I Tried Every Burger at Arby's & the Best Was Bacony, Oniony Bliss

It's shocking that a place known for having all "the meats" took nearly 60 years to add a simple burger to its menu. Arby's opened in 1964 in Boardman, Ohio, focusing solely on roast beef sandwiches. Over the years, the fast-food joint has gradually added more meat to its repertoire, from chicken and turkey to gyro meat and brisket—even venison and elk have graced the lineup.

However, it wasn't until 2022 that the chain debuted its very first take on a hamburger. Arby's didn't just quietly slide a humble hamburger onto its menu. It made a statement with its Wagyu Steakhouse Burger, consisting of about 50% American wagyu and about 50% traditional ground beef and weighing about 50% larger than McDonald's Quarter Pounder. According to Restaurant Business, the sandwiches were made using a combination of sous vide and flash-frying cooking methods and were released in a few different limited-time spurts.

Now, as of 2024, the chain has done away with wagyu beef for now and has instead permanently added a brand new line of classic all-beef burgers to its meat-filled menu. I'm more of a roast beef sandwich kind of person myself when it comes to Arby's, but I was intrigued to see what these burgers are all about. So I tried every single one. Here's how they ranked in descending order, beginning with my least favorite and counting down to the overall best.

Double Big Cheesy Bacon Burger

Arby's has just three burger types. But, each one is paired up with a double-sized buddy featuring two of the chain's all-beef patties along with the sandwich's original ingredients. In the case of the Double Big Cheesy Bacon Burger, this means that bacon, red onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and burger sauce are all piled onto the extra meat, in addition to both American and Swiss cheese slices for a multi-cultural cheesy experience. This order is the most expensive burger on the menu, priced at $9.99 without any curly fries, drinks, or what have you–whoof.

The look: Arby's isn't messing around. These double burgers are absolute monsters starting with the patties which measure in at half an inch thick each. Four lengthy slices of bacon add to the stack as well as plenty of toppings and melted cheese which protruded from the middle of the sandwich like an avalanche of orange and white goo.

The taste: Let me start by complimenting the chain on its substantial and homemade-like burger patties. These things are the real deal and put other restaurants' feeble smash burgers to shame. However, two was unfortunately one too many.

With an inch of patties dominating the handheld (I say that lightly since in reality it barely fit in my hands) meat was just about all you could taste in every bite. Even the cheese, which appeared to be plentiful, fell the wayside. The poor bun fell apart under the pressure and additionally became soggy from the burger sauce–which based on my taste buds is mayo-based with definite hints of ketchup and maybe sriracha.

The final straw of this behemoth was the bacon. Limp, fatty, and lacking a tasteful smokiness, it lands near the bottom of all fast food bacons I've tried–perhaps it's just one meat Arby's shouldn't have in its arsenal.

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Double BBQ Bacon Burger

At the same time Arby's decided to permanently keep burgers on its menu in September 2024, it also released its brand new BBQ Bacon Burgers. As its name would imply, the double version comes with two twin patties to distinguish it from the original. Other toppings include American cheese, bacon, pickles, smoky barbecue sauce, and a pile of crispy onion strings. Everything sits on a brioche bun for $9.49.

The look: Just as big as the Double Big Cheesy Bacon but even messier, dripping in thick BBQ sauce–get your napkins ready for this one. A small handful of fried onion rings and shreds sat on top of the beef and American cheese appears to be glued to the patties.

The taste: Individually, Arby's patties are juicy with a rich flavor. But, with two layered on top of one another, the burgers somehow become dry and less appetizing. In this sandwich's case, there's not enough BBQ sauce to go around to help remedy this problem–a shame since the sauce carries a classic savory yet mildly sweet flavor. These factors–along with the unsavory bacon–drove the burger toward the bottom of my list, but I also lassoed a few highlights as I munched on this Western-style rendition.

I found pickles to be a great add-on, waking up the sandwich with some zest. In addition, the crispy onions were phenomenal. Not only do they maintain their crunch thanks to a thin breading, they are also perfectly salted, pungent yet sweet, and not alarmingly oily. I only wish there had been more of them thrown underneath this burger's bun.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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Double Deluxe Burger

The last double on the list is the Double Deluxe Burger. This is the meatier version of the classic deluxe which comes with a fairly customary combination of American cheese, red onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and burger sauce on a brioche bun. It's essentially just the Double Big Cheesy Bacon Burger from earlier, hold the bacon and the Swiss cheese. This final heavyweight handheld rings up at $8.49.

