I ordered the cheapest burger meal at Applebee's, Chili's, and TGI Friday's — one chain had the best value by far

I tried the cheapest cheeseburgers on the menu at Applebee's, Chili's, and TGI Fridays.
Each affordable burger was properly cooked and served with plenty of fries.
The best value was at Chili's, where my burger came with fries, a soft drink, and a starter.
Fast food may still be quick and convenient, but rising prices are making it lose some of its appeal.
On the bright side, the fact that it costs me $10 just to get a burger, fries, and drink at McDonald's is making sit-down chains look extra appealing.
Turns out, I can get that order at several popular casual dining chains like TGI Fridays, Applebee's, and Chili's for about the same price.
So, I visited each of them in search of the cheapest burger-and-fries combo on the menu.
I wanted to see if I could get a good meal at a low price at these chains, and I was pleasantly surprised at all three — but one really stood out.
TGI Fridays' burger was tasty, but my meal wasn't perfect.
A cheeseburger and fries cost me $9.99 at TGI Fridays, though my meal didn't include a soft drink.
My burger was perfectly cooked to my medium-well request and generously topped with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, pickles, TGI Sauce (sweet and tangy), and cheese.
The veggies were layered under the patty, with the cheese on top, which made the burger easier to eat. I appreciated how well it held together, especially as so many cheeseburgers devolve into knife-and-fork piles.
The meat itself seemed entirely free of gristle, and the patty was a decent size — I'd estimate it was at least ¼ pound of beef, if not a bit more.
My fries came out hot and had a nice crunch, but they were way too salty for me. They only made me wish my meal had come with a refreshing soft drink, but that would have cost extra.
Fortunately, my water was still free and, overall, the meal was certainly well worth its price.
The burger at Applebee's tasted great, but it was a mess to eat.
To get the best deal on a burger meal at Applebee's, I ordered from the chain's Really Big Meal Deal menu.
That menu includes several different burgers and a chicken sandwich priced at $9.99. Each comes with fries and a soft drink, meaning this meal was already a better value than the one I got at TGI Fridays.
I went with the classic cheeseburger, which was a hit. It was cooked just right, with a bit of pink left in the center and a hint of char on the exterior. The lettuce, pickles, and tomato were stacked high, and the tasty, slightly sweet brioche bun seemed fresh.
I appreciated the generous portion of toppings, but they made the patty slide off the bun with each bite. I needed to use a fork and a knife toward the end.
The fries at Applebee's were hot, crunchy, plentiful, and not too salty.
All told, this meal was entirely worth its price, messy burger and all.
My burger at Chili's came with a starter.
The cheapest burger I found at Chili's was on the chain's 3 for Me menu. I could get a burger with fries, a soft drink, and a starter, all for $10.99.
The options for starters include a cup of soup, a house side salad, or chips and salsa. I went with baked-potato soup, which came heavily topped with bacon, cheese, and green onions.
The portion wasn't huge, but as the soup seemed like a total bonus, I didn't mind.
The burger and fries at Chili's were pretty decent, too.
The burger I got at Chili's was pretty bare bones, but at least the patty was large — it was broad and flat, in a "smash" style — and cooked well. Plus, the bun tasted fresh.
However, it felt like the most boring burger I tried, topped with just a tangy sauce, cheese, and a bit of chopped onion. I had expected the usual lettuce, tomato, or pickles (and think they would've paired well with the patty) but I didn't get any.
This wasn't that big of a deal, though, as I was already half sated from my bonus starting course.
The fries at Chili's were thick and had just the right amount of salt. They were pleasantly complemented by my ginger ale (also included with my meal).
All things considered, I'd probably head back to Chili's first.
Each meal cost an extra $2 or so after tipping my servers. Even still, I felt the prices I paid were fair across the board.
In terms of final thoughts, I was bummed my affordable cheeseburger at TGI Fridays didn't come with a soft drink.
At Applebee's, I got a drink, burger, and fries — but at Chili's, my burger was accompanied by fries, a beverage, and a starter, making it far and away the best deal.
Although the Chili's burger wasn't my favorite, it was still good. If it had been more heavily topped, it would've been on par with the ones from Applebee's and TGI Fridays.

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