All 9 Items on McDonald's Dollar Menu, Ranked

These days, you can’t really call yourself a fast-food restaurant unless you’ve got a value menu worth bragging about. With only nine items on offer, four of which are only available during breakfast hours, I’m not sure McDonald's has the ability to do that, but the $1-$2-$3 Dollar Menu exists all the same. 

Should you skip the Happy Meal and enjoy the McDonald's dollar menu prices? Let’s take a look. I ate my way through the nine items, including breakfast, on McDonald’s value menu and ranked them based on a single attribute: how much I enjoyed every dang bite. 

Note: Many McDonald's franchisees have recently started removing drinks from their Dollar Menu options thanks to inflation, according to Restaurant Dive, much to the frustration of customers.

Prices and availability are subject to change.

While budget-conscious customers have long looked to the Golden Arches for menu options priced at $1 or less, McDonald's has recently come under fire on social media for having a so-called "Dollar Menu" that doesn't have a single item that costs one dollar. When McDonald's launched the $1-$2-$3 Dollar Menu back in 2018, there were four items that cost $1: the McChicken, a cheeseburger, the sausage burrito, and any size soft drink.

While prices vary by location, these days the cheapest items on the $1-$2-$3 Dollar Menu are well above $1. As you'll see below, the closest items to a dollar that you'll find are $1.59, $1.79, and even $1.99, which really falls into the $2 category. While those may still be relatively reasonable prices given the rising cost of just about everything thanks to inflation, McDonald's "Dollar Menu" may feel like a misnomer to many customers.

Price: $1.99, one size

While it’s certainly not the best fast-food chicken sandwich you can eat, it’s one of the most reliable menu items that McDonald’s has to offer. The McChicken has been a Mickey D standby for me for a long time, and the price is inarguably gorgeous. Plus, pickles are a free add-on.

Price: $1.79, one size

It’s a shame you can only land this during breakfast hours, but I’ll be a sucker for McDonald’s breakfast for the remainder of my days. The Egg McMuffin with ham is, of course, the real prize of said breakfast menu, but for $1.79, the price of a Sausage McMuffin is hard to argue with no matter what.

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Price: $2.59, one size

Third place for the chain’s signature double cheeseburger may seem harsh, but the only reason it’s not landing in first place is because a single is actually cheaper. Why McDonald’s would not direct your attention to a $1.99 cheeseburger on the three-bucks-or-less menu is beyond me. In fact, while we’re talking value, maybe just grab the standard triple — for three beef patties, it’s only about a dollar more. One thing to keep in mind: Adding bacon to this will end up making it cost more than a regular bacon cheeseburger, so just dip back to the regular menu if you want bacon.

Related: 11 Fast Food Breakfast Deals That Make It Easier To Roll Out of Bed

Price: $1.99, one size

Of all the fast-food items that McDonald’s is celebrated for, I believe the hash brown is amongst the most deserving. Two dollars for a hash brown might feel expensive, but it’s worth it, especially when you ask for it hot, fresh, and crispy. Honestly, go ahead and make it $100. Won’t stop me.

Related: The Best Fast Food Deals To Grab Right Now

Price: $2.49, one size

Maybe I’m out of touch, or maybe I’m just a true Cheapist, but does $2.50 feel like it’s not actually that much of a steal? Even with menu pricing less than $3, I can’t help but feel like four measly nuggs is worth $2.50. Maybe an even two. I’ll fight them all day over that 50 cents.

Related: Forget McDonald’s: These Are the Best (and Worst) Frozen Chicken Nuggets

Price: $2.39, one size

You really have to be in the right mood for a sausage patty packed between two buns that contain explosive syrup nuggets. Something about this just feels a little easier to handle when it’s got egg instead of sausage. Either way, in the deepest, darkest reaches of my heart, I can’t deny my love for McGriddles. 

Note: Even though this isn't on McDonald's official dollar menu, it showed up on my app as a value meal item in my area. Check your McDonald's app! 

McDonald's also temporarily stopped selling McGriddles during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, around the same time the chain also eliminated all-day breakfast, so that employees didn't have to simultaneously serve breakfast with the regular menu, while also handling COVID-19 safety protocols. Thankfully, McGriddles have returned to U.S. locations, though all-day breakfast is now only available in select locations.

Related: These Fast Food Chains Have You Covered With All-Day Breakfast

Price: $2.29, small

I don’t know, y’all. Are we really calling a small French fries for $2.29 a good deal? That feels expensive for a small fries. I’m coming for Old McDonald’s throne on this one, because I have to tell you, I find the fries to be amongst the most overrated things in fast food. I cannot recall the last time I received them hot and crispy, across tons of locations all over this dang country. They’re flimsy, under-salted, and disappointing. There, I said it.

Price: $1.99, one size

I don’t know what happens to the sausage at McDonald’s when it gets transmogrified into those tiny little round sausage balls you find in the burritos, but I do not care for it one bit. The flavor feels off, and I can’t explain why. I’m here for the big patty, but yeesh, these tiny ones freak me out.

Price: $1.59, one size

The biscuits at McDonald’s are horrible. C’mon, you know this. Don’t act like I’m dropping a big bomb here. Spend your $1.50 at Burger King.