I’ve eaten at Shake Shack before, so I knew ahead of time that I wasn’t walking into the most budget-friendly restaurant.

However, I was still pretty shocked that $10 only bought me one Chicken Shack sandwich ($9.60).

Although I thought it was pricey, the sandwich was really good. It came on a soft potato bun with lettuce and pickles, but I added tomato, onion, and ShackSauce at no additional charge.

The chicken was thick, juicy, and well-seasoned, and overall, it was definitely the largest of the sandwiches I tried. However, I finished my meal still feeling hungry.

Did it taste great? Yes. Was it a great value? Not so much.

Luckily, I was able to order a side with my sandwich at Chick-fil-A.

I decided on the classic chicken sandwich ($5.85) and a medium order of fries ($3), for a total of $8.85. I also got some complimentary Chick-fil-A sauce for dipping.

I’ve been to Chick-fil-A before, but this was actually my first time trying a sandwich from the chain. To be honest, I wish I had a better first impression.

Overall, it felt plain and underwhelming, especially for the price. The sandwich was admittedly better when I added the complimentary Chick-fil-A sauce — which tastes similar to a mix of honey mustard and barbecue sauce.

For a nearly $10 meal, though, the portion felt small.

Burger King is where things really started to look up for me. I ordered the medium Chicken Jr. meal ($6.50), which came with a sandwich, a medium drink, and a medium side.

For my side dish, I chose the “have-sies” option — a mix of onion rings and fries (for the same price as regular fries). I also added pickles and ketchup to the sandwich for no additional charge.

Because I had some money left in my budget, I decided to add a second Chicken Jr. sandwich for $2.20. In total, I spent $8.70.

The Chicken Jr. sandwich seemed smaller than the options I’d gotten at the other restaurants, so I’m glad my budget allowed me to get two.

The sandwiches and fries were pretty good, and overall, this was the first meal where I felt like I actually got my money’s worth.

I also thought the sesame-seed bun was a nice touch that helped this sandwich stand out from the pack.

McDonald’s delivered a solid amount of food for under $10. I opted for the $5 Chicken Meal Deal, which includes a McChicken sandwich, small fries, four nuggets, and a small drink.

I had enough left in my budget for an extra McChicken sandwich for $2.80. During my visit, I was also charged a total of $0.60 to add pickles to both sandwiches. All together, I spent $8.40.

The patty on the McChicken sandwich didn’t have much flavor, and I definitely tasted the bun and mayo more than the actual chicken.

The fries, however, were salty, thin, and delicious. As always, the chicken nuggets were crispy and flavorful.

Overall, I thought this was a decent value meal, but was disappointed that most customizations, aside from ketchup, cost extra.

It wasn’t the highest-quality food I’ve ever had, but I appreciated the variety of items I was able to get for under $10.

From what I saw, Wendy’s seemed like it had the most variety of items available for $10 or less.

I went with the crispy chicken BLT Biggie Bag, which includes a chicken sandwich with bacon and cheese, four nuggets, a medium fry, and a medium drink for $6.80.

I had enough money left over to get another plain chicken sandwich for $2.50, which I customized with onion, pickles, and ketchup for no extra charge.

In total, I spent $9.30 at Wendy’s.

Although it was still pretty basic, the chicken BLT sandwich felt like an upgrade compared to what I’d gotten elsewhere. The patty was the thickest of all the ones I’d tried, and I also thought it was the most flavorful.

The nuggets and fries were both solid as well.

Overall, Wendy’s gave me the most food, variety, and the best options for free customizations.

If this experience showed me anything, it’s that $10 isn’t what it used to be. Shake Shack may have delivered the best-tasting chicken, but in my opinion, value matters more than ever these days.

Wendy’s truly made me feel like I was getting my money’s worth. So, if you’re out to eat on a budget, I highly recommend taking a trip to Wendy’s.