Drive-Thru Gourmet
Hoffman: Double Stack burger answers 'Where's the beef?' on Wendy's value menu
This week I reached out for a Wendy’s “4 for $4” value meal...but which sandwich to go along with four chicken nuggets, small fries, and small drink?
Wendy’s has eight sandwiches, or “entrees,” available on the big board: Double Stack, Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Grilled Go-Wrap, Junior Bacon Cheeseburger, Crispy Chicken BLT, Junior Cheeseburger, Spicy Go-Wrap, and the Junior Cheeseburger Deluxe.
Let’s go with the Double Stack, because it’s the meatiest sandwich, and for my money, the biggest bargain.
Here’s the Double Stack breakdown: two 2-ounce beef patties, one slice of American cheese, crinkle cut pickles, fresh red onion, ketchup, and mustard on a standard-issue burger bun.
The breakdown
Total calories: 390. Fat grams: 21. Sodium: 910 mg. Carbs: 25 g. Dietary fiber: 1 g. Protein: 25 g. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: part of Wendy’s “4 for $4” menu.
It’s a matter of value. The Double Stack is the only sandwich in the bargain bundle that features two patties made with Wendy’s flagship, never frozen, North American beef. Yes, these patties are square, just like Wendy’s big boy burgers.
The Double Stack is a fistful — a stripped-down, nothing fancy, really good burger, where beef is the star attraction and condiments and toppings are kept bare bones. That’s a good thing. Some fancified new burgers are three times the price and overloaded with bacon, imported cheese, and produce — it’s hard to taste (or find) the beef.
Not so with the Double Stack. There’s no lettuce or tomato, no mayo. Wendy’s would have been smart to lose the red onion slices, too. I fling ’em. So, the Double Stack’s double beef answers one question: which sandwich to choose on Wendy’s “4 for $4” menu.
At the same time, it raises a bigger question. The Double Stack costs $1.89 if you order a la carte. If the Double Stack offers a quarter-pound of beef at $1.89, why would anybody buy Wendy’s signature “Dave’s Single,” which also has a quarter-pound of beef, for $4.29?
The only differences:
Double Stack: two 2-ounce patties, one slice American cheese, plain bun.
Dave’s Single: one 4-ounce patty, two slices American cheese, lettuce and tomato, wider bun.
In other words, it’s $2 more for an extra slice of cheese, lettuce and tomato, and bigger bread.
No thanks, Dave’s Single. I’m seeing Double.