Which Fast Food Chain Offers The Best Value In Minnesota?

If you're craving some fast food, you have a lot of options here in Minnesota. But only one fast food chain has the cheapest menu in the Bold North!

While Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we're also the Land of 10,000 fast food locations, at least according to this estimate from Friendly Cities Labs at Georgia Tech. That 10,074 total takes into account not just fast food, but fast-casual and coffee shop locations, as well. But you get the idea: there are a *lot* of fast food joints in our fair state.

But at which one will your hard-earned dollar get you the most? That was the question researchers at Eat This, Not That! set out to answer. Like many other items, prices at fast food restaurants have gone up lately, so finding a menu that has more value was something they set out to track down.

ALSO INTERESTING: Which Fast Food Chain Has the Most MN Locations?

The Eat This, Not That! crew 'compared 54 menu items across six major categories (breakfast, fries, nuggets, desserts, value items, and signature menu offerings) from nine of the most recognized fast-food chains in America,' the story said.

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And which fast food chain's menu was the cheapest? That would be... Taco Bell! According to Eat This, Not That!, here's why they named Taco Bell the cheapest fast food restaurant in the U.S.:

Taco Bell offers the most affordable breakfast items and fries, ranking second in chicken nuggets, desserts, and value items. The Mexican-themed chain averaged second place across all categories in the ranking.

Eat This, Not That! specifically noted Taco Bell's Breakfast Crunchwrap Sausage is the best value breakfast item, at just $0.63 per 100 calories, it said.

A Taco Bell in Stewartville, MN (Google Maps)

If you're looking to make a run for the border, as Taco Bell's advertising used to say, you have your choice of 71 different places here in Minnesota. According to Taco Bell's restaurant finder, you'll find one of their restaurants in the following Minnesota cities:

Minnesota Cities Where You'll Find a Taco Bell Restaurant

Albert Lea (1)
Albertville (1)
Alexandria (1)
Andover (1)
Anoka (1)
Apple Valley (1)
Baxter (1)
Bemidji (1)
Blaine (4)
Bloomington (1)
Brooklyn Center (1)
Brooklyn Park (3)
Buffalo (1)
Burnsville (1)
Cambridge (1)
Cloquet (1)
Coon Rapids (2)
Cottage Grove (1)
Crystal (1)
Duluth (3)
Eagan (3)
Eden Prairie (1)
Edina (1)
Elk River (1)
Fairmont (1)
Faribault (1)
Fergus Falls (1)
Forest Lake (1)
Fridley (1)
Golden Valley (1)
Grand Rapids (1)
Hastings (1)
Hinckley (1)
Hopkins (1)
Hutchinson (1)
Jordan (1)
Lakeville (3)
Little Falls (1)
Mankato (3)
Maple Grove (2)
Maplewood (1)
Marshall (1)
Minneapolis (4)
Minnetonka (2)
Monticello (1)
Moorhead (1)
North Branch (1)
North Saint Paul (1)
Northfield (1)
Oak Park Heights (1)
Oakdale (1)
Owatonna (1)
Plymouth (2)
Red Wing (1)
Richfield (1)
Rochester (3)
Rogers (1)
Roseville (1)
Saint Cloud (2)
Saint Paul (7)
Sauk Centre (1)
Savage (1)
Shakopee (1)
Stewartville (1)
Virginia (1)
Waconia (1)
Waite Park (1)
White Bear Lake (1)
Willmar (1)
Winona (1)
Woodbury (1)

Now, if you'd rather stay home and make a meal for yourself, you're probably *not* going to be whipping up one of the following dishes, because while they were once popular, these meals have faded from popularity here in Minnesota and across the country. Keep scrolling to see how many you remember!