Fast Food Chains That Serve The Highest And Lowest Quality Bacon

If you're one of those people who won't have a burger without bacon, odds are you already have a clearcut favorite fast food joint. While food quality varies at every restaurant chain, we'd argue that the gap in bacon quality is one of the most significant. The reality is that you just can't fake good bacon. A good bacon strip or rasher has the perfect balance of fat and flavor, saltiness and sweetness, with a crispy edge that doesn't sacrifice bacon's natural tender meat. It's a fine line — one that some restaurants tread better than others.

To separate the delights from the duds, we took a deep dive into the bacon offered by multiple major fast food chains to pinpoint which are serving high-quality bacon and which ones are currently falling short. Of course, just because your favorite chain's bacon is considered low-quality, doesn't mean it's not worth your time. We looked at everything from customer reviews to what actually goes into the bacon, plus where and how it's prepped by the restaurant in question, but ultimately nothing can override your personal preference. However, if you're looking to figure out where to get your next tasty bacon-stacked treat, maybe this list can help lead the way.

Shake Shack is known for serving some of the highest quality burgers in fast food, so it stands to reason that it also boasts equally impressive bacon in the likes of its Avocado Bacon Burger, SmokeShack, and Bacon Cheese Fries. Every strip used by the New York-based burger joint is provided by a sustainable supplier like Niman Ranch, that raises its livestock on a vegetarian diet without antibiotics or hormones and making every effort to produce the tastiest bacon possible.

Needless to say, it succeeded. The chain's culinary director, Mark Rosati, told Michelin Guide that its bacon-stacked SmokeShack is one of two burgers he'd gladly enjoy for the rest of his life. Yes, he may be slightly biased, but customer reviews of Shake Shack's applewood smoked bacon are largely equally positive. Not only is the chain generous with its bacon, layering up the strips in its burgers, but it's received praise for its smoky flavor and the fact that it's cooked to just the right amount of crispiness. Positive reviews have also highlighted the thickness of its bacon strips, adding some much welcome variation to Shake Shack's burgers.

Surprised to see Wendy's classed as a low-quality bacon provider? Give us a moment to explain. There was a time when Wendy's would not only place high on the highest quality list, but top it completely. The burger chain used to serve freshly cooked bacon, all of which was sourced from fresh pork bellies through the Wendy's Animal Care Standards Program, with every supplier receiving Wendy's Pork Quality Assurance Plus certification.

In 2024, however, Wendy's employees started reporting a change in the bacon. As per those working in the kitchens, the bacon now comes pre-cooked, which Wendy's claimed in a purported notice was part of its efforts to improve consistency and cooking times (via Reddit). Not everyone was convinced by this argument. "Wendy's is taking the approach Hardee's took in the late 1900s," lamented one customer on Reddit. "They are lowering the quality of their food as a cost saving measure."

Whether or not this is true, it's hard to ignore the number of complaints out there about Wendy's new bacon. The most common critiques focus on it being smaller, thinner, and inferior in taste. Employees have also claimed that it smells akin to a tire fire when being cooked, which isn't really indicative of the best quality bacon in the world. Making this loss all the more upsetting is remembering just how darn good its predecessor tasted. As one Reddit user put it, "It sucks because it used to be so crispy and juicy."

Bacon is a sandwich shop staple, with Jersey Mike's being no exception. If you order a Club Sub, Club Supreme, BLT, or Bacon Ranch Chicken Cheese Steak at Jersey Mike's, bacon will be one of the many components used in your sub. With the chain going to great lengths to ensure the tastiest ingredients in its sandwiches, it should come as no surprise that this bacon gets the same treatment.

According to the employees who prepare its subs, Jersey Mike's applewood-smoked bacon is made fresh every morning. Should business prove busier than expected, more bacon may be put on the grill in the early afternoon, with one worker also claiming that they'll make it fresh if requested, although we wouldn't count on this always being the case. This likely depends on the location, employee, and the number of people also waiting for their food.

This freshness doesn't go unnoticed, earning plenty of praise from Jersey Mike's customers — especially in comparison to other major chains. "I got Subway and Jersey Mike's back-to-back one day to try turkey and bacon and the difference couldn't have been further when it comes to the bacon," one Reddit user noted. "Jersey Mike's, crispy, fresh, tasty. Subway ... Had that pale look to it. Absolutely not crispy and it had that weird smoke taste." Flavorful with just the right level of saltiness, it's particularly popular in the Bacon Ranch Chicken Cheese Steak, which serves as a clear standout with Jersey Mike's regulars.

