Every Cheeseburger at Sonic, Ranked

Sonic Drive-In’s menu covers just about everything under the sun, with options ranging from shakes and corn dogs to chicken nuggets and breakfast burritos. Burgers are a staple too, and now Sonic’s got three brand new ones to try: Garlic Butter Bacon, Peanut Butter Bacon, and Hickory BBQ.

I figured I needed to figure out how they compare to the rest of the cheeseburger lineup, so I scurried over to my local Sonic and grabbed all of them for a taste test. Here’s every cheeseburger from Sonic, ranked from best to worst.

Prices and availability are subject to change. 

Price: $5.29

I do not like mayonnaise, but I can’t help but admit there’s something delicious about the way it mixes with barbecue sauce and coats the pickles on this burger. This is tasty without being too insane like the Garlic Butter burger, and the sauce mixture helps out with a patty that's generally pretty bland. 

I’d skip the lettuce, though. The way Sonic employees chop lettuce is an experimental culinary technique I don’t understand, and it’s impossible to keep a single piece of it on. 

Price: $5.29

This feels like a good place to address something that I find very interesting about Sonic’s hamburger procedure. Very deliberately, cheese is always placed underneath the patty, sandwiched above the bottom bun. What’s this about? Does it make it easier to add toppings? I’m not sure I noticed a difference between Sonic’s burgers and other traditional cheese-on-top kinds of burgers, but I’m really stuck on it. 

This is just a patty and American cheese. You’re better off going to McDonald’s for this kind of thing, but it’s still a lot more tethered to the Earth than the rest of the cheeseburgers Sonic is trying to peddle. 

Price: $6.29

There was a time in our nation’s history, around the early 2000s, where there was a “MEN LOVE BEER AND BACON AND BOURBON” type of vibe in the air. Adam Richman ate food challenges on TV, craft beer was relatively new in popularity, and Ron Swanson was a male icon. 

This burger sent me right back to that time. Like, really, what even is this? A peanut butter bacon burger feels as gimmicky as a 2003 episode of “The Man Show.” It’s not like this is a particularly genius combination. To advertise a burger with peanut butter on it, I’d expect the end result to be greater than the sum of its parts. Instead, this just tastes like a burger with peanut butter and bacon on it.

Related: The Most Outrageous Burgers You Can Order

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Price: $7.29

Value is a big deal for us here at Cheapism, and I’ll give Sonic’s double cheeseburger credit for that, at least. This is huge, and with crispy bacon, lettuce, and tomato, you're looking at a solid meal if you’re hungry. 

Unfortunately for me, it’s simply too big. I doubt I could eat an entire one of these, and with a Sonic cheeseburger, the appeal fades every second it gets less hot. The last third of this burger will certainly be a slog. Just get two different regular-sized things instead.

Related: Everything on Sonic's Value Menu Is Under $4. Here's What You Should Order

Price: $6.29

Sonic restaurants are generally a place of junk food freedom, but they might need to cool their beans a little bit. This is probably the most decadent thing I’ve ever tasted from a fast food restaurant. They are not kidding when they say “garlic butter.”

This was the first burger I tasted during this experience, and after that first bite of bacon and cheese soaked in rich, gooey, buttery, garlic mayo, I was just about ready to start a juice cleanse. It was enough to make me consider stopping altogether, and starting this project again another day. It’s just so dense. I have no clue how a human being could eat the entire thing.

Related: From Chicken Strips to Sandwiches, Here Are All the Sonic Chicken Dishes, Ranked