunk, but the cost for less food has increased." Another Facebook poster, getting drive-thru takeout for their family, bemoaned being charged more than $60 for three combo meals and a chicken item at a California Carl's Jr.

Once upon a time — way back in the '90s — you could get a Famous Star hamburger for just $0.99. Further back, in the '80s, an entire Famous Star meal, complete with fries and a drink, only set you back $1.99. As of April 2026, Famous Star meals tally up to more than $13, depending on where you live. A more premium menu choice, like a Triple Guacamole Bacon Burger Combo, can cost over $23. Ironic, for a chain whose ad campaigns once touted formal restaurant-quality burgers for significantly less money.

These twin chains have also lost customers over their inflated prices. "I stopped going to Carl's Jr. when they charged me $25 for [two] Double Westerns and [two] large fries. I now make them at home," one Reddit user posted. "Ordered a combo with the upsize to large[,] and the bill was over $20. I've never been there since," another Redditor stated.

Whataburger was founded on the premise of offering sandwiches so large that diners would need both hands to hold them, prompting them to exclaim, "What a burger!" The founders succeeded in this endeavor, serving burgers requiring specially made buns to contain the larger-than-standard patties. The company became an institution in its home state of Texas. But then things changed.

BDT Capital Partners, an investment firm based in Chicago, acquired a majority stake in Whataburger in 2019, with the Dobsons — the Texas family that founded and built the chain — retaining only a minor interest. Family members in corporate leadership positions stepped down, and, in 2020, a non-family member was appointed CEO for the first time in the company's history. Many fans of the brand lament that it hasn't been the same since. 

Among varying complaints, grumbles are abundant over inflated costs. "Whataburger? More like what a waste of money," a Reddit user posted, adding, "It's overpriced and underwhelming." Another commented, "Since the corporate buyout, prices are simply insane! I am pretty sad about the fall of this formerly great, largely Texas brand."

Depending on location, a basic Whataburger sandwich, with no cheese or extras, can ring up at more than $9, as of April 2026, while getting it in a Whatameal combo can exceed $14. A higher-tier burger, like a Whataburger Patty Melt, can top $13 for just the sandwich, while a combo meal can surpass $17. "This is getting out of hand," another Redditor stated.

Even employees agree that Whataburger isn't the same as it once was. "I have worked at the same [Whataburger] for 6 years now and can, in fact, confirm [there] have been physical changes to the products we use[,] the way we serve[,] and quality in general. ... I have seen and experienced the decline [firsthand] for a while now," a Reddit poster, self-identified as a Whataburger worker, stated.

Jack in the Box prides itself on offering broadly varied menu options that cater to everyone, from its foundational burgers to Tex-Mex and Asian items. But, whether you opt for that two-taco deal or a burger combo, you'll be paying a lot more for it these days. "Everything on this menu is outrageously overpriced," a Facebook poster complained. "Even a salad at Jack In The Box is $17[.] In just [five] years[,] some menu items have increased over 140%[,] and average prices have increased around 45%[.] This far outpaces inflation and is robbing Americans blind."

Jack's Two Tacos for $0.99 was long the darling of budget-bound diners looking for a cheap snack. While the menu item is still, arguably, one of the more affordable munchie-soothers out there, its price has increased across the board and has doubled in some locations.

If you're looking for something heartier to fill up on, a burger meal like the Bacon Double Smashed Jack Combo can cost over $20, depending on your location. If you want one of the chain's entree salads with chicken, that can run more than $14 if you get it in a combo.

Ironically, even some of the items listed on the "Jack's Munchies Under $4" menu exceed $4 now in some locations, though they still show up under that heading. "Jack [in] the Box prices are rising more wildly than anything it seems," one Redditor complained. "People used to buy Jack in the Box [every day], but it then turned to once every week, then once every [two] weeks, and it may soon turn to never again."

Five Guys is a burger chain customers say has been overpriced for a long time — way before inflation made price gouging the new trend in fast food. But in an uncertain economy rife with skyrocketing costs, the brand has become downright unaffordable. "Five Guys is absolutely outrageously expensive," one TikToker stated, detailing they got two burgers, two milkshakes, and french fries and paid $55 for the food and $70 total, after tax and delivery costs.

Five Guys makes no bones about its cost-hiking. Company founder and CEO Jerry Murrell has stated that menu prices fluctuate based on profit margins — if an ingredient supplier raises costs, so does Five Guys. But customers argue the brand is perpetually overpriced regardless of the economic climate. "Nah, [Five] Guys has ALWAYS been way more expensive," one Reddit poster stated. "One person can't get out of there for under $20. And it's been that way for a while."

As of April 2026, the smaller, single-patty hamburger at Five Guys can total more than $9, depending on location, while a more premium sandwich like a Bacon Cheeseburger can cost over $15. A milkshake can ring up at over $7, large fries can exceed $9, and smaller fountain drinks can top $4. Since the chain doesn't offer combo meals, fries and drinks must be bought individually, which gets pricey fast. Five Guys has tested out some combo options but hasn't implemented them systemwide.

Many have reduced their Five Guys visits or ceased going altogether, and some say they've never tried the chain at all because of the prices. "Now I have to check my credit score before I go in," one Redditor quipped.