We're not knocking the taste of Taco Bell's breakfast range because, we'll be honest, there's no universe where we'd say no to a Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito. However, when you start to look at bacon specifically, it's tough to squeeze Taco Bell into the list of chains with high-quality offerings. Found in the aforementioned Breakfast Burrito, plus the Breakfast Quesadilla and Crunchwrap, the chain's bacon has received criticism for its artificial taste. "Taco Bell bacon tastes like freeze-dried bacon bits rather than actual fried and crumbled bacon," complained one Reddit user, while others have noted that it's simply too salty to prove enjoyable.

When you dig into the ingredients, it's not totally surprising that customers have qualms about the Taco Bell bacon not tasting like actual freshly-cooked bacon. Smoke flavor plays a key role. This is often added to sauces, meats, and cheeses for added smokiness in lieu of literally smoking the meat. Employees also state that the bacon comes pre-cooked, which would give credence to those reviews claiming that it doesn't taste fresh. While the taste of Taco Bell's bacon bits may blend into other elements of its breakfast items, there's still plenty of room for improvement.

Culver's bacon underwent a glow-up in 2024. Its new bacon strips were thick-cut, crunchy, and the perfect balance of sweet and smoky, designed to complement the chain's existing line of burgers. While automatically included in The Culver's Bacon Deluxe, Culver's encouraged customers to add it to other non-bacon-bearing burgers and sandwiches for free for a limited time. It was also quick to push its more unique attributes, such as the fact that it's cooked in-store using a proprietary method that crisps the edges while leaving the inside delightfully chewy.

Of course, none of this means anything if customers don't like the bacon. The good news is that Culver's customers are primarily pro-new bacon, deeming it to be of higher quality than its predecessor. "Dude, their bacon is real bacon now it makes the burger 10x better," said one fan on Reddit. "Used to be that easy microwave bs." Comparing it positively to the bacon produced by other fast food chains, such as McDonald's (more on the Golden Arches later), it's been praised for hitting all the right notes in terms of flavor and texture. Customers have also claimed that it tastes more like bacon you'd cook at home, which is arguably the highest form of praise for any kind of mass-produced meat. In general, Culver's has a stellar reputation when it comes to quality, having also received praise for using fresh, not frozen, burgers.

There's no shortage of sandwiches containing bacon at Jimmy John's. The likes of its Jimmy Cubano, Club Lulu, and Ultimate Porker all count bacon as a primary protein. Whether or not you want to order these sandwiches, however, is a different story. While Jimmy John's prides itself on using the freshest ingredients possible and brags about preparing its genoa salami, capocollo, roast beef, turkey, and ham onsite, this ethos doesn't extend to the bacon. Back in 2015, Jimmy John's admitted that it sources pre-cooked bacon, which, as per more recent reports from employees, seems to still be the case.

These same employees are largely unimpressed by the bacon's quality. Several workers have complained that it arrives covered in fat, with one admitting on Reddit, "I hate our disgusting bacon, and am ashamed to serve it." The pre-cooked bacon is reportedly extremely inconsistent, with some batches better than others. These quality issues haven't gone unnoticed by Jimmy John's customers. One of the most common complaints is the fact that Jimmy John's serves its bacon cold, which can easily be mistaken for raw bacon, even though it's cooked. As per one employee, this bacon issue has sparked more than its fair share of refund demands. It's partially due to this lackluster bacon that we ranked the Club Lulu as one of the worst sandwiches you can order from Jimmy John's.

Burger King hasn't disclosed the actual ingredients list for its bacon, but it's still managed to carve out a spot in the fast food bacon hall of fame. Used in the likes of its Bacon Melt, Bacon Double Cheeseburger, and the Bacon King, its thick-cut bacon is cooked in-store in an oven and must be used by the end of the day. The exceptions are apparently California and Massachusetts, where employees claim that microwaved pre-cooked bacon is used instead due to the implications of certain state laws.