The look: Menacing yet again–the kind of burger that can't be contained by its bun. However, it's organized chaos with burger sauce, pickles, lettuce, onion, tomato, patties, and cheese all reporting for duty in that exact order.

The taste: The best of the doubles, though that's not saying too much. It's more of a classic take on a burger and a makeup you'll find on most fast food chain menus. But, once again the bulky patties stampeded over the rest so I couldn't enjoy details like the fresh juiciness of the tomatoes and pickles or the creamy tang of the burger sauce.

Still, it prevails over the previous two choices since it's not sabotaged by off-putting bacon slices and managed to not fall apart in my hands. However, my note to Arby's remains the same: do away with the doubles! One patty is plenty.

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Big Cheesy Bacon Burger

At first, I thought the name Big Cheesy Bacon Burger was odd. I thought to myself, "Wouldn't the simple name Bacon Cheeseburger suffice?" But, this verbiage makes a lot more sense once you realize the burger includes not just double the cheese, but two different cheeses including Swiss and American, making the longer and more complicated title more justified. Like the previous double version, this single-patty burger is served with bacon, onion, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and burger sauce garnishes, all for $7.49.

The look: Cheese–mostly orange American since the Swiss appears to have been skipped here–and four sizeable pieces of light pink bacon overtake this patty to the point that it's hardly visible. Red, purple, and green adornments stick out from the bottom and the bun is just slightly mangled from the packaging.

The taste: Miles ahead of the overwhelming hamburgers we started with. In a manageable amount, the lightly charred, savory beef can be appreciated for what it is. It's elevated by the sauce that seeps into every bite and furthermore by the buttery cheese. From the onion to the pickles, the veggies and other add-ons help to diversify the flavor palette of the entire sandwich, creating a different combination and experience in each bite.

My only issue with the burger lies in what's debatably meant to be the star of the show: the bacon. It teeters on undercooked and with so much of it piled on it's unfortunately unavoidable–of course, the one time there's actually enough bacon on a fast food burger is when I wish it wasn't there at all.

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Deluxe Burger

The term "deluxe burger" implies that you're getting something beyond just beef, bun, and condiments, and this option from Arby's fits that description. With American cheese, pickles, onion, lettuce, tomato, and burger sauce, it really is a burger with the works, similar to something like the Deluxe Quarter Pounder from McDonald's or the Dave's Single from Wendy's. Priced at $5.49, it also comes in at a similar cost as these competitors.

The look: Even the simplest, single-patty makeup at Arby's looks like a big-mouth burger. It sports cheese almost completely liquified onto the beef, one tomato slice, about five raw onion rings, plenty of shredded lettuce, and a medley of pickle slices swimming in pale pink-orange sauce at the base.

The taste: Like all the thick patties I received from Arby's, this one is cooked to a well-done temperature. It's additionally not excessively seasoned–maybe just some salt and pepper here or there. It gets back to basics, allowing the tender, umami-filled beef to speak for itself and that's what I like about it–just a good old-fashioned burger with no frills. The deluxe also employs just the right combination of toppings. There's nothing I would take away or add, with the exception of another dollop of mayonnaise-based burger sauce.

After some reflection, I think I may even prefer Arby's take on this classic more than many other chains' renditions due to the quality of the meat and the obvious bang you're getting for your buck.

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BBQ Bacon Burger

At last, we reach the single model of this specialized Arby's cheeseburger. To recap, the BBQ Bacon Burger includes an all-beef burger patty (just one this time) with bacon strips, crispy onion strings, American cheese, pickles, and barbecue sauce. It goes without saying that it's all mounded onto the chain's one and only burger bun type: the brioche. I paid $6.99 for this sixth and final burger.

The look: So many fried onions! They're piled on thick—in a higher volume than what was found on the double. It's difficult to tell, but underneath there are two slices of bacon, a cheese and barbecue-coated patty, and we can't forget about the pickles tucked away at the depths of the stack.

The taste: A burger I would have been happy to receive at a bona fide and well-respected burger joint—it's that good. Each piece of the burger puzzle dazzles on its own from the always-reliable meat to the tangy barbecue sauce and zingy pickles. Plus, don't even get me started on the thin and crunchy onions. I already knew they were showstoppers from my first run-in with them and they continue to impress. Arby's should really think about selling them as a side dish. Once again, the bacon is not a winner, but underneath the rest of the fuss and feathers, it's hardly noticeable.

Now, to me, the true test of greatness is if I would select the offering over the chain's tried and true roast beef sandwich smothered in Arby's sauce. The answer is that this burger doesn't quite make me want to abandon my beloved go-to, but it did make me waffle more than I thought it would.

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