Burger King Whopper Vs McDonald's Quarter Pounder: The Burger That Reigns Supreme

Miami is known for a lot of things, but something many don't realize about the sunny metropolis: It was the birthplace of the Whopper. Magic City played host to the first supersized Burger King creation, back in 1957. It makes sense that it was in Florida, since BK itself was founded only four years earlier in Jacksonville — meaning that the Whopper is nearly as old as the fast-food giant itself.

The Whopper was indeed a game-changer, and it put the ball in McDonald's' court to offer the public its own big–assed burger. The golden-arched rival didn't introduce its true counterpart, the Big Mac, until 1967. However, it's another Mickey D's offering, with a higher meat-to-bun ratio — that's famous around the world — which might be the true Whopper nemesis: The Quarter Pounder.

We put the two head-to-head against each other in a winner-take-all, zero-sum, no-holds-barred war to the death. Or, to put it more accurately, a person tried both and jotted down which was better. Would this tilt go the way of Burger King, like with the chains' chicken nugget bargain battle? Or would the QP nab the TKO? The answer: TBD.

With two young kids in the backseat, confused as to why exactly daddy had to eat fast food for work, I hit up the respective drive-thrus of both Burger King and McDonald's. I jetted home (safely), set the orders down in the kitchen, and got to sampling as soon as possible, while things were still hot and fresh. (Although a taste test of leftover, refrigerated chain burgers at some point could be interesting.)

I chose to go Quarter Pounder without the cheese (even though the box said "Quarter Pounder with Cheese"), to provide the fairest assessment. Cheese is kind of like cheating anyway when it comes to burgers — or at the very least it throws things off. Comparing a cheeseburger and a hamburger is like pitting Iron Man versus giant Iron Man.

As the showdown commenced I played entrance music for both burgers, WWE-style. (I'm kidding. Or am I?). I proceeded to judge on taste, texture, and ingredient quality-slash-cohesion. That's it. Just a no-nonsense, may-the-best-burger win contest. Coming on the heels of Burger King's ad blitz about its improved Whopper, this was especially intriguing. I went in for the Quarter Pounder first, then alternated between bites. My kids were not impressed by the strategy, or really anything I was doing at this point.

Taking that first bite of the McDonald's offering reminded me of its simplicity. The patty's got a great little char, the airy bun does its job. And, sure, not everyone is a fan of the pickles on this, or other burgers; but here they don't overwhelm (unlike with those bizarre dill-flavored Oreos). They add just enough. Same for the onions.

I really feel like there are solid burger pubs that would be thrilled if their product delivered the way the Quarter Pounder does. That's not a knock on any bar-restaurant burger. On the contrary, that's how good this Quarter Pounder is. And the best part for me is that, unlike the Big Mac (which I'm not crazy about), there isn't the overly sweet sauce everyone thinks is special. Take away all the chain-fare context, and this is one helluva burger — cheese or not.

On to the next one. It's certainly more iconic, but as you unwrap the Whopper, you realize there is no heavenly glow. It's just another burger that comes in paper, and should be judged on its own, un-preconceived merit. And there is merit there, to be sure. 

The bread feels a bit more pronounced with the Whopper. The patty is a solid, flame-grilled foundation, and carries the load well. There's no need for all the bells and whistles of something like the Ultimate Steakhouse Whopper — as lovely and crave-able as that Bacchanalian construction might be. The original does the job just fine, thank you.

The toppings, like with the Quarter Pounder, are straightforward and classic — although the pickles stand out a bit more. I personally don't mind that, but the pickle-adverse might (although they're probably picking them off first anyway). I can't be mad at this munch. I can't be mad at any of this. This is a tough call, friends.

Like football, carpentry, and Viking funeral fire-arrows, this was a game of inches. The QP was a proper mound of beefy goodness. The Whopper was a rock-solid, robust, ziggurat of a burger. Two challengers entered the ring, and each went the distance (until my four-year-old put the Whopper out of its misery).

In the end I had to ask myself one thing: If I decide to occasionally indulge on a shameless fast-food burger, when the craving just nags too much, when the itch simply has to be scratched, which one of these would I go with?

The Quarter Pounder. That's the one. It was a tight one, but my decision is firm. McDonald's comes out on top here. That Maillard reaction char — even though it's not flame-grilled — just brings the patty up a slight notch above the Whopper. 

The Quarter Pounder Without Cheese is — as a friendly reminder — one quarter-pound beef patty, ketchup, mustard, pickle slices, and onions between a sesame-seed bun. It's 430 calories with a 24-40-20 protein, carb, and total fat split on the grammage. The allergen situation is wheat and sesame.  

Flame-grilled, all-beef patty with tomatoes, onions, pickles, mayonnaise, and ketchup on a toasted, sesame-seed bun. So goes The Whopper, famously. As indicative of the name, it is no calorie slouch. It hits you with 710 of those, along with 57 grams of carbs, 34 grams of protein, and 42 grams of fat. On balance, it seems the Quarter Pounder is a bit healthier. Not that you were wondering about that. Oh, and it's wheat, gluten, soy, and egg (mayo) on the allergies. 

As far as availability: Well, if you live near Burger King and McDonald's — and chances are you do, unless you reside in Antarctica, or Albania — then you should be able to nab either menu item without muss or fuss. Unless you're done with McDonald's altogether because of their new drive-thru advertisements. Then just stick with the Whopper until Burger King inevitably does the same.