Fast Food Tour 2011: Looking for Valley’s best fast-food breakfast menu

Longtime MXSW readers know we like to do “food tours” where we check out several restaurants in a single day, usually revolving around a theme. Readers also know we haven’t done one in quite a while. Well, the drought is over.

Today, in celebration of National Fast Food Day, we undertook our second annual Fast Food Tour. This year’s theme was breakfast items. We visited six restaurants, all in Gilbert, with a goal of trying  5-6 breakfast items at each place.

For consistency of comparison, we sampled, if available on the menu, a signature breakfast sandwich, a breakfast burrito or wrap, hash browns, oatmeal, cinnamon roll and a wild-card item. Each item was rated on a five-star scale, and ratings were aggregated for an overall score for each restaurant’s breakfast menu.

Besides our regular food tour compadre Joe Johnston (@realjoe), we were joined this time by Katie Critchley (@pknoodle) and Angelique Soenarie (@asoenarie).

We started at 7 a.m. at McDonald’s. Our scores for each item (from right, starting with top row):

• Egg McMuffin | MXSW rating: 2 stars | Group average: 3.5 stars
• Sausage Burrito | MXSW: 3 stars | Group: 3 stars
• Bacon Egg & Cheese McGriddle | MXSW: 3 stars | Group: 3 stars
• Hash browns | MXSW: 2 stars | Group: 2.5 stars
• Fruit & Maple Oatmeal | MXSW: 2 stars | Group: 2 stars
• Cinnamon Melts | MXSW: 3 stars | Group: 3 stars

Stop #2: Burger King.

• Sausage & Cheese Croissan’wich | MXSW: 3 stars | Group: 3 stars
• Cheesy Bacon Wrap | MXSW: 3 stars | Group: 3 stars
• French Toast Sticks | MXSW: 2 stars | Group: 2 stars
• Hash Browns | MXSW: 3 stars | Group: 2.5 stars
• Fruit Topped Maple Flavor Quaker Oatmeal | MXSW: 2.5 stars | Group: 2.5 stars
• Cini-Minis with Icing | MXSW: 2 stars | Group: 2 stars

Stop #3: Wendy’s.

• Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit | MXSW: 2 stars | Group: 2 stars
• Bacon Fire Roasted Burrito | MXSW: 2 stars | Group: 2.5 stars
• Seasoned Home-Style Potatoes | MXSW: 2 stars | Group: 2 stars
• Biscuits & Gravy | MXSW: 4 stars | Group: 3.5 stars
• Fresh Baked Oatmeal Bar | MXSW: 2.5 stars | Group: 2.5 stars

Stop #4: Del Taco.

• Muffin Sandwich with Bacon | MXSW: 2.5 stars | Group: 2 stars
• 1/2 Lb. Steak & Egg Burrito | MXSW: 4 stars | Group: 3.5 stars
• Bacon & Egg Quesadilla | MXSW: 3 stars | Group: 3 stars
• Hash Brown Sticks | MXSW: 3.5 stars | Group: 3 stars
• Funnel Cake Fries | MXSW: 2 stars | Group: 1.5 stars
• Muffin Sandwich with Sausage | MXSW: 2.5 stars | Group: 2 stars

Stop #5: Jack in the Box.

• Breakfast Jack | MXSW: 2.5 stars | Group: 2 stars
• Grilled Breakfast Sandwich | MXSW: 3 stars | Group: 3 stars
• Mini Pancakes | MXSW: 2.5 stars | Group: 2 stars
• Hash Brown Sticks | MXSW: 3.5 stars | Group: 2.5 stars
• Meaty Breakfast Burrito | MXSW: 3 stars | Group: 3 stars

Stop #6: Chick-fil-A.

• Chick-n-Minis | MXSW: 3.5 stars | Group: 3.5 stars
• Chicken Breakfast Burrito | MXSW: 3.5 stars | Group: 3.5 stars
• Hash Browns | MXSW: 2.5 stars | Group: 2.5 stars
• Bacon Egg & Cheese Biscuit | MXSW: 3.5 stars | Group: 3 stars
• Multigrain Oatmeal with Fruit & Nuts | MXSW: 3 stars | Group: 3 stars
• Cinnamon Cluster | MXSW: 3 stars | Group: 3 stars

Overall breakfast honors went to Chick-fil-A, with McDonald’s finishing second and Del Taco third. Above. Joe congratulates Chick-fil-A staffer Maria on her restaurant’s victory.

The final standings:

• Chick-fil-A: 3.0 stars
• McDonald’s: 2.8 stars
• Del Taco: 2.6 stars
• Burger King: 2.5 stars
• Wendy’s: 2.5 stars
• Jack in the Box: 2.5 stars

How do you think we did? Did your favorite breakfast item make the list?