How This McDonald's Burger Tried And Failed To Compete With Burger King's Whopper In The '90s

The decades-long contest between fast-food power players McDonald's and Burger King is a classic example of industrial rivalry. Though McDonald's is by far the bigger entity, with more than 45,000 locations around the world compared to BK's 19,000 and change, Burger King has continued challenging the top dog with innovative marketing measures and competitive menu offerings. One of these, Burger King's famous Whopper, was revamped in 2026, updating to a better-tasting bun, switching to creamier mayo, altering the prep of the veggies for improved freshness and aesthetic appeal, and swapping paper wrappers for cardboard boxes to preserve neatness as the burgers travel from kitchen to customer.

But Burger King's Whopper has been the gold standard to beat for a long time; in fact, back in the 1990s, McD's unveiled a new burger that was calculated to compete directly with the Whopper: the Big 'N Tasty. The sandwich featured a quarter-pound beef patty, onion slices, crisp leaf lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, and mayonnaise on a toasted sesame seed bun. Sound like a Whopper clone? That's because it was. The main difference between the two is that the Whopper features a flame-broiled patty instead of a flat-top grilled one.

Despite the overt attack on its rival's top seller, McDonald's didn't strike burger gold — the Big 'N Tasty didn't knock out the Whopper as intended or even come close. In fact, the sandwich was ultimately discontinued.

Some speculate that launching the Big 'N Tasty was a retributive act on McDonald's part because Burger King had debuted an alleged Big Mac copycat the year before. In 1996, BK test-marketed a sandwich — originally dubbed the Double Supreme Cheeseburger and later renamed the Big King — that was a not-so-subtle Big Mac imitator. The burger featured two beef patties, a Thousand Island dressing-like special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun (sound familiar?). To add insult to injury, the sandwich was hailed by fans as being superior to the Golden Arches' offering in various ways — it was marketed as having "75% more beef, less bun than the Big Mac" (per Chicago Tribune).

Like the Big 'N Tasty, though, the Big King didn't stand the test of time. It was also ultimately discontinued, though some international BK locations still sell versions of it. What's more, these versions include a three-piece club bun setup that mirror the classic Big Mac build. The sandwich has also had occasional resurgences in the U.S., but nothing permanent.

Much like the legendary "Cola Wars" that force restaurants to choose between Pepsi and Coke, we don't expect Mickey D's and BK to cool their competition anytime soon. As the brands continue trading metaphorical gunfire with new burgers, revamped burgers, and outright imitators, there is one area in which the contest is unquestionably settled: timing. While both brands are among the oldest chain restaurants still serving food, the fact remains that McD's opened its doors first, with its inaugural restaurant debuting in 1940. The first BK didn't open until 1954.