Establishing Burger King among the MVPs of bacon is the fact that it's crispy, smoky, and of decent size. It's the Bacon King in particular that receives the most praise. Stacking two flame-grilled patties with American cheese and a small heap of bacon, some claim that it now outranks Wendy's since the latter changed its bacon, and one Reddit user declared it to be "one of the best things in fast food." That's quite the accolade. However, it's worth noting that this praise is limited to the traditional bacon. Burger King also offers candied bacon, which has its fans but isn't quite as beloved.

Bacon cravings can be satiated at McDonald's at any time of day, from the Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles to the Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese. The Golden Arches may be the world's largest fast food franchise, but plenty of customers don't see its entire menu as deserving of this hype. Its applewood smoked bacon catches a lot of flak from McDonald's regulars for tasting pre-cooked and being inconsistent.

In the words of one Reddit user who falls firmly in the anti-McDonald's bacon camp, "Mcd's bacon tastes like someone described bacon to a person who's never tasted it, then that person had to recreate it." Some find it thin and floppy, as well as complaining that it tastes like it hasn't been fully cooked. This is despite the fact that McDonald's goes out of its way to market said bacon as "crispy."

From an ingredients perspective, there's nothing particularly out of the ordinary with McDonald's bacon. The primary element is pork bellies (as is usually the case with American bacon) cured with water, in addition to salt, sugar, natural smoke flavor, and a trio of additives: sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, and sodium nitrate. While the latter three may sound like something you'd find in a lab, they're all relatively common in fast food and processed meats. With the final product proving so unpopular, however, we have no choice but to relegate McDonald's bacon to the low quality portion of this list.

Whether you call it Checkers or Rally's, the consensus on the chain's bacon is the same: it's delicious. Both chains (which are distinguished only by their geographical location) serve the same menu items, meaning you can enjoy iconic bacon-laden burgers such as the Baconzilla, Smoky BBQ Bacon Buford, and Bacon BBQ Mother Cruncher nationwide. You're in for a treat if you do, with crunchy bacon that treads the fine line between sweet and smoky with ease.

It's the Baconzilla that takes the crown for most, putting this bacon to good use in balancing out the flavor of the beef. While the bacon has been described as thin, it's still crispy and packs plenty of flavor (not to mention that it's added to the burger in abundance, which is always a win). There's no information out there about how Checkers and Rally's actually prepare their bacon or whether it's pre-cooked, but purely from a customer satisfaction perspective, it's more than earned a spot among the best of the best.

While Subway has always made a lot of noise about its use of fresh ingredients, it's received negative attention for these ingredients in the past, including its tuna, chicken, and even its bread. Bacon is, sadly, one of these ingredients. We'll start with the good news, which is that it's packed with far fewer additives than some of the chain's other meats. Subway's bacon is composed of just pork, water, salt, sugar, sodium erythorbate, and sodium nitrite, a list considerably shorter than those for its chicken and meatballs.

Our praise mostly ends there though as, back in 2021, a Mashed survey saw 44.2% of participants vote for Subway as the worst bacon from a sandwich chain. That's a pretty hefty majority. Among the many critiques of Subway bacon is the fact that it's floppy, not crispy, and lacking in flavor. Subway has tried to remedy its bacon's image over the years, switching it to hickory smoked bacon in 2021 as part of its Eat Fresh Refresh campaign. However, it was later reported that very little had actually changed about the bacon's ingredients. According to those who've apparently worked in Subway kitchens, this bacon arrives pre-cooked. While both customers and employees claim that the bacon is better if you request your sandwich toasted, we maintain that the onus shouldn't fall on customers doing so to ensure the tastiest meat possible.

Bacon is one of those foods that's so easy to get right but absolutely terrible if you do manage to get it wrong. To truly decide which fast food bacon is high or low quality, we studied the general consensus on the details that make or break bacon. We assessed bacon reviews across social media websites like Reddit and YouTube, keeping an eye out for red flags like floppy or flavorless meat, and aligned those with the details shared by each individual fast food chain about how it sources and preps its bacon.

The amount of information shared by fast food restaurants can differ. While some are totally transparent about their bacon suppliers and the ingredients that go into each bacon strip, others remain more vague. The general consensus of customers had huge sway over the final result for each fast food chain's bacon, but we did give bonus points to those that went out of their way to source ethical or sustainable bacon, as well as the chains that prepare said bacon fresh in-store instead of relying on pre-cooked meat (although these details certainly weren't dealbreakers).