So I know we’ve all heard the age old debate of which fast food chain has the best chicken nuggets: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, or Burger King? The Jury is still out on this one, but what about Diet Coke? When I first heard that fountain Diet Coke tasted different at each of these three popular fast food destinations, I would have sworn you were insane, because it’s all the same soda, right? But with my Diet Coke obsession slowly growing, and my fast food addiction at its peak, I realized that not all Diet Coke is created equal.
My friends and I decided to go to the “big three” fast food competitors (as we like to call it): McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King. We tried Diet Cokes from each location in attempt to answer the pressing question: Who has the best fountain Diet Coke?
Burger King
They may be the ‘Burger King,’ but they are definitely not dominating in the Diet Coke region. Here’s what we had to say about this one:
“It tastes like glorified water, and not in a good way. “
“There’s not much flavor.”
“I feel like I’m drinking air.”
Wendy’s
Quality is their recipe, and they’re not wrong:
“This Diet Coke is good.”
“Pretty refreshing.”
“Definitely a step up from BK.”
McDonald’s
Ahh, the infamous Micky D’s:
“Right when you taste this Diet Coke, the flavor is so flavorful and extremely refreshing.”
“I would argue that this is more refreshing than water (Am I allowed to say that?)”
“A+ to you, MickyDs.”
The Verdict
So, the answer seems pretty obvious. The winner, based on a unanimous decision, is McDonald’s! This extremely refreshing and flavorful Diet Coke was a sure winner. Despite this easy decision, I wanted to know why this Diet Coke was so dang good.
After a little research, I found that McDonald’s gets the syrup (that is to be mixed with carbonated water to make for the perfect drink) delivered on its own. Because of this, McDonald’s chooses the exact amount of syrup to water ratio, so that when the ice in your drink melts, it won’t compromise the integrity of the drink. Clever thinking, McDonald’s.
To read more about why Diet Coke at McDonald’s is so good, check out this article. No matter what the reason though, McDonald’s, hands down, makes one mean Diet Coke. So if you’re ever in need of a crisp, refreshing Diet Coke, you know where to go.